Several months ago, when SLM went to press with The St. Louis Food Truck Guide for the October issue, there were 15 trucks. Then Entre Mobile hit the streets shortly thereafter, Sauce magazine discovered two more a few weeks ago, and now along comes sushi chef Eliott Harris (SLM's Q&A here) with a truck specializing in Japanese cuisine.
Harris will be leaving his exec chef position at Miso in 10 days to devote full time to the project. It's a fact that more and more food trucks are now owned and operated run by chefs itching to, ahem, shift gears and do something on their own. It's trendy and appealing, as the price to play is less than 10% the cost of a brick and mortar restaurant.
The name of Harris' truck is being kept under wraps until the graphics wrap on the truck is completed, which should be early next week, so he expects the truck to rolling in less than a month. When asked if he was worried about launching such a fair-weather-dependent business going into an StL winter, he told Relish he had just signed a lease in the Koken Art Factory, a massive building that has space for not only his commissary, but also the capability to host events for multiple food trucks, indoors. If all goes as planned, expect to see organized parties there this winter.
Harris says that the Koken facility also has the space to host private, omakase chef tastings, a popular draw around the country, as well as at Miso.
So what types of items can one expect from a Japanese food truck? Harris is keeping that under wraps as well, saying only that the focus will be on "non-traditional rolls using sustainable products," adding that "standard proteins will be available, as well as something special every day."
