I've seen this place pop up on social media recently and I figured I'd try it out.
Full disclosure, I'm not a huge fan of Filipino food. It's usually too greasy or too salty imo, but I continue to try different places hoping to find a place that changes my mind.
GETTING THERE
This is a food truck located by South Tacoma Way and Steilacoom Blvd. It's not hard to find, but it is tucked away behind a Mobil gas station so it can be easily missed.
PARKING/AMBIANCE
Not much to say here. There are two food trucks sharing a gravel lot and there is one picnic table with an umbrella. The lot isn't very big so the parking is limited. There aren't really any lines, so it's kind of a free-for-all. The table was already taken by a group and it was hot, so I just took my food to go.
SERVICE
Someone was available to greet us and take our order as soon as I walked up. The staff was very friendly. The food took about 5-7 min to be ready from the time I ordered, but they also do online orders if you don't want to wait. I ordered the Lechon Kawali Craze, Adobo Spicy Chicken Wings, Dressed Lumpia, and the owner suggested we try the Bò Lúc Lắc (not on the normal menu).
FOOD
Like I stated earlier, I'm not a big fan of Filipino food so my expectations started pretty low. Surprisingly, this is probably the best I've had so far.
Other than the dressed lumpia, every dish came with two regular lumpia, a couple slices of cucumber, Java rice, macaroni salad, and some vinegar dip in a sauce cup.
I started with the lumpia and enjoyed it. It wasn't too greasy, but its ever so slightly too salty. For the most part, it was fine because the rice really offsets the saltiness. Now the dressed lumpia is a different story. The garlic mayo combined with the sweet and sour sauce completely removes the saltiness and makes the lumpia kind of savory. The fried garlic and jalapeños also adds more depth to the flavor. It's definitely a must have.
The lechon was surprisingly not too greasy. I've had some in the past that I believe is deep fried and it turned into a piece of greasy mush. This is not the case. This lechon holds its shape, but I'd have to say it's a little dry and lacking a bit of flavor. Then I tried dipping it into the vinegar (first time trying vinegar dip) and it completely changed the game. I assume that's what its for because the lechon was too bland without it.
I wanted to like the adobo wings, but it was just too salty to me. The wings had too much breading and I think it absorbed too much of the adobo flavor. The flavors were there, but it was just too salty.
The bò lúc lắc, was surprisingly not too bad. I enjoyed the flavor. I haven't had it much growing up, but I have an idea of what it's supposed to taste like. I'd say it's pretty close and I enjoyed it overall.
The Java rice wasn't too bad. Reminds me of Spanish rice and I think it a good pairing for the other items I got. It helps balance the flavors out.
The mac salad though...this has to be one of the best mac salads I've ever had. L&L mac salad will probably forever have my heart, but damn the mac salad here gave it a run for it's money. I absolutely hate going to a place and the mac salad is just a huge disappointment. It's something I look forward to, but it's always lacking flavor or the balance of flavors are way off (like too much vinegar). Definitely not this place. This one is super creamy and succulent. It wasn't too sweet, too sour, overcooked, full of carrots,...none of that. I can see it being a bit too creamy for some, but this was by far my favorite thing on the menu. I'm definitely getting a separate side of this next time.
OVERALL
Although my expectations started low, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and I'll probably come back to try the other items. It's worth checking out and I highly suggest trying the dressed lumpia and mac salad. It's a great place to grab food and take it to a park or something. read more