Soi 38

Thai food - so often reduced to what Phil Lees once memorably termed "traffic light curries".  Well, ignore the lights, put your foot down and take off on a tour of Thai noodle soups with Soi 38.

Noodle cart Soi 38 began life in Andy Buchan's backyard where he slowly perfected his Thai 'boat noodles' (very loosely comparable to Vietnamese pho).  He's now teamed up with Top (left), formerly of Tidlom Thai Antique.  Their mission is to introduce folks to popular, authentic Thai dishes that are under-represented in Aussie Thai restaurants.

To this end, the lovely Huda (above) from Sketch and Tulip in North Melbourne is hosting our noodle soup crusading duo for the next six Friday nights.

Andy and Top had a "family and friends" night which I popped into to try a couple of freebie bowls of boat noodles.  They are wickedly good, with a dark, smoky broth just covering a pile of rice vermicelli, water spinach, slow-cooked beef chunks, pork crackling and just-cooked rare beef.  Each table has a caddy of fish sauce, white sugar, pickled chilli and dried chilli.  Even though the broth is so tasty and balanced, give it a sprinkle with the toppings as they really send the flavour profile into hyperdrive.

Noodles are a most excellent $5 a bowl (they're just small, so you'll probably need two or even possibly three to fill you up).  There's also Doss Blockos beer for $7.50 a pop.

Check out the full itinerary below, plus Soi 38's website and Facebook page.  First stop is boat noodles this Friday night, July 19, from 5 pm, then come back each Friday until August 23 for a different authentic Thai taste each time.

Food trucks a go go - tacos and burgers in the West!

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

If you were burger deprived in childhood, weep no more - Mr Burger is here!

This is one spiffy food truck operation, with two trucks dotting Melbourne now.  You'll find one semi-permanently tucked off Therry Street near the Vic Market, and one regularly roving around Melbourne including the western suburbs!

I love their clean, zippy design.  Ordering's a toss up between the "classic"Mr Burger with mustard, mayo and more, the Mr Meat with bacon and BBQ sauce, or the Mr Veg with a falafel patty.

Fries are pretty standard but hot, salty and crisp - everything you could want!

I reckon these are damn fine burgers.  Both patties that day were a little pink, which I like - it's popular in the States to have your hamburger done medium.  Often Aussie burgers taste like the sum of their parts, with dry-ish meat patty and chunky lettuce and tomato.  Not so at Mr Burger - everything gooshes together to make a juicy, meaty party in your mouth.  Love!!!

But what's this?  Two food trucks for the price of one!  Dos Diablos have also starting spreading their brand of tasty hellfire across the West.

Loving the vintage-y truck, complete with crossed pitchforks at the front.  Everything here's gluten free...

...and we love a pulled pork or "carnitas" taco, well-seasoned meat loaded generously onto a proper corn tortilla and dressed up with tomatillo salsa and a little shredded cabbage.  Wickedly good fries, too, tossed with seasoned salt and squirted with spicy ketchup.

Best of all - tomorrow, Saturday 9th Feb, Mr Burger will be at Pilgrim Street Park and the Horsey Park!  (Bristow Reserve, Seddon and Shorten Reserve, West Footscray).  As for Dos Diablos, keep your eye on their Facebook page for today and tomorrow's tasty incarnations!

The West's first food truck - 'White Guy Cooks Thai'!

Things we love:  Pork belly, banh mis and sliders.

Things we love more:  Pork belly banh mi sliders!

Things we love most:  A food truck that sells pork belly banh mi sliders!!!

Things that make our head explode:  A food truck that sells pork belly banh mi sliders, IN THE WESTERN SUBURBS!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

Yes, westies, we're not Melbourne food trucks' forsaken faithful anymore.  Big thanks to Simon, David and Rachel of brand new food truck "White Guy Cooks Thai" who have chosen to bring their blend of funked-up, fresh Thai to Footscray, Yarraville and surrounds right off the bat.

Side of gyoza, $4

There are mains like curries (that changes daily) or vegan sweet corn cakes, and you can mix and match with sides like these gyoza with soy n' lime dipping sauce.  These were crisp, non-greasy, punchy parcels of flavour - one chicken and water chestnut, the other water chestnut and shiitake mushroom.

Pork belly banh mi slider, $4

I had brought some magazines, intending to nibble daintily while turning pages.  I didn't even open the front cover though until I'd completely devoured this fantastic specimen.  The pork belly was thick, juicy, and crisp and soft in all the right places.  The juices mingled with creamy mayo and tangy chilli sauce, set off by gorgeous Asian slaw.  I would love an even crispier bun though (I know Nhu Lan make a mini bread roll similar to this one, and theirs have that real banh mi crackle and crunch).

You can read more about owner Simon and his CV in Meld Magazine here, but suffice to say he knows his tom yum from his yum som.  Today's curry was green prawn, while yesterday Kenny really dug White Guy's beef massaman.

White Guy will be touring Wednesday to Sunday, so keep track of the truck via their Facebook and Twitter to see where it'll be next.  It's a brilliant set up for families - just set up in whatever park's nearby, wander over and the kids can play and run about with no worries about mess.  One $4 slider (minus chilli) from the "sides" menu would be perfect for a child.  If building a meal for an adult from the sides alone, I'd say get three.

So I don't know about you, but summer just got even more exciting!

Thank you so much Andy of Krapow for the tip.