Feeling a Little Filipino

As the last blog for our project, I wanted to mention a truck that is exceptional. I wanted to make a statement. I also wanted to have an experience that would change my taste buds forever. This is why I decided to try a food truck not on the regular schedule of the trucks for UHD. This truck had to make a statement all on its own though, which is why I went to Flip n’ Patties.

This truck’s food creators have made it a point to utilize all aspects of the truck itself and add that to what must be a unique menu. I would say that Flip n’ Patties did this very well.

To start, you need to understand one thing, this truck is all about bringing some of the greatest menu items of a Filipino diet, fusing it with a little classic American style, all while bringing you a little of their own culture. In addition, they decided to make moves with their food that would enable them to appeal to those who care about what kind of food people put into their body. By using only responsibly raised products, like grass fed beef and farm-raised pastured pork, they have succeeded remarkably.

I’m the kind of person that is all about first impressions, so when you walk up to this truck, ask yourself this question, which is harder to pay attention to: the menu or the people a couple feet away singing karaoke. Yes, karaoke! To me, nothing says interactive waiting and Filipino culture like karaoke at a food truck. So after you are done admiring people for their courage, take note at how different your food options are. 

Your appetizers are consisting of some great, tasty traditional Filipino choices. This includes choices like Siopao or the Flipanda, a derivative of the Spanish empanada. Move on to the burgers, which is what I went after, and you’ll notice one very key point. Their buns look like the halves of an egg shell. This is because they are steamed. This is also typical of bread in Filipino cuisine. Understanding the taste buds of typical burger lovers, they include bacon and cheese. Where they switch things up, however, is on burgers such as their Jeepney Burger. This one starts with the delicious patty, and moves forward with a special type of sausage from the Philippines called Longansia, put on top of the patty. This sausage is made with the farm-raised pastured pork aforementioned and uniquely seasoned to perfection. Put a couple of slices of tomato on top, then included with a fried egg, and add some of Flip n’ Patties signature sauce and you’ve got one heck of a burger.

After, I didn’t have much room for any of their dessert options, which also happens to include an “ice-cream burger,” but I did get to try out my karaoke skills a little as I waited with my friends. Needless to say, I’m keeping my day job. Although, it was fun and, of course, there is no charge to try out your vocal chords as much as you want. I also wanted to mention one other thing that is important to me no matter where I eat, and that is the quality of service. These guys were awesome. They were friendly and fast and of course that combined with the food made me want to go back.

This would be a great addition to the schedule of trucks already in service with UHD. I would like to see if more students could visit the Flip n’ Patties truck and voice their opinion as well. I would venture to say multiple people with the same voice would definitely catch the ear of the Student Government or the Student Activities Board on campus, and hopefully the administration. 

Korean Food Truck Named One of Best in Texas

We can't wait to once again enjoy of Yelp's "Top 10 Eateries" in Austin, Coreanos, which thankfully found its way to Houston shortly after taking over the streets of ATX.  Coreanos is known for their Mexican - Korean fusion cuisine, with menu items such as the favorite Kim Cheese Fries and Korean BBQ burritos.

Photo courtesy of Coreanos Facebook page & Smithsonian Magazine review. 

Shortly after being named one of the best by Yelp, Smithsonian Magazine followed suit, naming Coreanos one of the best in Texas! The magazine was impressed with their versatile flavors and impressive marinades.  I'd have to agree; my favorite dish, the Kim Cheese Fries, are the perfect blend of spicy and sweet, with their cheese and "el scorcho sauce" and caramelized kimchi cooked over spicy pork belly and, of course, the french fries.

Coreanos, which translates to "Koreans" in Spanish, is a dead giveaway that these guys take their blended cultures seriously.  To try a Texan favorite (TexMex), that is blended with some of the spiciest, and best, Korean flavors, Coreanos is a must visit!  They'll be on campus this Wednesday and Thursday, April 17 and 18.

To check out some of their menu options and get a head start ordering, visit their website. If you want to find out where the truck will be rolling around town before it makes its way to campus, follow them on twitter.

