Meet Sura — the hot new food truck in town

The new Sura food truck provides affordable and delectable options for both health- and taste-conscious Korean food enthusiasts.

My first impression upon seeing the Sura truck was that it served more genuine Korean food than other food trucks selling similar products, since it spelled “Korean Rice Bowls” as “Corean Rice Bowls” (spelling “Korea” with a “C” rather an a “K” has distinctive nationalistic connotations, since the “K” spelling was only introduced in the early 20th Century by Japanese and English translators).

While other Korean food trucks offer many fusion options, Sura’s menu is more traditional (perhaps this is where the “C” comes in). You will find no tortillas on the menu, and each dish will be served with some juicy kimchi. This, however, should not deter potential customers from exploring many of the wonderful options Sura has to offer.

Sura’s menu is relatively simple, giving customers a choice of a meat dish (or vegetarian tofu) in two sizes, “bowl” or “cup.” In addition to barbecued meats, customers can also order Bibimbap, a traditional Korean rice dish, kimchi (fermented Chinese cabbage) fried rice, rice cake skewers, kimchi pancakes and traditional Korean meat patties.

Sura gives an ample amount of food for the price. Unlike some money-saving capitalists that will only serve minimal meat, filling the rest of the container space with cheaper rice, Sura generously supplies expertly cooked meat in all portions served.

Customer service was excellent. Not only was food prepared quickly, but the truck’s personnel were friendly and attentive. Tax is also included in the prices listed, so customers paying with cash can get nice big quarters back, as opposed to oftentimes cumbersome small change.

The Sura truck is not bereft of personal touches either. I was able to pick up a delicious “Inca Kola” for my drink, a hard-to-find-in-the-United-States product originally from Peru.

The Korean food truck market is one of rising competition, with already more well-established trucks like Kogi prominent. I support the Sura truck as a worthy competitor and a promising addition to the choices of food trucks appearing near USC.

 

The Sura Truck

Five stars

The truck can be found at Hoover and Jefferson at USC on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. A more complete schedule can be found here.