Everybody knows about Filipino food trucks here in the States selling fare such as lumpia (eggrolls), sisig (chopped crispy pork cheeks), pansit (fried noodles), adobo (meat cooked in vinegar), and cured breakfast meats served with garlic friedrice and topped with a runny egg (silog). But the phenomenon has also reached the shores of the Philippines and can be seen in various food events around Metro Manila.

Mobile food, aside from the small street carts one can see anywhere in the country, started when jeepneys or jeeps started selling pre-cooked meals to office workers in Makati City’s Central Business District. This was due to the lack of restaurants and affordable places to eat in the area. People called them Jollijeeps, a play between the word jeep and a local burger joint called Jollibee. After a while these mobile food vendors were regulated by the city government and replaced by trailers that had semi-permanent locations.

Now there is a new breed of mobile food vendors that serve an exciting array of innovative food choices. There are also food truck parks and events popping all over the city. Here are a few members of the Metro Manila Food Truck Association.

From the Metro Manila Food Truck Association FB page

Since there are only a few step vans in the Philippines, other kinds of trucks are used. Some are even built from the ground up by companies such as Atoy’s Customs, an aftermarket car accessory and fabrication shop.

Here’s an example of one of Atoy’s creations.