Food trucks are fast becoming our favourite new openings in the city. Anyone who's anyone is serving their food on wheels, and the best thing about them is, they get around. Here are 7 new ones we think you should check out this summer.
El Milagro, Malahide Marina
Julian Trejo Pascual is originally from Mexico city but has been in Europe for the past 10 years. He recently moved to Dublin with his Scottish girlfriend (thanks Brexit) and set up his taco truck, El Milagro (meaning 'the miracle' - no pressure), after a varied career in kitchens and in journalism. They've just moved into Malahide Marina and are already looking at expanding to other sites. They source their products from Mexicans living in Ireland, including handmade tacos from Balam, dried chillies, cactus pads and green tomatoes from Picado, and they've found a "lovely Mexican lady" to make their pan dulce pastries. Meat is slow cooked, sauces are homemade, and after trying it at the weekend expect to find us there ALL the time. This is proper Mexico city stuff, the genuine article, and finally Dublin has somewhere for handmade tacos!
Los Chicanos Tacos
More tacos! Scott Holder's Los Chicanos Taco truck has been four years in the making. He'd worked alongside Mexican chefs in New York, San Diego and San Fransisco and developed a deep love of the bold flavours and techniques in their cooking. With restaurants like London's Arbutus and Sydney's Momofuku Seiobo on his CV, he decided he wanted to bring Mexican food with an LA feel to Dublin, so flew to LA to find a food truck. He eventually found it, bought it, drove it to the port in Compton, and then it got lost in the US for 18 months... sounds like a movie plot. He finally got it to Dublin and has spent two years converting it from a tool truck to a state of the art kitchen.
Before coming home he travelled extensively through Mexico, visiting chilli farms, cheese makers, chocolate factories and coffee plantations in Mexico city, Oaxaca, Veracruz and Guadalajara, meeting producers and local families, and learning about their techniques and culture. He says the philosophy of Los Chicanos is "be good, do good" - read more about it here. The opening menu features lamb barbacoa tacos with tomatillo mint sauce, and baja fish negra with avocado and white cabbage, and you'll find them at Elliott's cash and carry just off Camden Street from Thursday - Sunday. Excited much?
Bunga Bunga, Malahide Marina
Back in Malahide, Bunga Bunga's fresh pasta truck has also moved into The View at the marina, with handmade pasta from Grano in Stoneybatter and their own sauces. They're currently doing a cacio e pepe, a sweet pomodoro (vegan) and their signature 'Bunga Bunga' with smoked Calabrian meats and nduja. It's been set up by two friends with a "deep love for pasta" who wanted to bring something different to the food scene - and fresh pasta served out of a vintage Renault Estafette by the sea will do the job. They're currently serving Friday - Sunday but hope to expand into more days soon.
Arty Baker, Sandycove
More pop up than food truck, but we couldn't tell you what's new in food and leave out the Arty Baker. Romain Tessier grew up in the Loire Valley in France and trained as a professional baker from the age of 16. At 23 he moved to London and ended up as the head baker at The Savoy Hotel, then was poached by Hotel Café Royal (both 5 star hotels). During his time there he entered The Great British Bake Off: The Professionals, reaching the semi-final, and that led to him being brought to Kuwait to develop a bakery concept. Luckily for us his girlfriend found a good job in Ireland so they moved again, and after not being able to find a job he really wanted, he started the Arty Baker in Sandycove Store and Yard.
He says he loved to express himself through his baking and "spread joy" through his pastries, like his Wexford stawberry cheesecake bun, Tiramisu croissant bun, and chorizo, jalapeno and cheddar rolls. He's also a fan of breaking rules and big colours. The Arty Baker is open in Sandycove Store and Yard from Tuesday - Sunday, 09:00 until they sell out, and they're planning more locations coming soon.
Ciao Cannoli
The guys behind Catch Events have done another pivot into cannoli making, and the visitors to Dinetown in Dublin 8 are loving it. You can choose between a regular or chocolate cannolo shell, filled with things like Nutella, pistachio and espresso martini. They fill them to order (the only way to achieve the maximum crunch to cream ratio), and are already working on new flavours for Autumn, including Baileys, peanut butter, and an orange whiskey sour. They're also looking at finding a permanent city centre premises with a roof - news on that when we have it. Find Ciao Canoli at Dinetown from Thursday - Sunday.
Hanger, Dinetown, Dublin 8
Also just launched in Dinetown is Hanger, a food truck specialising in Irish beef cooked over Irish timber, from chef Gavin McDonagh and the guys behind Bow Lane Social. The opening menu features a hanger steak kebab on boxty bread with black garlic aioli, pickled veg and hot sauce, and a giant yorkshire pudding filled with beef dripping chips, brisket gravy and cheese - the Instagrammers are going to have a field day. Open from Thursday - Sunday.
I Scream Donut, Inchicore
Over in Goldenbridge Industrial Estate in Inchicore, three friends who work together in the tech sector have opened a food truck serving hot donuts filled with ice-cream. I Scream is based on a concept they'd seen in LA, and after a few months testing donuts and gelato they settled on combinations like the 'Irish Classic' with vanilla gelato, sprinkles, strawberry sauce and a flake, and the 'Kinder Bueno' topped with chocolate chunks, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. You can also customise your own, and they do milkshakes, hot chocolate and ice-cream bowls if donuts don't float your boat. Currently open seven days a week. Check them out on Instagram here.
