P3rogy Boyz

The Northwest part of Calgary is known for their sprawling suburbs, not usually rock and roll. So, when I heard loud music blaring from the Crowfoot shopping area this past Saturday, I was intrigued. The music led me to the Crowfoot Rona parking lot. It also led me to a couple of food trucks, a children’s bouncy castle and a petting zoo from Butterfield Acres. What on earth was going on that day? I had no idea, but I figured this would be a perfect time to check out some street food.

It was cold, with a bit of a wind chill and there wasn’t much of a crowd. We stood in line for P3rogy Boyz. The unique spelling of their name reminds me of a B-Boy group. But, their logo is reminiscent of political propaganda from the old Soviet Union. Not sure where they are going with this mixed theme. Urban, break-dancing, perogy-making rebels? Okay. They boasted “Revolutionary Taste” on the side of their truck, so I was really excited about this one. But, then a spunky girl asked the people in front of us if they were in line, and they told her they were just waiting for their food. So she rushes to the front without even giving us a glance. Geeze. Those perogies must be that good to abandon all concept of courtesy. We ordered the Traditional and Mexicali. Although I would have preferred to try the exotic ones like Duck and Carrot Cake, in my haste I was apparently too hungry to look at the full menu before ordering. 

The Traditional perogies were filled with cottage cheese and potato. They were grilled, and then topped with bacon and onions and served with a side of sour cream. The Mexicali perogies were filled with seasoned beef and cheddar cheese and topped with chopped tomatoes and onions. The Mexicali kind of reminded me of an empanada of sorts. It wasn’t my favorite. The Traditional, however had this melty, sultry, smoky flavor. It erased memory of any previous displeasure. Our only concern was that 8 perogies was not enough! I will be back to try more flavours!

Theme/Truck Design – Its vibrant red, with a political theme. “Perogies to the People.” I’m a fan. 

Food – Eastern European foods like perogies, sausages and borscht, derived from their Baba’s recipes. Making simple ingredients so amazingly delicious! 

Service – Nothing really stood out to me in the way of a customer experience. We received what we ordered in a timely fashion. That’s pretty much it. For such a cool concept, I guess I was expecting more fun and personality?

Price - $9.00 for 8 perogies. $4.00 for a side of sausage or borscht. Eating here is not for the faint of wallet.

Wildcard – They are local and whenever feasible they try to use local ingredients and suppliers. They really just want to see Calgary thrive.

3/5 Ninja Stars

 

The Noodle Bus

From following all of these mobile eateries, it has become apparent that Calgary Food Trucks love to support anything that is going on the city. In general, I’ve actually found that the growing network of Calgary Food Trucks is just really supportive of everything. They are supportive of each other and any cause that they can contribute to in the community. That is so refreshing to see, when normally cruel competition reigns instead of friendly business relationships. This past week, I found that no cause is too small for these trucks. Not even a school fundraiser is too small for them, which is why this week’s review was at Westmount Charter School for a Terry Fox Run Fundraiser.

We pulled up to the school during lunchtime. There were a few food trucks parked in the school’s parking lot, with swarms of children! Each truck each had a ridiculously long line. A bright green truck stuck out to me right in the middle of the crowd. Vietnamese noodles? Okay! We had to wait about half an hour in the long lineup. Whilst in line, we noticed that each child at this event was dressed up. We saw devils, glittery gold girls, super heroes, you name it. Even the teachers were dressed up! I seriously don’t remember my school’s Terry Fox Run being that much fun. The truck made the ordering process easy for the kids, too. They handed out pads of paper to choose which items you wanted to order. When I finally got to the window to order, I was sad to find out they were out of their Banana Fritters. Darn. I really wanted to try those. Next time, I guess. I ordered Bun: BBQ Pork with Spring rolls. It was served in a plastic bowl. I opened it up, and steamy goodness filled my nose. The pork was tender and flavorful. The vermicelli noodles were noodley, the veggies fresh, and the spring rolls were hot and crispy. It was served with the two classic sauces that accompany Vietnamese food: Hoisin sauce and fish sauce. I love that the portion sizes are always huge with Vietnamese food. You never finish your meal hungry. It was classic dish done nicely. You really can’t go wrong with The Noodle Bus!

Theme/Truck Design – Bright green truck with a red noodle bowl and chopsticks. You know what you’re getting yourself into. 

Food – Traditional Vietnamese cuisine. I craved a little more of a variety or uniqueness in their menu, besides the classic dishes that were offered.

Service – Although she was dealing with a long line of rambunctious children, the lady at the window still managed to smile and be courteous to each customer.   

Price - $8.00 for Bun, $7.00 for Pho. These prices are definitely in line with what you would normally pay at a Vietnamese Restaurant.

Wildcard – They donated 10% of their sales to the Terry Fox Foundation. Wayta go, Noodle Bus!

4/5 Ninja Stars