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be open later some days, the owners said.)
“Right now the menu is comfort food,”
Thapa said. “But it’s influenced from all
other cuisines. The chopped cheese is
a classic from Harlem and the chicken is
Korean style, so it's Asian. We did have a
spam rice bowl, which is inspired by the
Philippines. Bayron has a lot of French
cuisine techniques as well, so there’s some
French too.”
Thapa and Bayron are both locals in the
Astoria area who have had much of their
career in the hospitality industry as a bartender
and chef, respectively. They met
each other about five years ago when they
both worked at Mars, another local spot in
the area, and became good friends who
would hang out after their shifts ended,
which was usually in the late night hours. A
go-to spot they would often frequent was
Diamond Dogs on 31st Avenue. Since the
bar boasts a bring-your-own food policy,
the pair imagined how something like a
food truck right outside the bar would be
a great idea.
After beginning the process to apply for
one ran into roadblocks such as a waitlist
for applicants, the business partners
looked to other options. When they initially
inquired about the storefront where
FoodStruck is now, they were turned down.
A few attempts to acquire other spaces in
the area fell through and once again, their
current space became available for rent,
but this time around they were able to obtain
a deal and were handed the keys to
the shop to start creating their vision. In
the meantime, both Thapa and Bayron are
working day jobs at other restaurants and
topping their night off by serving hot, delicious
food in the evening to hungry Astorians.
The long days are certainly challenging
but Thapa feels it’s a key component to
pursuing anything that is important.
“It's pretty tough,” Thapa said. “But I
mean, you have to struggle in the beginning,
regardless, in any industry. You have
to start at the bottom and work up and you
have to put in the hours.”
As the neighborhood gets more familiar
with what FoodStruck has to offer, there are
already a few favorite go-to items on their
menu, like the chopped cheese, made
with beef, cheese sauce, and caramelized
onions on a garlic buttered roll. The result
is a hot and tasty sandwich that oozes in
melted cheese sauce on warm, toasted
bread that is satisfying and filling.
The chicken thighs are also popular —
and for good reason. The four-piece item
is hot, crispy and perfectly drizzled with
their in-house soy garlic glaze sauce. It’s
certainly filling enough to eat alone or
Photo by Jessica Militello/BORO
/BOROMAG.COM
