The Nom Nom Truck.
All Photos courtesy of Nom Nom Truck

It’s amazing what a reality show can do for your food truck.

Second place finishers on the Food Network’s "The Great Food Truck Race" and Los Angeles food truck staple, Nom Nom, have spread their love to the Bay Area.

Co-owners Jennifer Green and Misa Chien met during their time at UCLA. It was also during that time that they realized they could fill a niche in the growing food truck scene.

Nom Nom Truck owners: Jennifer Green and Misa Chien.

“It started in 2009 when we had a lot of Kogi BBQ trucks around the UCLA campus and their popularity grew out of nowhere,” says Jennifer. “I made a lot of Vietnamese food for my friends on a regular basis and I realized the lack of Vietnamese restaurants in the West LA area. Then it clicked.”

Green and Chien chose the classic Vietnamese baguette sandwich, banh mi, as their truck’s specialty not only because there was a lack of places that served it in their area, but because it’s easy to eat.

“It’s portable, it’s fast and has a fresh taste that you can’t get from a burrito or hamburger,” states Jennifer. “The great thing is that we can also put a little bit of our gourmet twist on it too. One of the most traditional banh mi ingredients is grilled pork and I grill it with honey, which is a little different than the traditional. We also have Lemongrass Chicken and Vietnamese tacos, which are like a banh mi in your hand.”

“We also work with Le Boulanger to have our bread baked especially for us from a recipe I worked really hard on.”

Deli Banh Mi sandwich.

Indeed, the perfectly crusty on the outside, pillowy on the inside French bread roll is key to a good banh mi, and it was the highlight of the sandwich when I got a chance to sample their Honey Grilled Pork version. The pickled carrots and daikon that topped the sandwich were flavored well and super fresh, but I wish I’d gotten more of them to create more of a textural and taste contrast to the sweet pork. And I missed the lack of fish sauce flavor that brings it all together.

All in all, it seemed like something similar enough to what I could get in a Vietnamese Mom and Pop shop. So what’s the big deal?

First, the size of this sandwich is double the size of one you’d get at a typical brick and mortar. Coming in at 12 inches long, it’s a torpedo of a dish. But more importantly, Nom Nom is obviously trying to appealing to those who have never had a banh mi before.

“It’s exciting to see how many people who have never had one before try it and see their reaction, says Misa. “It’s like an introduction to Vietnamese food for those who have never had it. We’re appealing to the American palate.”

Lemongrass Chicken Tacos

Their popularity has grown steadily, peaking when they started showing up on the Food Network reality show.

“We went into it wanting an adventure and it was a great way to expose our truck to a larger audience. People totally embraced us and it was great to see that feedback,” says Misa. “To see a small town embrace a food dish they’d never tasted like banh mi was a great experience.”

“We were bummed we came in second, but deep down we had to tell each other it was just a reality show. And the great thing was that we won the chance to travel and it was amazing,” says Jennifer.

Nom Nom recently acquired their third food truck and their next move was up north…at least for Misa.

“We decided on San Francisco because it’s a real foodie town and it’s been a dream of mine, personally to live up here,” she says. “We have two trucks in LA and one in San Francisco, now. I’m not complaining that I had to move up here! And the response has been great. People up here come to the truck, whereas in LA, you have to go to the people. They’re a little lazier down there.”

For now, Green and Chien don’t have any other plans to expand. “We have three babies right now and we’re focused on them,” says Jennifer.

For two women fresh out of college, running several food trucks in two major cities can be a challenge, but their goals are clear.

Misa says, “At the end of the day, we want to make people happy through our food. And as employers we want to hire staff that will work together to create an amazing company and work environment. Plus I get to build a great business with my best friend!”

Nom Nom
Twitter: @nomnomtrucksf
Facebook: Nom Nom Truck SF
Various locations throughout the Bay Area (no regular schedule)

I just took a vacation where the food was so uninspired and mediocre I wanted to weep each day over my plate. It was one of those "family obligation" vacations. You know the kind. Where a family member insists everyone spend their hard-earned vacation time and money at a destination where she/he wants to go. This family member insists you'll all love it, but you don't. You can't really complain out loud, because your beloved family member is so pleased that everyone is together in seeming harmony at their very special holiday spot, that you choke back your snarky comments. So while you sit miserably and snicker with your partner over the faults of the locale, the family member who convinced everyone to go is having the time of her life. Thankfully my very special persuasive family member doesn't read my BAB posts, so I can fully vent here.

