One of the challenges of this Food Truck Friday series is that, while Shaun and I are from Austin, we currently live on outskirts of town (due to uber cheap rent). So every week we have to make the 15 mile trek back into town to get our hands on some good eats. This week, however, we found a truck that had come to us. Set up last minute near a local haunted house in northwest Austin, we jumped on the opportunity to have a truck only 5 minutes from our house. The subject this time? Mexican/Japanese fusion at Oyama.
Named after a city in both Japan and Mexico, these two countries happen to be my favorite places in the world to eat. Never had I thought that the two flavor profiles would mix. While not much information can be found on the owners of Oyama, I do know that as culinary graduates, they know a hell of a lot more than me when it comes to gastronomic prowess. My how my mind can be so closed sometimes…
This is what we ordered:
Carnitas Tacos: Beer-Dashi Braised Pork, Pickled Jicama, Grilled Onions
Chicken Yakitori: Sous Vide Achiote Thighs, Grilled Vegetables
The carnitas won hands down. Shaun and I didn’t even have to argue or deal with our difference in opinion. I might even go as far as saying that this is one of the best tacos I’ve had in Austin in a really long time – when it comes to being close-ish to authentic. The corn tortillas blew my mind. As any taco aficionado knows, they can be really hit or miss but the ones that are procured at Oyama are sublime. Add on the oh-so-tender pork carnitas topped off the the pickled jicama (oh, good lord it really added the WOW factor) and you have Erica and Shaun in taco heaven. It isn’t a place we enter often anymore and I think we may have to run out to this truck more often.
The chicken yakitori was delicious as well but not on the same par as the tacos. For $6 you get a hearty portion of well seasoned and marinated chicken along with some grilled veggies. I am always a huge fan of thigh meat (for some reason cheap cuts of meat really do it for me) and I wasn’t disappointed with how it just melted in my mouth.
The downside to this truck is that they were not serving the miso lentils I was super excited to try and had no empanadas, nor jamaica juice in stock either.
Score: 3.5 out of 5 (They were out of a lot of things.)
Cost: $12.10
Ordered: 2 tacos, an order of yakitori chicken
Favorite thing: Carnitas Tacos
Least favorite thing: They were out of a LOT of things.
Type of food: Asian/Mexican Fusion
The truck we visited can normally be found here (but check out their social media accounts to see where they roam):
Make sure to keep up with our Food Truck Friday series!
The food looks amazing! The taco’s look wonderful!
They were FAB and some of my fav in Austin!
I love food trucks. What a great idea for a series. Glad to have found your site. That also looks like some of the better food off a truck I’ve seen.
Thanks Karl! I’m using my “obligation” of Over Yonderlust to go out and taste everything!