The Chairman's Pork Belly Baked Bun...Finally

I've been going to Off the Grid at their various Bay Area locations since last summer and every time is anything but a disappointment. I've always heard high praise about The Chairman and their Pork Belly buns but had never gotten around to trying it because they always have massive lines that my grumbling stomach had zero tolerance for. 

The Chairman Food Truck at Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos

But yesterday was finally the day that I would try the hyped sandwich (and all this time I thought it was a meat filled bun!). Pork belly = tons of fat. Upon picking it up, drips of grease fell upon my biodegradable take-out box...a sign that a marvelous thing is about to happen. My salivary glands kicked in at full gear. That first bite, as is with most things, is always the best. I found myself scarfing it down and not wanting it to end at the same time...

Pork Belly Baked Bun ($6.75) 

The truck offers other meat options: Red Sesame Chicken with Scallion and Bok Choy, Spiced Duck Confit with Fresh Mango Salad, Braised Pork with Savoy Cabbage and Preserved Mustard Seeds, as well as a vegetarian option: Crispy Garlic Tofu with Miso Greens. You can either get these in a baked bun (pictured above) or a small (3-bite size) steamed bun for $3.75. But you may as well go all the way with a baked bun if your passionate about one item over the others.

This line was probably the longest among all the trucks, as it always, and now I can say that is for a good and obvious reason.

You can follow The Chairman's weekly whereabouts on their Twitter and Facebook page...so stalk away.

Office Perk: Sam's ChowderMobile

I know, it's been over a month since my last post. Don't think I've given up on this just yet. I've just been incredibly busy with my new job, leaving little time to foodie it up. 

Or perhaps not, since Sam's Chowdermobile made its appearance at my office this week. I took this opportunity to have a sandwich that I never had before: Shrimp Po' Boy:  fried shrimp, tomato slices, lettuce and a special sauce between two fluffy, buttery brioche buns. Served with Old Bay-seasoned fries, it costs $9.50 -- a decent price considering the amount of food that you get. Standing in line and being teased by the lingering, fried food scent was too much for my grumbling stomach to handle. I pretty much inhaled the sandwich and was left feeling more than satisfied. 

Shrimp Po' Boy with Old Bay Fries: $9.50

Fish N' Chips: $10.50

My coworker ordered the Fish N' Chips...yes she is a malt vinegar bandit because she's awesome. It comes with a side of coleslaw and tartar sauce. The fish was perfectly crisped and it gives way to a nice flaky, juicy bite. 

It was nice to have seafood following my recent trip to Pescadero, a breathtaking coastal town 20 miles south of Half Moon Bay. I was planning on checking out Flying Fish Grill and their praised fish tacos in Half Moon Bay on the way back, only to find that they were closed on that day.

My Trucks of Choice at Off the Grid

Off the Grid is a food truck meetup event that happens every Friday evening at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. It started last fall and has been a hit ever since, including their smaller installments at the Ferry Building, Civic Center, North Berkeley, and San Mateo.

It can be incredibly windy at Fort Mason, seeing that it is by the Bay. There aren't many seats available within the food truck circle, but there are picnic tables just beyond it for bigger parties. A lot of families arrive and stay during the first part of the evening, and then trickle out as the sun goes down and the younger crowd moves in. It's a great place to meet with friends, or run into new people who share your love of food and the food truck movement. Live music varies every week as well.

Pictured on the left are Sisig Nachos from the truck Senor Sisig. Filipino food never really has made itself very prominent in the culinary limelight, but luckily its cuisine is very food truck-able. Sisig is cubed pork marinated in vinegar that has been broiled and fried. Turning it into a nachos dish is just genius. They top it off with jalapenos, tomatoes, sour cream, guacomole, cheese, and french fries. It's the perfect hangover food. ($9)

JapaCurry offers a delicious Tonkatsu Curry, and at $8, it's a great value. Tonkatsu is breaded and fried chicken or pork cutlets. You wouldn't want to waste the spicy green curry (you can go mild if you'd like) and will probably find yourself drenching the rice in it. Most food trucks offer small portions for a pushy price, but this definitely plays fair. 

El Porteño has great empanadas. $4 gets you a Pollo Empanada, whereas $5 gets you Carne or Jamon y 
Queso. My favorite is their chicken (pollo) empanada, which is filled with Fulton Valley all-natural chicken, chicken chorizo, raisins, and olives.

Location: Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, every Friday from 5pm to 10pm