RESTAURANT REVIEW El Cerrito, my guest ordered the Curbside Burger and was thoroughly delighted with the taste! The meat was tender and juicy and had a delicious flavor, and the bun was fresh and soft. The sandwich was piled high with the accompaniments, and my guest loved the freshness of the combined flavors. When asked about the wonderful flavor of the burger meat, Ray informed me that it is marinated in garlic and soy sauce before cooking. No wonder it is a customer favorite! I tried the “Curb-bahn mi” sandwich, made with traditional Filipino adobo, which is slow-cooked, pulled pork shoulder meat. This $9 sandwich includes melted Monterey Jack cheese, bean sprouts and cilantro, served on a bed of achara slaw, cucumber, and house aioli on a toasted bun. Once again, the sandwich was stacked high with ingredients, including a generous portion of adobo, which is the national Filipino meat dish. The flavor of the meat was excellent, and the combination of flavors of the other items really enhanced the sandwich. So often, pulled pork sandwiches are made with just the meat and the bun, which can be rather boring. But this sandwich, with the sprouts and other condiments, not to mention the savory flavor of the pork, was a real treat. My guest and I also shared another of the Curbside Kitchen’s best-selling menu 32 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM APRIL 2017 items - the Sidewalk Fries. The fries are sold separately for $7 and are well worth every penny! These are not your standard French Fries; these are crispy, shoestring fries tossed in a spicy tamarind seasoning, topped with generous amounts of tocino (Filipino bacon), Monterey Jack cheese, house aioli, green onions, and cilantro. The fries are reminiscent of McDonald’s fries (but better!) and one order is enough for at least two people to share. Ray and Russell are very liberal with the toppings for the fries, which make this side dish substantial enough to be a meal in itself! My guest and I eagerly consumed the fries which, like the sandwiches, had a wonderful blended flavor. Suffice to say that the Sidewalk Fries are a must when you visit Curbside Kitchen. What would a Filipino food truck be without Lumpia? I have never met a person who has tried lumpia and didn’t like it. For those who aren’t familiar, lumpia are crisply fried Filipino egg rolls. But the lumpia sold by the Curbside Kitchen is not just any lumpia—these are “Mom’s Lumpia”! Yes, Mom still personally makes these hand-filled and hand-rolled eggrolls for her sons’ business. Russell said that he just hasn’t been successful in replicating his mother’s lumpia recipe. He also said that she is much faster at rolling the eggrolls than he is, and she is happy to be able to contribute to the success of Curbside Kitchen. Lumpia are made with various combinations of vegetable and meat fillings; but I must say that these lumpia are among the best I have ever eaten! Made with ground pork and shrimp, the eggrolls also include minced carrots, water chestnuts, and green onions. An order of lumpia is $5 and consists of four pieces, served with a delicious sweet chili dipping sauce. My guest and I shared an order of lumpia, in addition to the Sidewalk Fries and our sandwiches. We both agreed that our meals were extremely filling and satisfying! There are two other sandwiches on the standard Curbside Kitchen menu— the Curbside Chicken sandwich, and the Mushroom Melt, a vegetarian option made with Portobello mushroom and tofu. The evening we visited, there was also a featured special—Filipino Street Tacos (2 for $5.00). A variety of bottled waters, sodas and juices are also available, including a Peruvian and a Salvadoran soda selection. They hope to offer traditional Filipino beverages in the future. Please change this to read “Russell and Raynard prepare most of the food for Curbside Kitchen at a local commercial kitchen. Although most items are cooked to order on the truck, certain items, like the Filipino adobo, require cooking offsite so that it can simmer for hours to achieve Owners Raynard and Russell Lozano Menu (Partial 3300 Giant Road, San Pablo | (628) 400-3840 | curbsidekitchen.us
Contra Costa Marketplace - April 2017
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