Now although I had never actually set foot on a cruise ship before December 26 of this year -- yes, that's the very special holiday location -- I always knew I never wanted to take a cruise. My information on this type of vacation was limited, mainly culled from Love Boat episodes and those awful Carnival Cruise Line commercials where everyone is partying down. But I am not a party-down-on-a-cruise-ship type of person. When I go on vacation, I like to explore places I've never visited or return to locations I love: ambling into small family restaurants and town squares, sitting on park benches while I watch locals meander by, romping with my kids, and investigating trails and roads previously unknown. I enjoy strolling through museums, watching local theater, wandering around national parks, and chatting with people I normally wouldn't meet. I also like to sometimes just quietly read my book.

So, let's just say that my vacation wasn't quite what I would have planned had I been persuasive enough to convince my family where to vacation this holiday season. I will discuss the food on my own private Love Boat in another post -- as I just can't muster up the energy to rehash it now -- but this week I want to talk about something amazing I ate while away. It's the beginning of a new year, and I have warm and fuzzy thoughts of being less negative (we'll see if I can carry this through to February), so I want to start off with a post about something delicious. Luckily, in the midst of all that cruise ship hubbub, we found one truly amazing meal, and of course it was on land.

After three days at sea, our enormous polluting ship sailed into beautiful Puerto Vallarta. While the rest of our group took off to the jungle to zip line for a couple of hours, my family and I taxied downtown to meet fellow Babber Kim Laidlaw (who just happened to be staying an hour away) and her husband Keith (looking very tall and Scottish in the Mexican sun). Now although I usually research restaurants before I leave for vacation, I must admit that I failed to do so this time around. Maybe it was because our time in each port was limited to a few hours, or maybe it was due to my resentment at having to go on a cruise. Whatever the case, I was remiss. Luckily Kim is a much better woman than I. Before taking a taxi to meet us, she had researched the perfect place to eat fish tacos while visiting the beautiful Night of the Iguana location city of Puerto Vallarta. So while the other tourists made their way to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company (there really is one of those in every seaside tourist town) our group meandered about 8 blocks away from the crowded boardwalk and into the city where we found a small aluminum taco cart called Marisma Fish Taco (yes, I realize "Marisma Fish Tacos" sounds more catchy, but the sign left off that last "s").

Marisma is the type of eating establishment I dream of finding while on vacation. With locals crowding the few stools available to taste the pleasures of its fried fish, smoked marlin and shrimp tacos, it's the real deal. Marisma, from what I understand with my limited Spanish, is the lovely woman who runs it all and I am witness to the fact that she and the other women who work there are masters at making Baja-style tacos. While orders are being taken and patrons eat at the counter or at the few tables set up on the neighboring sidewalk, one lovely young woman continually pulls handfuls of masa from a small mountain of the stuff and grills freshly-made tortillas while another woman, who I think is Marisma, cooks and runs the show behind her. And here they are...

There are salsas set up on the counter, red and green with just the right amount of spice, but the real show stopper is the chile and onion compote set in large glass goblets. This mixture -- picante, tangy, and sweet all at the same time -- is the perfect accompaniment to the fish taco, or really anything for that matter. I wish I had some to slather on my chicken at home.

Once you taste those tacos you know why, in a city full of food, people stand in line for their lunch here. I started with the smoked marlin taco, which is served in a gorgeous red sauce that wakes up the tongue and makes it dance. I then went on to the house specialty: fish tacos. These are, in essence, perfect. Dorado covered in the simplest of batters, fried until golden, crisp and beautiful and then set inside a tortilla fresh off the grill with a topping of crema and cabbage. After days of heavily sauced mediocrity on board the ship, my taste buds sighed in relief. I devoured the first taco in a few seconds, so then had to order another one, pacing myself so I could slowly enjoy the flavors.  While listening to a man strum on the guitar nearby, I marveled at how such simple ingredients could coalesce to create the perfect taste.

