Run, don’t walk. I am so glad the ‘hipster truck’ trend that has been happening in NYC has made its way to Philly. Every day I find myself with the same couple of options for lunch: Cheesesteak, Egg Sandwich, Meatball, etc. Sure I could get Chinese food or something, but now I have a much more awesome alternative. I LOVE mash-ups of food styles, and Coup de Taco’s mash-up of the Mexican taco format with ingredients from other ethnicities of food lead to an amazing cross-over.
I walked up to the brand new, clean, tan truck with one kid in front of me. I quickly get to place my order. I chat with the guy to help decide what I should order. They offer tacos, rice bowls, and salads and he explained to me how they each are served. I was leaning towards the salad but decided to go with the 2-taco combo so that I could try two flavor varieties instead of the one I would have on the salad.
I was faced with 3 flavor options with 2 ‘meat’ options on each. (I put meat in quotes because the alternative to the chicken or pork is seitan, a vegetarian meat alternative.) I decided to order one Sweet Thai Chicken taco and one Southern BBQ Pulled Pork taco. I waited for a few moments as my tacos were being assembled to order. I think there were about 4 guys in the truck working on the tacos. I handed the guy taking the order my 6 bucks and received my tacos.
I had to use complete restraint on myself to get back to my house to eat instead of just devouring them on the spot in the middle of the street. The smells coming from these tacos filled my nose full of the wonderful scents of both Thai Coconut Curries and Spicy Souther Barbecue.
I get back to my house, sit down and choose the Sweet Thai Chicken taco first. This taco is described as “marinated chicken breast in a coconut basil sauce topped with savory peanut paste and citrus marinated apples.” I’d say this is a very fair description. The chicken was tender and the the coconut basil sauce was light, yet flavorful. The contrasting crunchy texture from the citrus marinated apples was a surprising and interesting addition that fit the taco way better than I would have expected. Delicious.
Next, I ate the BBQ Pulled Pork taco which is described as “pulled pork slow cooked in homemade bar-b-que sauce served with Mexican jicama cole slaw”. I cannot believe how moist and tender this pulled pork is, it’s just oozing with juices and smothered in a slightly spicy BBQ sauce. I found the jicama slaw to have the same role as the apples in the Thai taco, that is giving a nice contrasting, crunchy texture to oppose the tender meats. I think I like this BBQ Pulled Pork taco even more than I like the Thai one.
All I have to say is: Thank god. New, unique, delicious food around campus. I highly encourage everyone to get over there and try it out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. I’ll have to get around to trying their Chicken Tikka Masala taco soon. This truck is a winner.
Cost: $6
Tags: apple, barbecue, BBQ, Chicken, jicama, Pork, seitan, taco
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