Middle Eastern food is more than having a moment right now in North America, and Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»is definitely representing the cuisine strong with several excellent restaurants. Now comes word that Victoria's will be coming to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»in food truck form.
Rendering courtesy Superbaba
Superbaba launched in July 2017, and is an ultimate emblem of the power of collaboration. With the culinary talents of unconventional chef (Abdallah El Chami), and the long-time restaurant acumen from partners Jason Sussman, Ryan Spong of and Robbie Kane of , and sub-partners Josh Carlsen and Mike Dawson, also of Tacofino on Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Island, Superbaba is that dream hybrid of food, aesthetics, and business savvy.
So now that dream team--with Superbaba in Victoria humming along nicely--has their sights set on getting into the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»market. In a sit-down meet-up, The Dallah explained to V.I.A. that they're getting going in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»with a truck to start because it's an ideal way to "test the brand and feel the market" on this side of the Strait of Georgia. And since this crew doesn't want to do anything less than stellar, they're also fine with waiting to find the permanent spot that is really right for them.
Timing is everything, and for the Superbaba Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»venture, there happens to be the plus of having the old Tacofino "White Lightning" truck space open on Burrard between Dunsmuir and Pender, which is available now that right there.
Another score: The Dallah says they found a truck up for sale and are working on getting it fully equipped and wrapped, and they've already secured commissary prep space. In the meantime, Superbaba the truck is actively hiring.
On board the truck for eats will be a good portion of the --about ninety percent of it, according to The Dallah, who says he'll be in the truck doing a lot of the cooking as the mobile restaurant gets going.
@jade_grenier via @eatsuperbaba/Instagram
That means you can expect to find sandwiches on fresh-baked pita bread, grain- or salad-based bowls, some of the sides and drinks (hello, mint lemonade!), and rotating desserts. The Dallah, who brings to the table his unique split culinary perspective of Middle Eastern meets West Coast, is able to present a menu that is "delicious but approachable."
And it's flexible, too; by design, the menu has options from vegan to omnivore, so you can feast on falafel or swoon over shawarma-spiced chicken.
For an exciting bonus, The Dallah hints at some wicked cool collabs to come, too, for the truck. Superbaba will be teaming up with some established Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»brands to create unique menu items--just more testament to the power of working together.
Although there may be some pop-up preview events to keep an eye out for, for now the timeline seems headed towards a June debut for the truck. The Superbaba truck will be open Monday to Friday for lunch service, and will also be headed to special events during off hours. You can follow on Instagram for the latest on the truck launch and more.
