There are tons of new food trucks parking all over Minneapolis which are serving some excellent street foods. While there are many to choose from, I have only made it to one so far: World Street Kitchen in the “big red truck” at the corner of 5th and Nicollet in Minneapolis.
Open from 11 AM until 3 PM daily, this is a Minneapolis food truck you cannot miss. Fire engine red and located in a parking lot next to the Nicollet Ave LRT station they are serving up some really tasty dishes which draw influence from what they claim is all over the world including Morocco and Vietnam. Owned by the brothers behind Saffron, this is one food truck you should definitely not miss.
A coworker and I headed over there on Wednesday afternoon during what was a pretty steady rain. My umbrella broke moments before we headed out the door and sharing the one left between the two of us was just not going to work. Darting in and out of building overhangs brought us to the appropriate corner which was clearly marked by the red truck. As we approached I saw that the rain had driven away any lines. Co-owner Saed was standing out front and under the truck’s own awning and next to a pile of open umbrellas. As I came up to the window he handed me one and said they were learning how to operate on days like that. I was thankful for the umbrella, took some photos and placed my order.
The menu is a good one. They offer a variety of different sandwiches, dips, salads and tacos for prices that seem almost too inexpensive for downtown Minneapolis. Craving a bahn mi I ordered their curried chicken bahn mi and just to make sure I had enough food I also picked up a lamb taco with spicy cabbage. My coworker, after being assured that her choice of a kofta meatball sub scored a “2″ on the heat scale and being promised that if she took a bite and thought it was too much that they’d make her something else, ordered one up for herself. Both subs set us back a whopping $5.50 each. The taco was another $2.50. While we didn’t walk the skyway past Potbelly, I’m sure there was a line out the door and down the hall waiting to pay about $5 for something half the size and without the same ingredients.
After a wait which was literally less than two minutes I was handed both my sandwich and the lamb taco. Unable to eat outside comfortably in the rain but holding too many items which may not have made it back to work in one piece I bagged the sandwich and ate the taco while waiting for my coworker’s sandwich. The lamb taco was good. I absolutely loved the spicy cabbage. It carried some good heat which stuck with me about halfway back to my building (maybe 3.5 blocks in the skyway). Unfortunately while the spicy cabbage was nice the meat, while flavorful due to whatever they cooked it in, could have been any meat and I wouldn’t have known the difference.
After we got back to work we sat down and took a good and hard look at our sandwiches. My bahn mi was covered in fresh cilantro and either purple or cinnamon basil (I can’t tell the difference in basils–I know I’m weird). There was a single slice of fresh jalapeno inside, some cucumbers, tons of meat, some carrots, etc. The bread was slightly toasted and neither too dry nor too soft. I took a bite and immediately the curry slapped me in the face. Not spicy but instead very sweet and coconut laced. I seriously felt like I was eating one of the best chicken curries ever but on a sandwich! The vegetables were nice and while the fresh jalapeno was a plus once I got to it I would have liked to see more being that the curry didn’t carry much heat itself. I’m pretty certain they’d be accommodating of my request if I asked to make it hotter next time. My coworker’s kofta meatball sub was similarly excellent. While I only had a small piece there was also an abundance of meat, the same great bread, and it was definitely full of flavor.
Overall I was extremely impressed with World Street Kitchen and the big red truck. The prices are very reasonable, the portions are huge, and I really love the menu. If you want to make sure you’re seeing the most up-to-date offerings be sure to follow them on Twitter or at least check their daily photo of their chalk menu board.
Have you eaten at World Street Kitchen? If so what did you think? What did you order? What would you like to order in the future? Have you eaten at Saffron? Thoughts on that? What about other street foods in Minneapolis or even St. Paul? What are your favorite trucks? What would you like to see out there? Whatever you have to say about World Street Kitchen in Minneapolis or any of the food trucks around town go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Address:
World Street Kitchen (big red truck)
5th and Nicollet Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55402
See all the pictures from World Street Kitchen on Flickr here.
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September 17th, 2010 at 8:49 am
World Street Kitchen really makes me wish I worked downtown. Thankfully, it’s right off the LRT line, so I can make a quick trip down for lunch.
September 17th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
LMAO, Bill, quit lapping up my sloppy seconds. First you go to J’s farmer’s market stand and now you eat at WSK the same day I tried it for the first time?
Wait, I tried it today, anyway, we have ESP.
