The Bun Mobile

Quite frankly, I didn’t know what to expect when we came across The Bun Mobile at Roma St. Parkland during the «Picnic in the Park» this past Saturday. I was somewhat confused by the names and descriptions of their offerings. We’re from Honolulu, Hawaii and when someone tells you hot steamed buns with the option of pork, chicken, beef or veggie filling, our assumption is that it would be somewhat like our manapua (char siu bao) which are offered both steamed and baked with a multitude of different fillings.
What The Bun Mobile offered, however, was similar in that they were steamed buns (like you get with Peking duck), but these were SUPER SIZED from the traditional bun/​bao size to a Big Mac version! The fillings were also different — a piece of chicken breast (versus minced meat), sauce and slaw. Wasn’t sure what to make of it. The flavors were ok (the flavor of the teri chicken was the best part of the entire experience), but the experience left me confused/​conflicted: if you give me a steamed bun with hoisin sauce, I want duck with it, not a teriyaki chicken breast and cole slaw.
Overall, it was just OK.
I also thought that the $ 10 price tag was WAY too high for what was offered. Again, our home option comes with a $ 2 price tag and sadly much more flavor.
The service was good; a little slow, but that’s to be expected when people are queued up.
If you’re ever in Honolulu (or in your city’s Chinatown) try our home style bun/​bao you’ll see what I mean.

I love these soft pillowy rice buns! They are traditionally Asian based flavours and while they have a core menu they like to mix it up with some euro flavours. If you ever have room or at least someone to share with — try a dessert bun! Check out their website or Facebook for locations and times.

Nice, but a teensy bit overated I thought. Stalked them for ages so when I finally got a chance to try maybe I had just built it up too much in my head. Anyway I think the Steamed burgers at Gua Bao Burger at 8 street Garden City are better, no stalking required.

Please get a vegetarian bun :(I want to try this so badly but it’s all pork and chicken and what not.

First of all: they are coming next to my house once or twice a month. Is almost like having permanent streetfood at your doorstep. Me happy!
I like food to be tasty, abundant & affordable. So the Bun Mobil ticks all my boxes. Finally some real street food!
I tried the Thai Pork Belly special at $ 10, and we have plans to keep trying all the things in their menu.

best buns, great flavours, great people. try all the flavours, amazing tastes. love the grilled halloumi… chicken… laaaaaamb devine… you find them all over Brisbane, well worth humting them down

I’ll keep eating this stuff until I’ve had all the specials. So delicious!
Get in early when they stop at Southside Tea Room or the Scratch to accompany your steamed bun with some great beer.
Only sour point for me is the «Gluten-​Free» option, which consisted of the contents of a bun put into a container. While they did supply more filling to make up for the lack of bun, it felt a little deceiving. Can’t blame them for capitalising on the GF buzz in the end.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have had LOTS of these delicious tasty buns (drooling now just thinking about them). Hubby however was a bun virgin… until tonight… after I had been talking and talking and talking up how great and tasty the buns are (you’ve GOT to try the buns) he finally got a chance to try their buns tonight. The Red Bun Mobile made it’s way to our little patch of dirt and we ordered the Pork and the Special (Indonesian Satay)…we weren’t disappointed. Fresh, hot, tasty with the most delicious ingredients. The meat was fall apart good, the vege’s crisp, the sauce tangy and the perfect accompaniment to each bun. Do yourself a favour… track the bun mobile down and eat.

BUN BUN BUN BUN BUN BUN
or at least my first experience on Valentines day was like this, when i literally ordered everything on the menu (except the vego one) for my partner and I, i am sure it was 6 buns total, which you would think is sensory overload, but no no, i could have eaten another 6!
Fresh, sweet «BBQ pork bun» like bun, filled with delicious slow cooked fillings, MMM, the only downside was there was no dessert bun :(

Believe the hype people. Its delicious!!! Unfortunately, its so good, you kind of end up inhaling it. The spongy bread does a good job of catching all the juices and saves your work blouse from ugly dribbles. And speaking of fillings, bun mobile keeps it interesting by rotating a couple of specials (with at least one vegetarian option). Grab a $ 10 bill, stake out a spot on the lawn by the Loading Dock (or buy one of their delicious coffees and sit at their tables) and go to town!

So I finally got to try out the Bun Mobile, after what feels like years of wanting to eat those buns. The Bun Mobile tends to stay around the CBD area, which makes it a little difficult for those out in the ‘burbs to get to it, but now that there are actually TWO Bun Mobiles (red van and blue van) they seem to be stretching their boundaries a little.
We had four buns between us, and they are surprisingly filling. We tried the pork bun, wagyu beef bun, the dessert bun of banana and caramel, and a special bun of pork belly and duck sausage (which was a combination of some strong flavours).
Overall, I liked them, but was wanting a little more filling/​sauce for the actual bun itself, I ended up leaving a lot of the bun because lets face it, a mouthful of white doughy stuff without any filling isn’t that great.
My favourite was definitely the dessert bun, the salty caramel was delicious.
Also, a warning, the buns are definitely best consumed as soon as prepared, we took ours home and found that they became a little moist and gooey in their containers…

