Chow Down

I had the tofu vermicelli with a regular spring roll and shrimp rice wraps. By far my favorite was the spring roll and I’ll be returning for more. I’ll have to go earlier in the day though, to get to try the fish balls.

Really enjoyed the vegetarian options I was able to get. Owners are very friendly and the hours are very good for 6 days a week. Prices are good and raving portions very reasonable.
What I love is that they actually have coconut water without sugar. Fantastically refreshing without the added sugar.
It was our first food truck and it exceeded our expectations.

This year (2013) has seen an increase in the number of food trucks in the city of Ottawa. Our local Unilocal person has thrown down the challenge to try as many of these new food trucks as possible in the next couple of months. So, to that end I thought I would try the one closest to home.
Food:
While I only tried two dishes here on my first visit, I would say the food is vietnamese-​ish due to their ingredients and flavor. I had their lunch combo which allows you one appetizer, one main and a drink for $ 11 (basically this saves you $ 1 from getting them separately).
My appetizer choice was an egg waffle (see photo) and my main was their Banh Xeo (see photo). The waffle was nice. In terms of taste, think a waffle made out of a fortune cookie batter. The Banh Xeo was nice and tasty as well with the beansprouts and chicken/​pork/​shrimp filling (that’s their ‘special’ which is $ 1.50 more).
My only issue with the food was that after eating the waffle and my main I was still hungry. Maybe I just had a hungry appetite today but I’ll try something different next time to see if I still feel the same. Regretfully, there is a Dairy Queen down Richmond not to far away so, hanging my head in shame, I had a medium blizzard to fill the gap.
Location:
The ‘Chow Down’ food truck sits pretty much on the corner of Woodroffe and Byron Avenue. Byron is the street that is just next (south) of Richmond Road. You can park on the side of Byron if you are driving (which most of you will likely be doing since I can’t see this area getting much foot traffic).
Seating:
Today was a sunny day and they had two small tables for seating. Not a lot but at least it is something. Since it is a low traffic area and most people are likely driving, I guess they don’t need more.
Hours:
I’m not sure, but I think they are only open during weekdays and on lunch hours. I don’t remember seeing their truck there on the weekend.
Other:
There’s a Shouldice stand right next to the food truck so depending on when you are there, you may be able to grab some strawberries (earlier in the season) or corn (which they had today).
Final thoughts:
We’ll, I liked it enough that I’ll go back. Since I try to give my ratings in relation to similar types of establishments (and this is the first food truck I’ve tried), I’m starting at three stars.
Let the food truck challenge continue…