I chatted with the nice man beside me. He had grown up in Puerto Vallarta and ate at Marisma a few times a week.  At 13 pesos a taco (about one U.S. dollar) it was a bargain for both tourists and locals alike. Kim and Keith treated my family to our feast, which came out to about $20 for the six of us, which included sodas. Thanks, Laidlaws!

After returning to our ship that evening, my family and I talked glowingly of our lunch that day. While tuxedoed waiters flitted about us, serving us a very forgettable meal on china plates, our thoughts were with those fish tacos. Yo sueño con Marisma Fish Taco

Marisma Fish Taco
320 Calle Naranjo
Puerto Vallarta
Mexico.

Last week my family and I went to San Diego for Thanksgiving, but instead of focusing on the turkey, I was obsessed with Mexican food. When I'm in San Diego, I crave rolled tacos with guacamole, carne asada burritos, and fish tacos. I grew up in North County San Diego, the land of Baja taco shops. When I was growing up, fast food didn't mean McDonalds or Jack in the Box. It meant Juanita's and Roberto's, two local chains that specialize in Baja street food.

When I moved to San Francisco, I was surprised, and a bit outraged, that the Mexican food was so different. I couldn't comprehend why everyone put beans and rice in their burritos and was appalled that the rolled tacos not only had a different name -- taquitos -- they tasted completely different. The Mexican food in the Bay Area is influenced by the foods of central Mexico, while in San Diego they serve Baja food, which is really the only type of Mexican food I crave.

If any of you grew up in San Diego, went to college there, or visit on a regular basis, I'm sure you're familiar with the type of restaurant I'm talking about. They go by many different names. Juanita's and Roberto's are part of a larger family of Mexican appellations:

Aliberto's, Filiberto's, and Alberto's, to name a few. These taco shops are in pretty much almost every strip mall in San Diego County, and run down Highway 1 on the coast. Most are open until the wee hours of the morning and are the go-to place for anyone staying out late. It is not uncommon to see a line in these restaurants at midnight. They're also open bright and early, serving some of the best breakfast burritos I've ever had. And, as if all this weren’t enough, the food is ridiculously cheap. Yesterday I fed my extended family for pennies on the dollar compared to what it would cost in the Bay Area, buying 3 orders of rolled tacos with guacamole, 2 bean and cheese burritos, 1 carne asada burrito, 1 fish taco, and 2 quesadillas for $27. This all came with free helpings of vinegar and jalapeno-marinated carrots and onions.

The décor in these shops is spare: usually a few heavily stained formica tables and plastic booth chairs set next to a big counter where you order. But who cares how it looks. The food is amazing. As far as I'm concerned, there is no carne asada burrito I'd rather eat than the one that can be found at Juanitas on Highway 1 in Leucadia. A soft flour tortilla stuffed chock full of perfectly seasoned carne asada. Other than some added guacamole and salsa, there is nothing else inside--no pinto beans, rice, sour cream, vegetables, or anything else to distract from the full meat flavor of beef seasoned to perfection with the most incredible Baja salsa.

But as much as I love the carne asada, I adore the rolled tacos even more. This dish is a staple of Mexican taco shops in San Diego. Everyone here knows what a rolled taco is. No one calls them "taquitos" and they always come with a slather of fresh guacamole and melted cheddar cheese on top. I spent every Friday and Saturday night eating these for less than $2 when I was a teenager.

Another favorite, the fish taco, is simple and perfect. Cod covered in a mild batter flawlessly fried. It's served with some cabbage, a white sauce and fresh salsa. My husband, who could eat fish tacos daily, goes to Juanita's when we’re in North County (where my family lives), but craves the ones served at El Cuervo, a little Mexican restaurant near our old house in the Hillcrest neighborhood downtown.

I have tried quite a few Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area, and although I like a select few, I haven’t yet found a restaurant in the Bay Area that can even come close to my old buddies Juanita, Roberto and Alberto. If you know of one, please pass on the information -- my time between rolled tacos stretches too long.

Juanitas Taco Shop‎
290 N Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA

Roberto's Mexican Food‎
274 N El Camino Real # B, Encinitas, CA‎

Roberto's Mexican Food‎
445 N Highway 101, Solana Beach, CA‎

El Cuervo Taco Shop‎
110 W Washington St, San Diego, CA‎