We seek it here, we seek it there, we seek that special bun mobile, everywhere!
The concept of a mobile food van is pretty new to Brisbane, but it’s a well established approach to food in other cities, Melbourne and New York are two big cities that do it well.
The bun mobile produces delicious yet really simple food that is quick to prepare and quick to eat… You just need to track it down (there is a website and facebook site to help) then get along and try it
My favourite is the Pork Bun, which is simply delicious, but there is always a daily special that is worth checking out
Do yourself a favour and get along to the bun mobile

Don’t pass up a chance to try the bun mobile. Seriously. Go track Harry & Christine down if they aren’t near you. You can go to their website and submit a request for a specific location. I simply hang out for Tuesdays & Thursdays in West End now knowing lunch is sorted.
Their bun with tender meats piled with lashings of salads and pickled vegetables is mouth-​wateringly scrumptious. I don’t know what that amazing steamed bun is or how it’s made, but it’s the best damn breaded meat holder /​bread-​type pairing I’ve ever tasted. Every time I visit, I have to hold myself back from smashing out two of the buns. They are Moorish.
They offer a loyalty-​card program for their regulars called «Bun-​stars». Buy 12 buns, get one free. I’m happy to be rewarded for purchases I’m likely to make without the loyalty program. :-)
Christine knows me by sight now and I’m sure this means I have a Bun Mobile problem. But, my own issues aside, it’s brilliant customer service from the operator to greet your customers by name and smile when they arrive.
Get to the mobile. Hurry, before the specials sell-​out!

So. Much. Love!
My friends told me about this food truck and we decided we will give it a try when they came to the West End.
They serve their ‘standard’ buns — chicken, wagyu and pork buns. They usually also have vegetarian option and a Special. We went for the special — pork belly with peanut butter and jelly. I was first very skeptical about this whole PB&J thing — I could never understand American’s love to this combo.
Oh how wrong I was!
The bun. Oh the bun. It’s some kind of steamed bun, the name of it I don’t remember. But it’s so much nicer than the standard burger-​kind-​of-​a-​bun! Very delicate and delicious.
The pork belly was perfect and surprise surprise! The PB&J combo worked amazing in this meal.
I was seriously contemplating having a second one.
Btw. All the food looks like on their photos. I find it quite rare, especially with burgers — they usually don’t care about making a burger looking nicely. The Bun Mobile makes the buns taste amazing AND look amazing!
It’s also very affordable — standard bun costs $ 8, and the special is $ 10.
I will be checking their schedule and will make all the effort to eat there when they come to West End!

After hearing about it, waiting in anticipation for The Bun Mobile to edge as close as possible to the city and finally finding the time to venture out to West End (yeh, apparently that’s as close as it gets to city…) to try one of these «amazing buns», I have to say my first experience has been genuinely, thoroughly, most utterly, epically enjoyable. Not only was the food nice, the lady who served us was friendly and the inside of their truck (where they prepare the food) is amazingly really really clean.
What I tried, the pork belly with lettuce, mushrooms, and some peanut butter and jelly all stuffed inside a relatively large steamed bun, was just a great balance of flavours (sweet, salty, little sour) making it jus delicious and very easy to enjoy. And while eating it, it reminded me of what we would occasionally eat at home (mum’s cooking.) with that soft steamed bun stuffed with pork and drenched in oily sauce (trust me, while it may sound unappealing, it’s best that way). peanut butter and jelly added to it is new for me, but pretty good idea nonetheless.
I don’t know where this couple learnt to use these buns and cook pork belly this way, but in any case, it was yum and I can’t wait to try another! And if you reading this, what you doing? Hunt down the truck and try one yourself…

I have a confession to make. I was a stalker until Friday when I finally satisfied my cravings. I am referring to The Bun Mobile! Ever since I found out about this gourmet food truck «taste sensation» late in 2012, I have been intrigued and obsessed to try them ever since. Checking their calendar schedule, at least once a week (as their location changes daily,) only to curse the gods, disappointed at missing out.
Not this time. Friday evening, The Bun Mobile made its way to Morningside at Southside Tea Room. It was there in all its unmissable funky glory. The truck itself is very presentable, and clean. The weather was gloomy, but standing in front of The Bun Mobile, looking up at the menu, was like seeing the clouds part and rays of sunshine beaming down. Their regular menu is Chicken, Pork, and Wagyu Buns but this night included a new special. Braised pork belly, zucchini & mushroom kimchi, crunchy lettuce, peanut butter and jelly. Talking to the lovely Christine who served us, she mentioned that it would be The Bun Mobile’s 1^st birthday come the week ending 8^th March. She was really nice, and said Harry was the one who did all the cooking. There are also vegetarian options for those who are allergic to meat.
The hardest thing about The Bun Mobile is deciding what to get, as everything sounds delicious. We ordered the Braised Pork Belly special ($ 10), and the Chicken bun ($ 8) which is Char grilled teriyaki chicken, slaw with julienne carrot, mint, Japanese mayo, and hoisin sauce. We observed all the lucky customers who had ordered earlier having a great old time at Southside Tea Room, eating their buns, smiles as wide as can be. I was salivating in anticipation. We didn’t have to wait very long, as Christine called us out.
Rushing home and opening the styrofoam box the buns come in. Aaah there it was, fresh, quality ingredients and ready to be devoured. The buns are actually quite generous in size, large in fact. We tuck straight in, having a taste of each other’s, and all the hype about The Bun Mobile is all true. It is absolutely fantastic. The combinations of exotic flavours are mind-​numbingly scrumdiddilyumpshus, and the bun is so soft I could swear there were clouds on my taste buds. It’s no wonder The Bun Mobile has over 5000 followers on Facebook, probably qualifying as a religion at the next Census, and rightfully so.
The Bun Mobile should be the benchmark by which all other food trucks are measured against. It met all our expectations, from their excellent service to their amazing buns.
Tip: to find out what daily specials and Bun flavours are on, «Like» The Bun Mobile on Facebook.