Happy eating students!

Food Truck Favorites

It’s no surprise that UHD students have been enjoying the whole food truck experience this semester! From freshmen to seniors, gators alike are happy to have so many options to choose from when it comes to food selections on campus. With the semester winding down, our team has been curious to find out which food trucks have been ranked highest among students this spring. Therefore, we have conducted a survey to find out which food trucks are considered favorites with our fellow gators. Take a look:

As you can see, Bernie’s Burger Bus ranks highest this semester among UHD students. Not too far along, is Kurbside Eatz, which also offers hamburgers, along with other favorites. Coreanos and The Rice Box are also up there in ranks, both offering an Asian twist. Stick It, popular for its skewered food, follows. Last but not least, is Happy Endings, which offers Asian-fused selections, followed by The Waffle Bus, which offers countless waffle creations.

Although University of Houston-Downtown is a very diverse campus, it looks like hamburgers are still a favorite, hands-down! However, UHD students are always open to experiencing new things and tapping into different cultures, as Coreanos and the Rice Box are also big hits on campus. Needless to say, the food trucks are definitely well-received on campus and one of the many great things that UHD has to offer!

To see what else the University of Houston-Downtown has to offer, visit the campus website or Facebook page.

Still Checking Out Trucks

Even though campus is without a food truck on this particular Friday, we're still beyond excited to try many more food trucks as the semester finishes up! We've already given you some background information on the several trucks that have committed to being on campus this semester. Last week, we shared our excitement with you surrounding The Rice Box. 

This week, teammate Jennifer Selber, can't stop dreaming about Bernie's Burger Bus. Bernie's is one of the most popular food trucks in Houston, having been awarded the "Best Burger" in Houston award from My Table Magazine and The Houston Press.  They were also voted the best food truck in town by My Table Magazine and The Houston Chronicle.  If this isn't reason enough to get excited about the bus rolling through campus, we're not sure what is! 

Bernie's Burger Bus offers Houstonians burgers that they make by hand and from scratch! They also make their delicious fries and condiments by hand.  Being a cheese lover, I was also excited to see that they use fresh, local Texas cheddar cheese on their burgers! 

While I typically enjoy a burger smothered in swiss cheese and mushrooms, I'm excited to try some of their more creative takes on the traditional burger.  With a large selection to choose from, this menu is perfect for any kind of burger lover! 

We love that the menu features burgers named after famed positions or personas at schools, such as The Principle, The Substitute, The Bully, Pre-Schoolers and more; seems kind of perfect for them to be serving up lunch for us UHD students, as well! I'm most excited to get my hands around a big fat Principle burger.  This burger is their "Traditional approach to the classic American burger with mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, pickle, thin sliced onions, shredded lettuce, and slow roasted garlic tomatoes."  Luckily, they have several "electives" that I'll be adding to my burger, including Texas Cheddar, Bacon and Caramelized "Tipsy" Onions. Don't mind me, as I'll be trying my burger with ALL of these toppings! 

We can't wait to have Bernie's Burger Bus on campus again! For more information on this famous food truck, visit their website or follow them on twitter. 

Solving a craving for the Far East

My name is Matthew Luera, and recently on behalf of my group and my appetite, I decided to try the food at one of our visiting food trucks at our school. I should start out by first saying that although I am Hispanic, I very much enjoy Chinese-American cuisine. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always up for the typical Mexican-American dish; fajitas, quesadillas, tacos. However, when lunch time comes around, often I think of dumplings, wonton soup, noodles, eggrolls and so forth. This is exactly what I had in mind when it came to having lunch that day, and nothing was going to stop mission of satisfying my appetite of the Far East.

So as I approached, I started thinking actually of the overall look of the truck itself. I’m a marketing major and that’s really because the overall concept of marketing isn’t just fascinating to me, it’s my passion, my mental default, and this truck was simply awesome. If you haven’t seen it in person yet, I’d ask that you at least do that. It’s red, mostly, with the name “Rice Box” written all across the sides. It’s got parts of their menu painted on the ends too, along with Chinese lettering. To add the feel of actually going to a Chinese restaurant they have a “Lucky Golden Cat” in the window, Asian accented lamp shades hanging from the awning, and other trinkets. It was pretty cool.

