Battle of the Food Trucks!!

It's Japadog vs. Mariscos 4 Vientos, folks!

 

Japadog is Vancouver's answer to merging the Japanese culture that is so prominent in the city to a good ol' American Favorite - the Hot Dog!

Mariscos 4 Vientos is in the heart of LA and has their own unique Mexican offerings.  Which will win?  

We had a sampling of items at each truck, but I will highlight the best items and pit them against one another.  

So we start with the Yakisoba Japadog.  All of the Japadogs start with the base of a plump and juicy hot dog nestled in a soft white flour bun.  It's how they finish it off that adds the Japanese flair.  In this case, Yakisoba is layered on top, much like one would with sauerkraut, perhaps.  Yakisoba is Japan's fried buckwheat noodle dish.  It's a classic, and I spent just slightly less time in the Yakisoba shops as a student in Japan than I did in the Ramen houses I called my second home.

Here, the hot dog rivals those of New York, dare I say, even more satisfying because of its sheer size and flavorful drippings that shoot out the moment the taut skin is broken by a diner's incisor slicing through it.  And then it gets thrown down by the Asian intruder that seems to mollify the invasion and they both finally meld together into something uniquely, head-tiltingly, strangely as if they belonged together all along.  A happy fusion.

Ah, but then there is this shrimp taco dream.  I was hanging out in LA with my cousin Jake and his fam when he said, "We gotta go get this shrimp taco."  My cousin is a sales guy in LA and he does a lot of driving around, and the dude likes to eat.  I know, it runs in the family.  So without a second's hesitation, we were off, picking our way through the LA traffic for a $1.75 Shrimp Taco that he insisted all along the way was unlike any other shrimp taco I had ever had.  And indeed, he was correct.

Upon laying eyes on this smothered wonderment, I immediately thought, oh great, the whole taco is soaked in salsa.  I can't STAND soggy edibles that should be crunchy.  I was already slightly disappointed.  Underneath the salsa was a layer of sliced avocado shingled atop the taco.  And then there was this blackness on the inside.  Boy, they sure did fry the hell out of this whole thing!  And THEN I thought - how is someone supposed to eat this saturated mess?

I gingerly pinched the shell on one side and lifted, hopeful.  Amazingly, the whole thing rose.  The shell was structurally intact which promised a crispiness that I had written off.  I took a bite and it was absolutely, sublimely crunchy, while the tender minced shrimp concoction delightfully seasoned the tastebuds with its fullness.  Oh DANG this thing was good!  The disappointment I initially felt was buoyed into sheer happiness and gastronomic satisfaction.

So which one is better?  Eric would say he would rather go back to Japadog simply because it's so rare.  But in reminding him that it's not about availability, but taste, he would still go with Japadog.  I, on the other hand, was a hung jury as I thought about documenting this battle in my blog.  However, as I write this post, I have an intense craving for Mariscos' Shrimp Taco experience.  And so I must give it the edge for continuing to make such an impression.  

Whirlwind!

Where to start? I mean, in the last three weeks, I've been to LA, Atlanta, Orlando, and New Jersey, spending exactly 3 days at home. So here's the quick run-down:

Los Angeles

• Providence on Melrose Ave is phenomenal. It specializes in Seafood. In fact, the decor is made up of barnacles on their warm, beige walls. No, I'm not kidding. Make sure you get a tour of the cheese cart. Six Sigma wine is delish. Ideally you should be on expense account.
• Manpuku in West Hollywood is a fun experience. It's Japan's version of Korean BBQ where there's a grill in the middle of the table and everything is brought to the table raw. It's solid, but certainly not the best I've ever had. The kim-chi is good, and the beef with the scallions is supposed to be their specialty, but I found their Bulgogi version to be better.

Atlanta

• Kyma - Greek cuisine in Buckhead. Specializes in seafood, but the lamb chops were extremely well done and for me to say that? It must be that good. The appetizers were awesome and so much better than the fish entrees that if I were to go back, I would just stick to the apps. The wood-grilled octopus is a MUST. The mixed spreads is a great go-to that's broadly appealing. Stay away from the Greek wines. As my friend said, "They might be the ones who invented it, but they certainly didn't perfect it." Stick with the regions who are known to be the best.

Orlando

• Seasons 52 - It's Darden's newest concept. While I'm generally not a proponent of chain restaurants, this one is worth trying out. The concept is seasonally inspired cuisine where everything on the menu is under 475 calories. The food is delicious - proving that healthful food doesn't have to be made of tasteless soy products. The Caprese flatbread is excellent, the Taboule salad a winner, and the Ahi Tuna entree with its Asian-inspired accompaniments fresh and satisfying. The desserts are something else - decadent sweets served in shot glasses. Brilliant! The only thing to watch here is the "Snackwell's" pitfall - when you have a false sense of caloric security since everything is only 475 calories, but then end up ordering so much that you actually ingest 1,500.
• Citrus - Chic and pretty darn good. They have a Murphy-Goode Merlot on the menu that is delicious. Their Caprese salad is better than average, and the Florida Snapper entree is awesome. The risotto cakes that come with it could be the only thing on the plate and I would have been happy. I had a bite of someone's Skirt Steak and it was moist and tender - and that was on something that was cooked medium well! I can only imagine what a medium rare cut would taste like!

New Jersey - Unfortunately, there was no time to eat out at a fantastic restaurant. But the Teaneck Marriot is attached to "The Spa" gym, and as guests, you can get in for free. I took a yoga class that was stellar.

Next week, I'm off to Chicago and Seattle.