One of Cape Town’s first food trucks, the retro Limoncello is run by Naples-born chef Luca Castiglione. He used to own a popular neighborhood restaurant of the same name before deciding to open up a food truck instead. As the name suggests, this truck serves up Southern Italian fare with seasonal dishes such as artichoke risotto, melanzane parmigiana and yellow fin tuna panini, as well as favorites pizzas and calzones. You can find Luca’s truck (and the friendly Luca himself) at Oudekraal on Wednesdays and Saturdays when the weather’s good, and at different events throughout the city.
We’ve selected 12 Cape Town-area food trucks for gourmands on the go, each serving food from around the country or the globe with a uniquely South African twist.
Follow on Twitter @LimoncelloCTFT
This funky retro-styled converted trailer is at the Neighbourgoods Market every Saturday serving up gourmet comfort food such as warm oatmeal with stewed fruit and almonds, toasted banana bread with vanilla-yoghurt cream, Thai curry roasted butternut soup with sourdough, slow-roast leg of lamb and a vegetarian chickpea and spinach stew.
www.cafeteriafood.co.za, follow @cafeteriamobile on Twitter
Tuck into tasty Southeast Asian street food from this food truck, which serves up khai soi noodles with lime curry sauce from Northern Thailand, wraps filled with pickled veggies, chilli mayo and pork belly, Thai curries, noodle bowls, and bahn mi rolls from Vietnam washed down with homemade iced tea or Vietnamese coffee. The truck parks at the Vineyard Oval Market in Newlands every Wednesday night, but you can also catch it at festivals such as Rocking the Daisies and other Cape Town events.
www.lotusfoodtruck.co.za, follow @LOTUSfoodtruck on Twitter
Get delicious thin-crust pizzas from the charcoal-and-yellow Earthfire Pizza trailer, where the pies are baked in ceramic ovens. Toppings include Parma ham, fig and brie; chorizo, feta and peppadew (a sweet-spicy red pepper); and basil pesto and olives. The trailer is found at different food markets in the city throughout the week, and it can also be found catering at events and festivals.
www.earthfirepizza.co.za, follow @EarthfirePizza on Twitter
Run by Bertus Basson, the award-winning chef of one of South Africa’s top-rated restaurants, Die Wors-Rol serves just one thing out of a food truck named Betsie: a gourmet wors rol (that’s Afrikaans for hot dog). Expect juicy pork sausages from a local farm, a trio of sauces – Basson’s mother’s special mustard sauce, tomato sauce and cucumber relish – wrapped up in a toasted roll with thrice-fried French fries. Bestie can be found at festivals and events and can be hired for private parties.
www.dieworsrol.co.za, follow @DieWorsRol on Twitter
In 2010 Jessica Bonin converted a 1970s caravan into a boho-chic tea parlour, launching Cape Town’s first food truck, and it’s been a favorite on the festival and food market circuit ever since. Choose from a range of hot and iced brews from chilli-chai and oolong to Earl Grey and Moroccan mint.
www.ladybonin.com, follow @Lady_Bonin on Twitter
Durban is home to the biggest Indian population outside India, and the best culinary export of the coastal city is undoubtedly curry. Try and authentically Durban curry at this popular food truck, which has been serving up deliciously spicy curries such as crayfish and prawn, samosas, and bunny chows (a Durban-invented dish of hollowed out bread loaf filled with curry). Catch them at events and at the City Bowl Market on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Follow @durbsfinestcurry on Twitter
Long before there were food trucks in South Africa, there were ice cream trucks, which parked at the beaches and drove through suburbs drawing legions of children with their catchy tunes. Now there’s a food truck that can be found at Cape Town’s events and private parties offering nostalgia — soft serve ice creams of childhood memories — but without the additives or artificial ingredients. Soft machine has unusual gourmet flavors with a strong South African influence. Choose from and sweetcorn and tomato jam, moerkoffie (strong coffee) and cinnamon snaps or milk tart (a traditional creamy South African tart).
www.thesoftmachine.co.za, Follow @softmachine1 on Twitter
Two meisies (girls), Marli and Tracey, dish up wholesome food made with locally sourced ingredients at markets and events around the city. Their tasty fare, which includes Cajun chicken burgers, steak rolls with caramelised onions, and grilled halloumi and eggplant paninis, have garnered them an award for best food truck at the 2014 Good Food and Wine Show.
www.meisieskitchen.co.za, Follow @MeisiesKitchen on Twitter
Pick your meal from an eclectic menu that features fusion food from around the world at this black-and-yellow truck. Think quesadillas with chipotle relish, crayfish braaibroodjies (sandwiches toasted on a barbecue grill), truffle-infused burger, Moroccan chicken pita sandwich, scrambled egg, lax and caviar wrap or prawn tempura with aioli. Don’t miss their most popular meal – a cheeseburger with Jack Daniels onion relish.
Follow @thegoodlife_ct on Twitter
The food truck offshoot of Cape Town’s hippest Mexican restaurant (of the same name) can be found at the Saturday Neighbourgoods Market in Woodstock and outside the House of Machines coffee shop in the CBD (where you can get great coffee and Bloody Marys) on Sundays for a street brunch. On the menu is Mexican street food: huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, barbecue pulled pork tortas, courgette and chorizo tacos and churros.
www.elburro.co.za, follow @_El_Burro on Twitter
This cute wooden food trailer serves up hearty and healthy Mediterranean dishes with some South African and Asian influences thrown in. We’re talking free-range chicken melanzane with tomato and basil salsa, chicken and coconut lentil curry, chicken frikkadel (South Africa meatballs), flame-grilled sirloin steak roll with arugula and feta, sweet-chili chicken wrap and Greek-style lamb panini in a herbed feta-and-yogurt sauce. The truck can be found at a variety of outdoor events from marathons to music festivals, and outside the famous Charly’s Bakery (on Canterbury Street, close to the CBD) on Thursdays and Fridays.
Follow @RollingOlive on Twitter