American food culture is not all Big Macs. Food trucks have huge followings, & it’s not all deep fried fare.
Steamed buns with gourmet fillings are a superb way to bring them to Brisbane.
If there is a city & a season made for enjoying an out door dinner from a truck, it’s Brisbane in spring.

Oh my how firm your buns are!
I was completely misled by not only the name of this place but by previous yum cha and pork bun devouring experiences… but I was not disappointed, instead transformed by the concept of an Asian style bun serving burger like goodness with an Asian twist!
I had one of these for lunch but could have had 10. My chicken was perfectly cooked (it fell apart in my mouth), the chilli sauce with Japanese mayo wasn’t too overwhelming and I love the mix of crispy coleslaw and coriander salad with the warm smoodgy bun goodness.
Never will I be able to order a pork bun anywhere again without expecting it to come with a chunk of chicken, lamb, pork or beef, a salad and a sizzling chilli sauce. Well thanks very much The Bun Mobile you’ve done it now!
If only there were some way to transport you over, via some kind of truck device down to Adelaide… wait a minute!

Some cities have food trucks. Brisbane has a food truck. A solitary food truck run by husband and wife duo Harry & Christine. Serving the most delicious buns (wagyu beef, angus beef and chicken as well as various specials, and a delectable caramel banana dessert bun) this is easily one of the best ‘no-​fuss’ and under $ 10 dinners you can hunt down in Brisbane. Find them in several spots around town including Loading Dock Espresso, The End bar in West End and Kangaroo Point Cliffs. They’ve got a cult following and where they go, so do the bun-​stars.
When I visited Harry and Christine at Loading Dock Espresso just before their Tuesday lunch rush, I ordered the Wagyu Beef bun and without realising it, Harry’s own Dragon Chilli sauce. I’m not one for chilli or anything spicy but Harry’s Dragon Sauce just gave the bun a gentle kick. The buns are freshly made to order and are well worth the ever so slight wait. Do yourself a favour and pin point where they’ll be next and pop your Bun Mobile cherry.

I’m currently in the middle of writing a proposal to have Harry and Christine adopt me. See, Harry and Christine are the owner-​operators of the Bun Mobile, and ever since the Bun Mobile hit the streets of Brisbane, I get really sad if I go without seeing them for more than a week at the most. Why? Because I can’t live without their sweet, delicious buns.
That sounds a bit more salacious than it should. But if you’d tried them, you’d understand. The Bun Mobile is Brisbane’s first Food Truck, see — yes, we’ve had ice-​cream vans (anyone who hears the tinkling cry of Greensleeves knows that ice-​cream is Somewhere Nearby) and the revolting tradition of dagwood dogs at the Ekka, but Food Trucks are… Different. The Food Truck revolution started up in the United States a couple of years ago, and has finally hit Australian streets. I chased a couple down in Melbourne earlier this year and sampled some delicious gourmet wares, and when I heard that Brisbane had a Food Truck on the street, I knew I had to find them. And that’s part of it — the thrill of the chase. The Bun Mobile could be anywhere on any given day, and you just hope that it’s somewhere near you.
There are always three staple buns on offer (if it’s a lunch or dinner service) — the wagyu bun, the pork bun and the chicken bun. A bit of meat and something extra (minted coleslaw? pickled cucumber?) and some house-​made condiments (try Harry’s red dragon sauce!) on a fresh, sweet, Asian-​style steamed bun. Simply heaven. There’s always a vegetarian option or two available, and usually a special or two for the day — lately they’ve been rolling out some dessert-​angled buns, like banana and caramel, or pear and chilli chocolate ganache. Each bun will only set you back $ 8-​$ 10, and will comfortably fill that empty spot in your belly.
The Bun Mobile has an excellent, up-​to-​date website showing where they’ll be in the coming days. Harry and Christine are also social media savvy, using Facebook and Twitter to tempt and inform. Catch the Bun Mobile if you can; you won’t be sorry.
UPDATE: adoption proposal accepted (I told you they were social media savvy). In the future, please address me as Mem Mobile. Mem Bun? Wait, now I’m confused. Remind me to ask mum and dad next time I see them.