Food Truck Park: All about Good food, Remodelled trucks and Park

Located right in the center of Kathmandu- Nagpokhari; Food Truck Park is an ideal place to spend time with your loved ones

Looking for an open place in the heart of the city, suitable for kids and the entire family? Well Food Truck Park is possibly an ideal option for you. Nestled amidst the enclave of concrete structures, the open expanse of the Food Truck Park comes as a relief. The greenery provided by the artificial turf, neat compact wood furniture to pristine white canopy, all in all provide the much needed feeling of being in a well-manicured outdoor space. Located right in the center of Kathmandu- Nagpokhari; Food Truck Park is an ideal place to spend time with your loved ones. It is definitely a one stop destination if you want to sample a choice of diverse cuisine in one place. Huge open space with three remodelled trucks in the corners with a central kitchen, all cater a specific cuisine each. One truck specialises in juicy dumplings, whereas another supplies Tacos. The third truck is an American kitchen and the central kitchen makes immaculate Japanese food.  

After hearing all good things about Food Truck Park, we (me and my colleagues) decided to pay a visit. Upon reaching, we were greeted by very welcoming staffs. One of the owners Tashi, himself made an effort to see to our needs and suggested us the best the place had to offer. After listening to his suggestion, we decided to sample at least a dish from every kitchen. The owner decided to order drinks for us; he ordered Virgin Mojito (during office hours we decided to stay away from alcohol). The Mojito was very refreshing on the warm May afternoon. Fresh and chilled, the drink with a perfect blend of sweetness to sourness with the hint of mint providing us with the much needed coolness. While waiting for the food to arrive, the friendly owner himself gave us company and shared with us his interesting travel stories.

Then arrived our first order; the Chicken Tacos. Plain flat bread topped with, chicken cubes, salsa, and minty coriander chutney was spot on in terms of the flavor. It hit the right notes in terms of the balance between the saltiness and the tanginess but the only spoiler was, the salsa was a bit runny making the entire Tacos soggy. All in all a tantalising start if we ignore the runny salsa.

Then came our order of Tempura Prawn and Salmon Karatsuke (Salmon Shushi), ordered from the Japanese kitchen. As we were told, they were amongst the bestsellers from the kitchen and on the first look, it was evident that the wait was worth it. Even the portion size of both the dishes seemed really satisfactory, justifying the value of money. The plump crispy prawns which came with a dip of ginger and soy (tempura sauce), looked absolutely appetizing. The tempura batter coated the prawns evenly making it crisp from the outside and succulent inside. The sweet soy dip which shared a slight hint of grated ginger was an apt accompaniment for the dish. The Salmon Shushi which also came from the Japanese kitchen was an art to the eyes. Beautifully plated with a radish pickle on the side with a dip of soy and wasabi was an absolute treat. All in all a very good Japanese I have tasted lately in Kathmandu.

From another truck on our left (as we were seated on the extreme left corner of the restaurant straight ahead of the main entrance) came our order of Pork dumplings. The dumplings came with a choices of two different dips; a non-spicy dip with a nutty taste and a spicy chilly dip. The delicious dumplings echoed the pure flavor of pork mince with, mild taste of shallots and fresh coriander. These dumplings made out of unadulterated mince in terms of spices makes it an absolute winner for all those who cannot do a day without dumplings.  

Our final order of food came from the American kitchen; the Chicken and Bacon Burgers. The burgers as we were told are one of the favourites from this particular kitchen. The burgers here are served with the sides of potato wedges, a better choice to the prepacked fries served at most other burger joints. Fresh buns laced with a layer of lettuce and salad topped with a perfectly cooked chicken patty and bacon were an absolute treat. Dressed with a hint of mustard and mayo, the meaty burger ticks the taste buds of all burger lovers.

Food Truck Park not only offers good food, the music out here is equally popular. They have a Jazz night, every Friday, and play live music on Saturdays. They plan on having a movie night on weekdays very soon. Catering to the diverse choices of people with mouthwatering food, good ambience and beautiful music to an outstandingly attentive group of staffs, Food Truck Park is making all Kathmanduites woo to its charms in less than a month of its inception.

Asaya Khadka 

Photos by Shibham Parajuli