Get Ecuadorian Food From the New El Guayaquileño Truck
Ecuadorian food options are few and far between in Midtown. The only places I’ve heard of are El Rincon de Sabor (on 47th btw. 5+6th) and the lady selling Ecuadorian food from a shopping cart that Zach wrote about a couple years ago. Neither are particularly accessible to me in the Midtown South area, so when Luncher “@stenro” tweeted the other day that El Guayaquileño, a new Ecuadorian food truck had popped up on 37th and 7th, I broke out into a jog to go check it out.
I was pretty excited because this was my first real opportunity to try out some Latin options more exotic than tacos and pernil. Interesting is definitely what this menu has to offer. See the food after the jump.
When I got to the truck, it was clear I wasn’t the only one who was excited. A crowd of customers ordered and chatted in Spanish and look at me oddly as I took pictures of the truck. Everyone seemed psyched to have a new, tasty Latin option available. As for the price, most of the Ecuadorian food was $8, except for the pork sausage soup, which is $10. Hot dogs and hamburgers are cheaper, but really, who cares?
The menu is heavy on the stews and soups, perfect for the chilly weather we had a couple weeks ago, but last week, not so much. For the adventurous, there’s all sorts of interesting items like goat or hen stews, morocho, which is described as a “corn drink” and beef tripe, which was my lunch choice.
I took my order down to Herald Square and sat out with the lunchers and tourists and ate in the sun. I got a pint container full of tripe and potatoes in an orange sauce and a wider container filled with yellow rice. Tripe isn’t for everyone, obviously. But, if you’re an offal fan, it’s got a soft, tender texture with a chewiness to each bite that’s deeply satisfying. I gobbled it down over yellow rice that sopped up all that sauce wonderfully.
Looking over the menu, there is a lot I want to try out. The goat stew or pork sausage soup in particular are calling out to me. It almost makes me wish for a couple more of those cold, bone-chilling days that call out for rich, savory stews to warm up your insides. But then, it’s probably just a matter of days before my office starts jacking up the AC to frigid summer settings, that always makes it feel like winter again.
El Guayaquileño, 37th Street, just west of 7th Avenue. 917.578.7980
Open 10am to 3pm, Mon-Fri. Free delivery.
Posted by ultraclay at 11:45 am, May 3rd, 2010 under 37th btw. 7+8th, Cart, El Guayaquileño Cart, Latin.
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Saw this place today while returning from Bon Chon… will certainly be back another day (probably tomorrow). Any other recs welcome as tripe isn’t my thing.