FALAFEL QUEEN - Food Truck Tour Stop #3

It has been a few summers since the ever elusive Pyramid Falafel truck vanished from Broadway.  I first noticed that Falafel Queen had stepped up to fill Broadway's falafel void last summer.  Besides their namesake, Falafel Queen offers a few other Middle Eastern sandwiches as well some food truck standards.  Based on the picture on the side of the truck they're almost obligated to serve fries.

On this visit I had the falafel sandwich ($6).  I've had a few great falafels in my day (usually while traveling) and my fair share of bad ones.  Falafel Queen's falafel does not rank amongst those bad experiences but is it good enough to justify its royal status? No.  The falafel is fairly large for the price and is served wrapped in a full pita.  The falafel balls aren't much better than pre-made ones that can be procured from the grocery store and don't seem to be fried to order so the sandwich is comes barely warm.  The pita is stuffed with lettuce, red cabbage, a few slices of cucumber pickles, tahini, and most confusingly, entire slices of lemon, rind and all.  If it were not for the lemon slices, the experience would be far more bland, as the citrus sparks some much needed life into the sandwich.  However, taking a bite and coming away with a mouthful of lemon is far from a pleasant experience.  There is Sriracha available to use if you so desire, but the falafel comes so tightly wrapped that it would be impossible to apply it evenly without making a huge mess.  I would suggest requesting that they make it spicy so they can take care of this before it gets wrapped.  Overall, Falafel Queen satisfies a craving but a conservative and quickly made sandwich turns the the truck into a convenience rather than a destination.

Broadway Ave. between Carlton St. and Hargrave St.

EL TORRITO TACO TRUCK - Food Truck Tour Stop #2

The El Torrito truck has been parked on Portage Avenue in front of the Manitoba Hydro building for a few years now.  Their menu is short and simple, three types of tacos (beef, chicken, or fish) and a flame broiled chorizo sausage on a bun.  On past visits I've only tried the beef or chicken tacos (three for $5).  On this most recent visit I finally caved and ordered the El Grande which includes three tacos (beef or chicken), the chorizo sausage, and a drink ($10).  My dining partner went with the three taco deal. 

The chorizo sausage on a bun is basically a hotdog dressed like a taco.  The sausage is juicy and has a distinct flame broiled flavour which pairs nicely with the salsa verde, onion, tomato, cilantro, and housemade mayo based sauce (?) that it's dressed with.  My dining companion thought it was the best out of everything that we tried and stated that if she was craving a hotdog in the area, this would be her obvious choice.  I tend to agree, but the fact that a Mexican variation on a hotdog is the best item on this taco truck's menu is a bit of a drawback for me.  I can't help but imagine how good that chorizo would taste on a taco or what wonders that flame broiling could do with other types of meat.

The tacos are served with the same toppings as the chorizo.  The chicken (shredded) was the definite favourite over the beef (ground), although both were fairly one note, even after garnishing them with lime and salsa verde.  The tacos were double wrapped which I generally prefer, though these were neither full, nor juicy enough to warrant the second tortilla.  It would be nice if they could put that flame to use in preparing the beef or if they had a second salsa to offer.  Despite some flaws, El Torrito is doing a few things very right and five dollars is the certainly the perfect price to satisfy my taco cravings. 

Portage Ave. between Edmonton St. and Carlton St.

TOKYO RABBIT - Food Truck Tour Stop #1

Within just the past two years the local street food scene has begun to explode.  The presence of so many food trucks jockeying for space on Broadway and all over downtown is something I'm sure many Winnipeggers (including myself) thought would never happen.  

Tokyo Rabbit is one such newcomer that offers Japanese sweets such as crepes and tarts. Though the crepes make up the majority of their menu and look delicious, I haven't been able to venture past the one savoury item on offer, the katsu sando ($5) or pork cutlet sandwich.  It consists of a tender, lightly breaded pork cutlet topped with shredded cabbage, Tonkatsu and Karashi sauce.  Basically it's a Japanese variation on a pulled pork sandwich and is every bit as messy, simple, and addicting.  I really like how nicely the sweetness of the Tonkatsu and the nasally spiciness of the Karashi compliments the simplicity of the pork and cabbage.  An iced green tea came with the sandwich  and was so refreshing that I almost felt sorry for the droves of business workers flocking to the big name coffee joint down the street for something less satisfying and more expensive. I don't know if they sell tea by itself but they should consider it.

Because Tokyo Rabbit's specialty are sweets, I had to indulge in one of their custard tarts ($2.50).  At half the price of the sandwich and tea I figured that such a seemingly steep price for the tart evens things out a little but these are definitely worth every penny.  The crust is just the right amount of buttery and flakey and pairs perfectly with the creamy and subtle vanilla custard.  Thinking about it again makes me consider how reasonable ordering a dozen may be.

Though I've yet to try them all, Tokyo Rabbit seems a prime example of why the surge of new food trucks is something to get excited about.  Hopefully a review of their crepes will come sometime in the future.

Broadway Avenue & Donald Street
Every Wednesday from 11:00AM to 2:00PM
www.tokyorabbit.com for other times