Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 21: Mexico City Kitchen

Posted By on Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 2:30 PM

Hebert Perez makes good food. You should try it.
  • Hebert Perez makes good food. You should try it.

Wedged between a carwash and a window-tinting shop just east of the intersection of Grant and Country Club roads is where Mexico City Kitchen is found. It serves some of the more gourmet and unique street food I’ve had the pleasure of sampling, and the guy I talked to today says he’s just getting started.

Most of the Mexican street food you find around Tucson is Sonoran-style, says Hebert Perez, who is from Mexico City. He says he’s trying to represent his hometown flavor, while giving roadside diners as close to a gourmet experience as he can summon out of his tiny food trailer.

Here is how Perez treated me today. First he asked me if I wanted a hot dog or something more specific to Mexico City. After talking about the food for a bit, he told me to sit down and said he would be out in a moment with a fajita plate that was “not commercial, you know, authentic Mexico City food.”

He arrived a short time later with a plate of tender steak, ham, bacon, bell peppers, cheese and onions, all of which was topped with sprigs of fresh cilantro. Accompanying it was a flour tortilla and a small dish of plum-habanero salsa. He left, and came back a moment later with a tiny Serrano pepper stuffed with bacon and cheese.

"This fajita dish is called alambre, it's very authentic Mexico City food,” explains Perez. “I try to stay close to that, but I also want to give people gourmet food, something that they can really enjoy without having to go to a restaurant, you know?”

All of the ingredients were fresh and crisp, and the flavors played a delicious game of Twister with my tongue. One wonders what Perez will be up to next. I will definitely be back to find out.

Perez also serves hot dogs, but they are topped with mango relish and poblano-garlic-cilantro aioli and served with delicious hand-cut French fries. His green-chile hamburgers served on specially made buns and accompanied by a Bordelaise dipping sauce are expected to be available next week when the full menu is finalized.

The hours are a little iffy right now, but he opens around 11 a.m. every day. You can follow the truck on Facebook over here.

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Hot dog, mango relish, poblano-garlic-cilantro aioli.
  • Hot dog, mango relish, poblano-garlic-cilantro aioli.

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