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Last weekend we checked out the Columbia StrEAT in New Westminster, featuring more than 50 food trucks from the Lower Mainland. We tried a few trucks, including Fliptop Filipino Fusion. This food truck is usually in the Fairview area during the week, not in my ‘hood, so I was quite excited about the opportunity to try them.

Food

Suggested by the truck name, their menu is a fusion of North American favourites with Filipino flavours. You would find pulled pork sandwich, philly cheesesteak, sliders and tacos with a Filipino twist. Two things caught my eyes.

First, Lumpiang Shanghai is the meat version of Lumpia, which are deep fried spring rolls in rice roll wrappers. These mini spring rolls were perfect for sharing, and they tasted awesome! I would’ve preferred just a bit more soy or seasoning in the meat, but I liked that there was a lot of meat in the filling, no fillers! Spring rolls were crispy, and we really enjoyed the sprinkle of nori (seaweed) and fried leeks on top. The dipping sauce reminded me of Thai chili sauce, but thinner and more acidic. $7 for 6 of these springs rolls was a pretty good deal.

Next was the Pacman Pandesal Sliders. Pandesal is Filipino bread roll; they were firmer, denser with a cake-like texture. It also reminded me of brioche buns, which is my favourite bread. The patties were pretty thick, juicy, and I really liked their take of the BBQ sauce, which was on the sweet side. The shredded carrot and crispy leeks added some crunch to the slider, and the pickled cabbage added acidity; the toppings were different from the typical lettuce and tomatoes, which I appreciated. $8 for two sliders seemed pricey at first, but for these flavours I thought it was worth it.

Final Thoughts

Both plates were outstanding, and Fliptop was definitely my favourite truck at the event. I shared the plates with my friends and they too really enjoyed the bites. I wish Fliptop is closer to work so I could visit them again soon.

Fliptop Filipino Fusion
Location varies
778-986-3547
www.facebook.com/FliptopTruck