REVIEW: NoMad Truck brings comfort food to LA streets


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Known for its street food and fads, Los Angeles has a culinary culture like no other city in the world. The NoMad Truck, which integrates both fine dining and casual street cuisine into one spectacular dining experience, launched last fall serving the streets of Los Angeles. The NoMad Truck has the typical fast food found in a food truck but with a very Californian twist to it, transforming an average menu into an upscale version of comfort food.

The original NoMad restaurant fits perfectly in New York, but the version opening in Los Angeles later this year will cater to Los Angeles’ unique culture. Each month, a local L.A. chef will collaborate with the food truck to test their take on a chicken burger against the NoMad’s. They kicked off the food truck year in Koreatown, which featured Chef Roy Choi, and created the “Roy Choi,” a chicken dumpling burger with shrimp, chili and ginger. Other featured chefs include Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo.

Satisfying the foodies and Instagrammers alike, the truck is extremely aesthetically pleasing for any social media feed with the baby blue exterior and modern NoMad logo. The food truck itself is on the opposite end of the dining spectrum from The NoMad Hotel in New York — a five-star hotel and dining establishment located north of Madison Square Park. Aside from co-owning The NoMad in New York City, Chef Daniel Humm also co-owns Eleven Madison Park alongside restaurateur Will Guidara.

The staff was beyond friendly and took the time out of the hectic lunch rush to get to know locals and the city. Moreover, the food itself was comfort food without the lingering guilt resulting from a junk food splurge. Ground chicken with truffles perfectly grilled into a mouthwatering burger? It’s nearly impossible to feel guilty for eating something that sounds both healthy and phenomenal simultaneously.

For desserts and other sweet treats, try Humm’s speciality, the milk & honey soft serve, a vanilla soft serve drizzled with honey and a crunchy topping to curb the salt craving. Another of Humm’s best items is the Humm Dog, a bacon wrapped hot dog with french fries, which makes for a great casual lunch.

NoMad Los Angeles is expected to open in fall of this year in the Giannini Place, located in downtown Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the opening of the restaurant possibly signals the closing of the iconic food truck, yet the baby blue aesthetic and top-notch menu items will live on inside of the new restaurant.Tracking down the NoMad Truck is no easy feat, but is most definitely worth the effort. The hours and location of the truck are not posted on social media until the day of or a few days beforehand, keeping up with spontaneity of exploring Los Angeles throughout the year via a food truck.

Hopefully, the NoMad Truck will continue to make its rounds after the permanent restaurant opens.