Here’s what you need to know about Bangkok’s food truck

by Dave Stamboulis

While street food and street carts have always been an integral part of Bangkok life, local eats have gotten that much more interesting over the past months. A burgeoning movement of food trucks has sprung up, adding to the mushrooming foodie fanaticism that has entrenched Bangkok firmly on the Asian gourmet map. We take a look at some of the city’s best meals on wheels.

La Monita

(●02 650 9581; www.lamonita.com/taco-truck/#truck)

This is one truck you won’t ever have to worry about finding. La Monita, Bangkok’s well-noted Mexican restaurant, has opened a truck which sits permanently parked on the restaurant (ground) floor of Siam Paragon. Inspired by the taco trucks of San Francisco, it serves up guacamole, burritos, and carne asada without the outdoor humidity.

Orn the Road

(●09 5628 0416; www.facebook.com/orntheroadbkk)

A leader in the gourmet burger scene, Orn’s charcoal grills its patties and tops them with signature sauces like bleu cheese. This farang/Thai duo had 28 years in Bangkok running a grill, so they know their burgers well, and the truck does take some inspiration from Jack Kerouac. The burgermeisters do visit a lot of food fests, but they usually can be found between Thong Lor 11 and 13 right across the street from Grass.

Annette I Tim Tuk Tuk

(●09 0402 9349; www.annetteitimtuktuk.com)

To succeed in this business, you need a novel product and niche, and Anne’s homemade gelato certainly fits the bill. This enterprising Thai artiste now operates nine custom made tuk tuks from which are hawked homemade gelato bars that only have 7 to 9 percent fat. The combo of iconic tuk tuk with ice cream has done so well, you can even find them in Pattaya and Chiang Mai these days, but the most central location is the one parked up on the fourth floor of the Siam Center. Mango and passion fruit is the bestseller, but the tiramisu comes a close second.

Summer Street

(●www.facebook.com/pages/SummerStreet/1615933711964393)

Eschewing the traditional burger truck theme, Summer Street dishes out grill-it-yourself barbecued seafood baskets out of a vintage Citroen truck that is fixed to the sidewalk in hipster Ari. The three young Thai friends behind this operation all have design backgrounds and were inspired by a trip to Japan to open an izakaya-style eatery in a classic mobile format. You can even get craft beer to go with your freshwater prawns here. The silver truck can be found just at the start of Ari Soi 2.

Banh Mi Boy

(●091 859 0926; www.facebook.com/banhmiboythailand)

This Vietnamese sandwich truck is a most welcome addition to the mobile ethnic eats mix, serving up delicious crispy roast pork and lemongrass chicken on homemade baguettes. It is only open for lunch at present and does move around a bit, although its main haunt is on Sukhumvit Soi 47. As with all these mobile vendors, make sure to check their Facebook pages before heading over.

Daniel Thaiger

(●084 5490 995, www.facebook.com/DanielThaiger)

Blame Daniel Thaiger for all of this gourmet mobile food. Considered the pioneer of the Bangkok truck movement, this rig, which is usually found in Sukhumvit Soi 38 just past all the street eats, was started by Mark and Honey Falcioni, whose friends complained about the lack of good hamburgers in Bangkok. Their truck, named after their son, gets endless accolades, with lines down the block and waits of up to an hour for their renowned burgers.

Pizza Aroy

(●08 1752 6368; www.pizza-aroy.com)

Yes, there even is a wood-fired mobile pizza oven to go with all your truck choices. This decked-out Tata truck supports a real wood-burning oven and serves up pies that are far above average. The most popular is the funnily named Pizza Mai Sabai, which adds the Thai twist of spiced chicken and holy basil. The truck caters events, but its main home is at Lad Phrao’s Town in Town Soi 4.

Kofuku

(●08 9766 7768; www.facebook.com/kofuku.japanese.sandwich)

Built to look like a Japanese izakaya eatery with hanging lanterns, this truck specializes in tonkatsu pork cutlets, served up as a sandwich or with rice and curry. The idea has been so successful that Kofuku now runs four trucks, but the original and main one can be found at Lad Phrao’s happening Town in Town at The Scene on Sri Wara Road.

Cheesebreak BKK

(●08 3272 7999; www.facebook.com/FullMoonFoodTruckBKK)

Leave it to two New York dudes to make Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and mac and cheese Bangkok staples. While one would think only expat Americans crave an overdose of cheesy goodies, locals have embraced it as well. The truck used to be miles out at Chatuchak, but it now operates at the On Nut Night Market each evening.

Mother Trucker

(●08 5121 3767; www.facebook.com/MotherTruckerBKK)

These heavyweights have also muscled in on the mobile burger trade and serve up Bangkok’s most whopping hamburgers, 150-gram beef and pork patties. They provide a much-needed burger lift to the Khao San area and are usually found in Banglamphu (Soi Kraisi opposite the famed Jok Banglamphu) and the truck also calls in at Thaniya Plaza in Silom.