Roaming Dragon Foodtuck @ Downtown, Vancouver

So I was sitting outside at Blenz Coffee on Robson, trying to get my caffeine on, attempting to dry swallow an incredibly sweet and undesirable Cinnamon Bun; when out from nowhere, Roaming Dragon Foodtruck rolls up to the curb in front of me and starts to set up shop...If that isn't a sign for me to try it, I don't know what is!!!

But I had to wait a bit for the sugar high to settle....so I watched them set up and get their groove on...Meanwhile, I looked them up to see what they were about....

So their byline is: 'Bringing authentically unauthentic Pan-Asian deliciousness to Vancouver, offering unique interpretations of dishes and flavors familiar throughout Southeast Asia.  In terms of awards, Roaming Dragon Foodtruck has received  Vancouver 2011 Restaurant Awards Gold Best Food Cart.




Click below to read more...

It was interesting to watch them set up shop, they opened up their truck and started to set up...and then out came the red lanterns and a gong....I mean, really? It's a little funny to watch them try so hard to be authentically unauthentic, like a slightly condescending Vaudeville act, you just kind of gloss over the patronizing elements...



Well, at least the Menu looked pretty good; I was particularly interested in the Indonesian Beef Rendang Poutine and the Chinese Pork Sliders.  Talking with the order taker tho, they were both pretty heavy dishes, so I opted for the Vietnamese Sloppy Duck: a 5 spice ground Duck, Hoisin Mayo, Pickled Red Onion and Purple Cabbage, Mint and Cilantro in a Brioche Sub Roll.

After the obligatory fifteen minute wait, I got my styrofoam box and ran off to a public park to open my lunchables!!!!

I skidaddled off to the UBC Robson Square, which looked like a roof top garden except on the ground floor.  It looked beautiful....until I found myself loitering with the homeless...Oh well, it reminds me of NYC, and besides, these guys looked more polite!

The sun was peeking out from the clouds and shining, (that's like Summer for Vancouver!) and I was excited for what I would find inside my Roaming Box!

When I opened it up, I was amazed at the beautiful sandwich that I got! All the beautiful colors, from the Yellow of the brioche bun, the green cucumbers and the fuchsia Pickles, it was a feast for the eyes!  I though I hit pay dirt with this one!!!

And when I had my first bite, I was confused; what did I order again?  I wasn't really sure it was Duck, it just tasted like an unidentifiable brown meat with a hint of gamey flavor to it, there was very little Hoisin sauce to speak of, the pickled cabbage was pretty bland too.  The only saving grace was the crispy cucumbers and the Brioche roll, which could not soak up all the brown water sauce that was dripping from the ground carcass.....

In the end, authentic unauthentic food can never compare to the authentic, don't even try.  And let's say that Roaming Dagon has a lot of accolades regarding their commitment to the community and the environment which is incredibly important, but you gotta bring it with the food as well.  I may have just picked the wrong item on the menu, but if you're Vancouver's best, everything should be amazeballs... Which it wasn't....


Ratings (Out of Five Stars)

Food:           1.5
Ambience:   1.25
Service:       3