My friend who works at RBC noticed the red truck recently and he texted me last minute today and go try the place. I ordered their purple/plum colored juice/drink and it’s very good. Very refreshing. I asked Saed what it was and he said it was dried roses or something… don’t remember really, I have about a 2 second attention span and the memory of an 80 year old.
I also got the curried chicken banh mi sandwich. Disclaimer, I am Vietnamese. The sandwich overall was very good, nothing special but unique, I’ve never had curry in banh mi before. The owners did a good job of adding a little twist to the classic Viet sandwich.
However, $5.50 is rather expensive for banh mi thit. You can get special sandwiches like these at Quang’s on Eat Street for $4.50 or less. Traditional banh mi sandwiches are $2-3.
I cannot wait to go back and try the lamb tacos.
September 17th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
BTW Bill, have you ever tried Royal Orchid? I see tons of Desi people eating there and I usually eat there a couple times a month.
September 17th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Bill, why do the links for the pictures prompt me to sign into Yahoo?
September 19th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Dan N, sorry, they were marked as private and I never made them public. My mistake. All fixed now.
September 20th, 2010 at 4:08 am
[...] some medals from the 2010 Great American Beer Fest, nine local chefs cook nine fancy courses, and Bill hits the World Street Kitchen. » A Troubled Waters Controversy and Morning Roundup » Print Version // [...]
September 24th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Tried the Pressed Lamb Torta and Lamb Taco today.
Lamb Taco was good, I’m a big fan of tacos in general so no surprise here. I didn’t douse the taco with any sauces but it was flavorful by itself. The meat is chunky and tasty and the spicy cabbage complimented the meat well.
The Lamb Torta was just OK. It’s pulled lamb, carrots, jalapenos and zucchini (or cucumber, don’t know my veggies that well) pressed between a bread that is very similar to a baguette (maybe it was). The jalapenos overpowered everything else in the sandwich. Don’t get me wrong, I love jalapenos but would’ve liked to taste the other flavors in the torta. When I could taste hints of it, the meat itself was very juicy, perhaps too wet, and tasted a lot like canned tuna. The bread was toasted nicely and the portion size is a tad bit large for a lunch meal, but hey, I never complain about large portions!
I am not 100% sure on this, but it seemed to me that they use different lamb meat for the taco and torta. It’s still pulled lamb on both, but they are different in that you could clearly tell they are cooked and flavored separately. The taco meat was more chunky while the torta meat was more wet (like tuna, as I mentioned earlier). Props to them for taking the time to cook two different versions of the same food and not just cooking one type and using it as a “universal” meat.
I will definitely get the lamb taco again but probably won’t get the torta.
I talked to the owner and he said they hope to be open until the end of October as long as the weather cooperates. But he said if the weather gets crappy and it’s really slow by the middle of October, they will pack it up for the winter.
They tried to get a spot in the middle of the Nicollet Mall but the city kept denying them. The city wanted them to be closer to the Government Center.
http://twitpic.com/2rjhk8
September 24th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
I just ate the other half of my torta. It also has cheese in it. I suck with the names and tastes of cheese but I am fairly sure it’s swiss cheese in the torta. The bread is also definitely a baguette.
October 20th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Had the Bangkok Burrito today.
Flour tortilla stuffed with cilantro (and another mint leaf possibly), fried rice, “special sauce”, chicken and possibly egg. It is packed with flavor, very delicious. Best item on their menu that I’ve tried so far. The special sauce had some spice to it, a slight tingle on the tongue, nothing you need a drink for.
December 14th, 2010 at 7:33 am
[...] Bahn Mi for $2.00. While this was nothing even close to the Vietnamese-style sandwich I had at World Street Kitchen, it was still a good size and filled with goodies. There were 5 or 6 pre-wrapped sandwiches on the [...]
December 23rd, 2010 at 10:57 am
[...] Corner Table 2. Fogo de Chao 3. Sea Salt Eatery (seasonal) 3. World Street Kitchen (seasonal) 5. Hmong Village 5. Runyon’s 5. Destiny Cafe 8. Kabobs Indian Grill 8. Flamingo [...]
April 25th, 2011 at 8:30 am
World Street Kitchen opens today in downtown Minneapolis however they have moved to Marquette and 5th.
April 28th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
Just tried my first Yum Yum Rice Bowl. Delicious. The WSK truck is at 5th and Marquette today, but the owners said they are moving back to their old spot by LRT station on Monday.
We eat at Saffron all the time and highly recommend it. Delicious, inventive food, great cocktails, a knowledgable staff–and the family is so warm and welcoming.
