LOCAL FOOD
food truck love ROLLING INTO A NEIGHBOURHOOD NEAR YOU Words Penny Keogh
Increasingly popular during lockdown, many restaurants pivoted into providing meals on the move, while existing food trucks sought new places to trade. We’ve never been more spoilt for choice! And as the markets begin to open again, more trucks will be doing a roaring trade and it’s easy to see why. Here are some of the amazing local food trucks bringing fabulous flavours to the Illawarra.
Cheeky Taco Mexican and beyond
Owner: Sosan Marabani Operating since: August 2018 What's the story behind your food truck? I’ve been a chef for more than 15 years working in all types of settings, from cafés to fine dining. I spent three months travelling through the States and fell in love with Mexican food. It was while working at Huskisson Hotel as their first female sous chef where I had the opportunity to experiment with recipes and inspired the Cheeky Taco menu. Best thing about operating a food truck? How long do you have?! I love this work. The environment is great. Typically, being in a kitchen you can’t see people when they eat your food. I love seeing the line of people ready to try my menu and then watching their faces as they bite into their taco. It feels good when they turn to their friends and want to try each other’s meal. What is the inspiration behind the menu? I like fusing cuisines and pushing the boundaries. To me a taco is like a sandwich, where you make a base and build it up. While there are the traditional Mexican tacos with beef mince and salads, your imagination is the only limit to what other ingredients can create the tastes. Everything is homemade. Where do you source your ingredients? All my produce is sourced locally. That was a big thing for me. I’ve found some nice markets, like Vincentia Growers Markets and the Wollongong Markets.
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