A quick look over the menu and the corresponding prices, and I thought the prices aren’t too bad, competitive even. After a short while deciding, I ordered the dumplings. It comes with an eggroll, a fortune cookie and its own sauce to carry with. The Rice Box has thought of everything as far as offering as much convenience as possible to it’s customers. I didn’t have cash on me, but not to worry, they had an iPad with a sQuare connected so I just had to swipe my card and use their application to pay and include gratuity. It was surprisingly easy and efficient. They had a good system in place to deal with the crowd of people I was in the middle of. One person taking orders, maybe two others cooking and serving orders. One other person was handling the payments. I couldn’t help but think, this is not their first time handling a crowd. For such a small establishment, being a truck and not a traditional restaurant, they ran it with an efficient manner.

Not too long after ordering, I got my dumplings and yes, they were awesome. The sauce was a mix of soy and something else. It definitely added an extra amount of kick to the dumplings that temporarily made me forget how hot they were, my tongue reminded me. After slowing down my pace, on my last two dumplings, I tried one without the sauce and then again with it. To be honest, they were good just by themselves, but the sauce they offer just adds to the taste in a way that makes you understand that it must be mandatory or you may be missing out from getting the full experience. The eggroll didn’t disappoint either and although I can’t say or it probably won’t come true, the fortune was good too.

In general, it was a very positive experience. I hope that if you are ever in the mood for some good Chinese food and are on a limited budget like myself, you can always keep The Rice Box in mind.

Food Trucks at UHD are Satisfying Students' Hunger

While University of Houston-Downtown is satisfying students who have a hunger for education, UHD’s food trucks are satisfying those students who have a hunger for food! Whether it is a burger, waffle, or Chinese food that you’re craving, one of UHD’s seven food trucks is here to satisfy your hunger! Happy Endings, The Waffle Bus, The Rice Box, Stick It, Kurbside Eatz, Bernie’s Burger Bus, and Coreanos are rotating the UHD campus throughout the spring semester to ensure that both students and faculty have the nourishment they need to finish this semester strong.

The Waffle Bus does not only serve waffles, but it serves waffles with a bang! With selections like chicken and waffles, salmon and waffles, and even s’mores, The Waffle Bus is sure to please! The Rice Box has traditional Chinese food, with a modern zing, even offering healthy alternatives for those who are vegetarians or health conscious. Stick It lives up to its name by indulging people with decadent foods served on a skewer! Kurbside Eatz has a variety of selections to choose from, including tacos, hamburgers, and eggrolls to name a few. While Bernie’s Burger Bus can give those who want a hearty hamburger, Coreanos offers unique food with a Mexican-Korean twist. Last but definitely not least, if a tofu hot dog sounds appealing to you, then Happy Endings will certainly impress you, specializing in Asian-fused foods. If you need a little “pick me up” to make it through the day or simply something on-the-go, the food trucks are on campus Monday thru Thursday, from 11am to 2pm. Many students are already indulging in what the food trucks have to offer this semester.

UHD senior, Janey Doe said recently, “I’m so glad the food trucks are here! They bring a little bit of excitement to campus!” Thao Nguyen, a first year communications major agrees, “This may sound pretty bad, but the best part of my school day is heading over to the food truck. Bernie’s and Stick It are my faves!” Janey and Thao are not the only ones enjoying what the food trucks have to offer. UHD faculty members and employees are often seen heading over to the food trucks daily. Regardless if you’re a student or faculty member, we can all agree that the food trucks can make anyone’s school day more pleasant!

Each week, we’re going to focus on the food truck that is visiting UHD campus for the week and will make it our aim to provide you with all you need to know about each food truck that feeds thousands of UHD students on a weekly basis! Happy eating!