Kerstin Kühn: LA’s food truck scene

This is the latest in a series of monthly blogs by LA-based food writer and former restaurant editor of Caterer and Hotelkeeper, Kerstin Kühn, otherwise known as La Goulue.   Food trucks have never been more fashionable in America. Nearly three million of them roam US streets today, and their popularity has grown so big, the Government recently announced it is to use food trucks as a key feature of the US pavilion at Expo Milano, an international food-themed exhibition set to take place in Italy next year. In an age when finances remain unstable yet restaurant sites are unaffordable for many operators, and when consumers are growing weary of the big chains but still demand quality food that is inventive, inexpensive and fast, food trucks have become the new trailblazers of culinary innovation. And this is true nowhere more so than in Los Angeles. While the modern food truck movement started in Texas in the 19^th century, Mexican immigrants brought the taco truck culture to LA, where over the past five years the food truck scene has evolved into something of a cult. Today food trucks define the landscape in LA: drive around any part of the city and you’re guaranteed to see them parked on the side of the road next to office blocks, museums, university halls or in parking lots of shopping malls. It may have been Roy Choi’s now iconic Korean barbecue truck, Kogi, which kick started the food truck craze in 2008, but inspired by his success, fleets of trucks have since taken to the streets of LA. The variety is astounding and you can get anything from German sausages to Texan barbecue or gourmet burgers, from sushi to Vietnamese banh mi and Thai fusion dishes, and from cupcakes and waffles to Italian ice cream. But it’s not just the food that draws in the crowds: funky, colourful designs and trademark uniforms are all part of the show, not to mention the obligatory Twitter account and social media onslaught. Tracking down your favourite truck can be somewhat of a treasure hunt but every first Friday of the month, more than two dozen of LA’s most popular trucks gather on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach. For one night, a trendy and upmarket street of independent restaurants, bars and boutiques turns into a lively block party, with hundreds of people wandering around, checking out the scene and queuing up in front of their chosen trucks before tucking into the food while sitting on the sidewalk. And who can blame them – there isn’t a more fun and inexpensive way to spend a foodie night out in LA. But the selection can be overwhelming: with nearly 30 different trucks and almost as many different cuisines on offer, it can be tough to know where to begin. Armed with a camera and five hungry friends in tow, I attacked First Friday head on. Here are my top five food trucks.   LOBSTA TRUCK The idea for this truck was born after former seafood distributor and truck owner Justin Mi embarked on a lobster roll tour in New England. Inspired by the lobster shacks in Maine, particularly the iconic Red’s Eats, he launched