Midtown Lunch

Do you think a person can get eyeball fatigue from rolling their eyes too much?  Because if you can, then I think I do.  And if I had to guess what one thing contributed most to giving me this horrible affliction, it’d have to be food trucks. Of all the things that annoy me about lunching in L.A. (and there are a lot) food trucks reign supreme. It’s not that I hate food trucks, in fact it’s quite the opposite. If I hated them I could just stop going. Problem solved. The issue is I kind of love them, and as the revolving door of bad business decisions food trucks continues to turn round and round I just can’t stop from trying every new one that hits the scene.

My eyes started twitching at the very first site of this new truck.  Pig’s Feet Under?!  Really?  Just what we need, ANOTHER pork-centric food truck.  And if the name wasn’t enough, their website sent my face balls into full rotation:

The Pig’s Feet Under truck was an “oink” of an idea that came about at a food truck festival, of all places! The lack of pork on many of these trucks drove one particular chef nuts- well, more than he usually is anyways. So, he decided to devote a truck to the animal he loves eating so dearly.

Are you kidding with this shit? Flying Pig. Lardon. Bacon Mania.  Somebody needs to tell these guys that the pork wars have already been fought in L.A. and chicken won. This idea isn’t new.  But whatever. Forget about the pork, or the dumb name, or the pork. Also, forget about the dumb name. All you have to know about this truck is that they wrap everything in scallion pancakes…

If that sounds familiar it’s because it is. 101 Noodle Express has already proven the awesomeness of braised meat wrapped up inside a scallion flecked tortilla of flaky goodness.  Sadly, these guys are not bringing Shandong beef rolls to the streets of Los Angeles.  But they did use them to inspire a menu of wraps that are still better than most of the things served up on food trucks these days.

First good sign: they actually make the pancake dough fresh on the truck.  The food truck expert in me knows that this technique is not sustainable for a business that has to rely on speed and volume to be successful.  But the fat guy in me was pretty excited.

They have three different rolls on the menu, all for $8 and featuring different preparations of pork.  Let’s get the bad out of the way.  Don’t bother with the al pastor.  It’s not cooked on a spit.  It’s not sliced into thin, shawarma like shards.  In short, it’s not al pastor.  Maybe if they had named this chili marinated pork tenderloin it wouldn’t have been such a disappointment.

The pork belly roll was far better.  Done up greek style, it features hunks of pork belly w/ lettuce and tomato, topped with tzatziki, and a lemon sumac vinaigrette. The slices of crispy, fatty pork belly made for an interesting take on the gyro.  Really tasty.

But the best option by far was the braised pork roll, mostly for its similarities to the original Shandong version.  I could have done without the lettuce and tomato, but the hoisin black bean sauce paired perfectly with the scallion pancake and the moist shredded pork.

They also have two kinds of fried “balls” that can be ordered separately ($5) or as a combo with the rolls, one made with mac and cheese, one with grits.  But I wouldn’t bother with either.  The roll is plenty big and filling, and neither were particularly memorable.

Fans of the beef rolls in the SGV will likely be disappointed with the scallion pancake, which despite being made fresh wasn’t particularly flaky or flavorful.  But as a carrier for a food truck wrap, it is far superior to a flour tortilla.  I don’t suspect these guys will be around for long (nobody ever is), but if you happen to spot them outside your office I’d give them a try.   Now to have a doctor take a look at my eyes…

THE + (What somebody who likes this truck will say)

• I love scallion pancakes! And pork! How could this be bad?
• I know it’s not exactly like the beef rolls at 101 Noodle Express, but I’ll take it!
• I wish more places stuffed their wraps with lettuce and tomato. It’s a nice balance to the fatty pork.
• The braised pork is so tender.  So good.
• I like their pork belly take on the gyro. Very tasty.
• Can’t believe the pancakes are made fresh on the truck!

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this truck will say)

• The pancakes aren’t flaky at all! And they could be tastier…
• I hate lettuce and tomato
• I’d rather go to the 101 Noodle Express in the Fox Hills Mall than eat at this truck
• Their al pastor is sooo not al pastor.
• Food trucks suck.

Pig’s Feet Under.  Follow them on Twitter for their location.