Street Food : Food trucks

Paris is gripped by a new trend. All it took was for one Californian to set up a burger van, and before you can say ‘viande hachée’, more and more food trucks are beetling around the crisscrossing streets of the capital. Cantine California, the new van from chef Jordan Feilders, is a gourmet slice of America on four wheels, and the Parisians are crazy for it. And perhaps you’d have to be crazy to stand in a queue for 40 minutes of your lunch hour, just to pay €11 for a burger. But, such is the power of the street, the new chic.Feilders’ menu covers burgers and tacos, including a Tex-Mex burger...

Fancy one of the best burgers in Paris? Forget your posh napkins, tablecloths and seating, the Camion Qui Fume is Paris’s first American-style burger truck, run by Californian Kristin Frederick; and you only have to look at the long lines of salivating bobos to know that the burgers here are good. The secret lies in the ingredients: baker-made bread, top quality meat, hand-cut fries and real cheddar (for just €10). The truck’s nomadic concept is quirky too: driven to a different spot everyday (often place de la Madeleine, Porte Maillot, the Canal St-Martin, MK2 Bibliothèque and in front of the Musée d’Orsay)...

To say that something is all the rage implies that it will have its moment in the sun and then disappear – which can’t be said of dim sum, whose popularity in Paris seems set to endure. Mum Dim Sum on the boulevard Courcelles, a chic and friendly canteen that takes its décor more from New York than Beijing, has been a popular choice for some time. Everything is home made and you really feel it, in the smells from the kitchen and the freshly-prepared dim sum and dishes like perfumed thai rice or soup that are as delicious as they are affordable. At midday they offer a good range of set menus, like the ‘Mum’ (€11.50)...

Fresh ingredients, home made chips and French beef have been on offer at the Camion Gourmand since December 2012. Fresh ingredients are bought and cooked on the same day, making up their selection of incredibly generous burgers. They come in four versions: classic, Seguin with goat’s cheese and honey, the Vicomte with comté cheese and pepper sauce, a vegetarian burger, and a daily special that changes according to the chef’s mood – it could include foie gras, bacon or raclette cheese. The house onion compote adds a welcome sweet note, and the meat is brilliant...

A concept from an Argentinean duo, Enique Zanoni and Gaston Stivelmaher, in a hip corner of the Marais, Clasico Argentino goes beyond steak and ceviche; it also offers superior empanadas, which are rapidly coming to compete with tapas as the drinker’s snack of choice in Paris. On sunny days, the terrace is full to bursting, but inside is a comfortable room done out in light blue with wrought iron fans and raw wooden tables giving a pampas vibe.We had a selection of empanadas at €4 each (three per person is usually enough). There’s something for everyone: beef, ham and cheese, tuna, humita sweetcorn...

Goodbye burgers, hello to a food truck specialising in bagels. Every day, four different versions are on offer: classic pastrami, smoked turkey, roast chicken breast and smoked salmon. Everything comes with all the necessary cream cheese and salad, toasted and served warm: a joy. Depending on the day, you can also find a vegetarian version (based on home made aubergine caviar), chicken and avocado (with red onion), and different types of bread (with onions or olives). The ingredients come from independent traders hailing from the Rue des Rosiers to the Ardèche, and their quality shows...

It’s not everyday you come across a pizza van in central Paris, and especially not one like Le Camion à Pizzas in the 104 (rue d’Aubervilliers) arts centre: Its shiny black, retro-futurist bodywork looks like something from ‘pimp my ride’ and blends in perfectly with the wacky art installations on display all around – food for your eyes while you wait for your pizza to crisp in the oven.  As for the pizzas, the bases are just the right thickness and the toppings (think marinated aubergines, smoked salmon cooked with onions, crunchy roquette and Parma ham) fresh and flavoursome. Service is with a smile too...

This ice cream truck is the real deal (though without the tinny jingle), distributing creative, gourmet ice cream cones that are a little bit different. So if you’ve had enough of the ubiquitous strawberry, vanilla, chocolate and pistachio, this is the truck to hunt down. Choose from strange and delightful flavours like the ‘Highway to Ale’ (flavoured with beer) the ‘Black Sugar Sex Magic’, a sorbet made with dark chocolate, wasabi and ginger, or the ‘Tunnel of Love’ with wood strawberries and Sansho berries. If you’re more about ice lollies, their Skimo came on sale this year: frozen sticks with clever flavours...