Food Blogz: Santa Monica Gourmet Food Truck Corner

Gourmet taco trucks are all the culinary rage. Now, pop-up lots are springing up so a variety of trucks can park and offer a food court on wheels.
I went to the opening of Gourmet Food Truck Corner at Santa Monica Blvd. and 14th in the city of Santa Monica. The flier claimed as many as 12 trucks would be there but there were only four.

First stop was India Jones Chow Truck. I ordered the Butter Chicken with basmati rice and it had a nice spice to it.

Next was Fish Lips where I had the Crunch Set Large. The shrimp was tender and crunchy but the eel had no flavor to it at all.

My third stop was Barbie's Q. I had the Q Sampler plate which was a open-face sandwich with bbq beef, pulled pork and smoked chicken. This was disappointing as the beef was dry and chewy. The chicken also came with the entire skin of the breast on the plate. The skin was unseemly out of place but worst of all there was no hint of smokiness in the chicken at all. I did enjoy the pork and the potato salad.

Last stop and in last place was Border Grill. I had the Yucatan pork taco with braised achiote pork, black beans, pickled onion and orange jicama slaw. The pork tasted like BBQ and was sweet. The tortillas were not heated and split in half when I picked it up to try to eat it. If a Los Angeles taco truck claims to have Modern Mexican cusine then the pressure is on them to really showcase authentic flavors. There are so many trucks that have perfected flavors from the various regions of Mexico that a new one can not get away with anything less. Border Grill needs to work on what exactly they are trying to be.