Stomachs, get ready to GRRRUUMMBLLE!! Coming up the weekend of July 29th-31st, Melbourne is hosting the Sweet Tooth Truck Festival, featuring all the sugary goodness your heart desires—with plenty of options for vegans, too! The event will be hosted at The Food Truck Park on High Street in Preston, and with no entry fee it’s totally worth the trek. On top of these temporary installments for the festival, Melbourne also offers a booming food truck scene.
By Joseph Demarini
Food trucks are pretty self-explanatory: they are trucks that house a kitchen and serve food from anywhere they want. During the summer months, these trucks and pop-ups come ‘round the Victoria Night Market every Wednesday to serve up some delicious finger foods or refreshing cocktails (especially the sangria—yum!). The Winter Night Market allows you to get your grub on throughout the winter months, too! These markets are a great opportunity to sample street foods from around the world, so let’s take a journey and check out some options for your late night stumble home that aren’t Macca’s or Hungry Jack’s.
THE classic street food from around the world has to be kebab: lamb, chicken, beef—who cares!? Get it with some spicy sauce and plop down on the side of the street, and you’ve just earned yourself several minutes in meaty paradise. A bit of an underdog (and this author’s personal fave) is a piping hot bowl of Japanese-style ramen. Again, the spicier, the better, as it gets you up and moving again, but nothing is more satisfying than a big ol’ bowl of noodles ‘n’ broth; the only issue is mobility, as it’s kind of a sit-down food. Continuing in the realm of noodles, there’s also Vietnamese pho, although this option is far meatier than the ramen. If portability’s your thing, Vietnam could also hook you up with some banh mi—a baguette with Vietnamese-style pork and veg fillings.
How is it that Asia kills it with every street food? Nothing beats a good dumpling on a cold night, and whether it’s stuffed with veggies or meat is of no concern—just keep ‘em comin’! Moving out of Asia, some English fish and chips make for a heartier choice and, when done properly, are crispy perfection. For the Americans out there, it’s tough to beat a plateful of cheap food truck tacos smothered with fresh pico de gallo and cilantro (“coriander” to you Aussies). When all else fails and you simply can’t find anything exotic to ease your cravings, your one true love still waits for you: pizza. Pizza will never leave you or betray you, and it’s always there waiting when nothing else comes about; it doesn’t matter if it’s greasy New York style, thin crust Italian, or Chicago deep-dish—just don’t commit the ultimate faux pas and eat it with a fork and knife!
Now that you’re starving, it’s time to chow down at the Sweet Tooth Truck Festival! Diners, are you ready? On your marks, get set, EAT!
Author Recommendations:
Kebab – Town Hall Kebab, Brunswick
Ramen – Shujinko Ramen, CBD (24-hours!)
Pho – Mekong Vietnam, CBD
Dumplings – Shanghai Village, CBD
Tacos – Beach Burrito, Fitzroy
Pizza – Whatever’s closest