April 28th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
I was just there this afternoon and had their short rib pho. So good: http://t.co/uxEhoEd
October 14th, 2011 at 7:02 am
[...] do you usually frequent? Do you agree that $7.50+ for a bahn mi, even in the food truck scene (with World Street Kitchen generally charging $1.50 less–although not serving a true bahn mi), is a bit much? Whatever [...]
October 21st, 2011 at 8:16 am
[...] the level three kicker and lined up with the rice provided a perfect filler for this Chipotle and World Street Kitchen killer. While I describe the highest level of “kicker” as “tart” above, it [...]
May 30th, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Took my first crack at World Street Kitchen today. Ordered the “Caramelized Lamb Belly tacos – with jalapeno pickled cucumbers, secret sauce and basil”.
Simply amazing.
This had everything I love about food. In three small packages, everything inside was cared for, prepared and cooked with skill and thought, and there were tons of flavors that all went together perfectly. The perfect basil leaf on each taco also gave the food a nice aroma in between bites.
As I was eating, I was thinking how much work went into that one menu option. If I had paid $20 for them I still would have thought it was a steal. No doubt, I’ll be a regular at the World Street Kitchen window, especially if these tacos are in their rotation.
May 30th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
They’re opening a brick and mortar restaurant within the year and it will feature the items they don’t have the space on the truck to prepare on a more frequent basis.
I will be a regular now that I don’t have access to it downtown at lunch.
May 30th, 2012 at 1:39 pm
MSPD….sounds great, are they only downtown or do they show up anywhere else?
We had a great weekend in MAdison WI, that town gets better and better for food…
May 30th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
mulch, they are generally in downtown Minneapolis at lunch time (Nicollet Mall and 5th by the light rail station). You can always follow them on Twitter or at http://www.eatatwsk.com to find out exactly what’s planned. I’m new to the “food truck window shopping scene” as I just started working downtown and I’m still learning the regular rotations. When I was in Bloomington, I would just get a craving, look up where they are that day on Twitter and drive wherever I needed to.
May 31st, 2012 at 9:17 am
MSPD, have you tried the Bangkok Burrito? Just warning you now that it’s HUGE, as big, if not bigger than Chipotle burritos. My only gripe with WSK is they don’t offer kicks like Vellee Deli does. I’ve tried a bunch of food trucks and I always keep coming back to World Street Kitchen or Vellee Deli. Every now and then I’ll get the Kalbi Pork Sandwich at Chef Driven Co.
May 31st, 2012 at 11:50 am
No, not yet. Yesterday was my first WSK visit. I saw quite a few burritos being handed out and I look forward to comparing it to the burrito I had from Vellee Deli last week (which I enjoyed).
November 24th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
I went to the new Brick and Mortar store that opened up last night for lunch today. Tried 5 different items and also bought a glass of Summit Saga. Spent less than $25 total. (note: they had a 25% discount this weekend to celebrate the opening so it will be a bit more very soon) Prices below do not reflect discount.
We tried
Squash and Shitake mushroom taco 3.00
Lamb Belly Taco 3.00
Short Rib Taco 3.50
Lemongrass Meatballs 8.50
Salted caramel soft serve with smoked chocolate covered almond and marshmallows. 5.00
Simply put, this place is like nothing else around here. Everything we tried was amazing. I think I have decided that lamb bacon just might be better than real bacon. Yep, I said it. The other tacos were equally as tasty, though my only minor complaint would be that I could not taste the mushroom too much in the veggie one, but the rest of the flavors made up for that easy.
The meatballs were perfectly braised with a bit of a crunch on the exterior that protected the juicy meat inside. The marinated cucumber mix that came with the wraps was a perfect accompaniment to that item.
Just when I thought it would not get better, they brought the ice cream. I would normally not bring up something so mundane as a marshmallow in an item, but astonishingly, they were almost the star of the show. Chewy on the inside and sort of crunchy on the outside (like a s’more might be when roasted properly), with those amazing almonds and a very tasty soft serve presentation. Just wow.
On top of that, the space is super nice. I expected plastic tables and less attention to those details, but it has a nice industrial metal and wood thing going, think Chipolte, but with character and warmth.
Last but not least, the service was really great. It was pretty slow, so they had a nice chance to do us right, and they did. It’ll be a bigger challenge once word gets fully out about this place and it is constantly packed, I suspect. I don’t doubt they will pull it off just fine.
So just go. If you go yet this weekend, you’ll also get a great price as well. I hope you like it as much as I did, and if you’re lucky, you might just see Jason DeRusha there.
It’s going to be a huge hit, no question.