Estate Living Digital Publication Issue 2 February 2015 | Page 40

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bring you a menu. American
Food trucks offer a truly
wholesome representation of
this culturally diverse country
that already has a zealous
passion for great food.
In South Africa, the food truck
industry has made a slow
but promising imprint, with
approximately 30 Food Trucks
gracing the streets of Cape
Town alone. Whilst not entirely
on the same scale as America,
there continues to be plenty
of excitement and intrigue
surrounding this new food
phenomenon, thanks mainly
to the guys behind the Lotus
Food Truck.
As best friends, Kyle Miller
and Chris Payne watched the
unique food truck concept
successfully unfolding in
America before deciding to
enter the industry in June
2013, just as it was starting
to blossom in South Africa.
In order to provide me
with an extremely practical
understanding of what it looks,
feels, smells and sounds
like to be working in a food
truck, they very kindly invited
me to join them, on a busy

we
do
some
Wednesday night market in “Whilst
preparation beforehand, every
the Mother City.
one of our 60 dishes is made
I climb up into the truck with a entirely on site, on the truck,
niggling sense of trepidation – and nothing is cooked or
what on earth have I got myself preheated beforehand. There
into! I somewhat wrongly are no roasting chickens at
assume this is going to be a 10pm the night before, so
hot and stuffy night, with lots we don’t need ovens and
of illogical order and copious freezers,” says Chris, laughing.
chaos: shouting, swearing, Sounds pretty impossible,
sweating, with the odd bit of especially when he tells me
that, at their busiest, they have
food prepared on the side.
been known to do about a
Instead, I am greeted by a hundred dishes in an hour.
smiling Lotus team that runs an Time is definitely money in
extremely well-oiled food truck this industry! Nearly every
that could rival any upmarket customer I see seems to order
restaurant kitchen. At front of only once they have been
house, there is Kyle, a warm assured that their food will
and friendly restaurant owner take less than three minutes to
who sparks up a conversation prepare.
with every customer.
“Time is vital,” explains Chris
Felix takes up his position at whilst preparing a pork belly
the rear and, under the careful salad. “The whole point of a
guidance of Chris, a qualified food truck is that it provides
restaurantchef, they work in tandem convenient
to create beautiful boats of quality food for those on
delicious South-East Asian the go, and that is why we
dishes. “You’re not the only specifically chose to focus on
one who’s been surprised food from South-East Asia.”
when coming on board the Pigeonholing foods from
food truck for the first time” Japan, Vietnam and Thailand,
these countries boast some
says Kyle.
amazing dishes that are fresh