Alright, so not much has changed about my choice for Best Food Truck since last year, but lots has changed for the dudes with noods who run the joint.
The Red Panda Noodle menu features uber-creative, scratch-made dishes. Some of it’s incendiary. Some is vegan. Some of it comes on a stick. But whether you’re lining up for ground pork over udon that’s punctuated with pickled onion or the plant-based Goomba with its heady, black garlic goodness, or even something “basic” like chicken katsu, you’re not getting anything basic. Not with Seth Parker and Eliot Hillis at the helm. Wheel. Whatever.
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You’ll even find it at the drive-through.
Yes, since last year, RPN has moved into something of a commissary kitchen, sharing space with the folks at Cupid’s on Lee Road, but they’re still rolling all over town and, as is their way, scratching ideas in their beat-up notebooks and figuring out ways to make them real.
Around press time, in fact, Hillis told me they’ve been toying with a sandwich concept, “a spiritual sequel to Orlando Meats’ sandwiches,” he said. They’re still working on a name. And looking to expand, so keep an eye on their social accounts. And definitely hit them up in a parking lot near you. Or far. They’re worth the trip.
Critic’s Choice
Winner: Red Panda Noodle, redpandanoodle.com, @noodlebabyjunior (Instagram), facebook.com/redpandanoodle
Readers’ Choice
Winner: Goldie’s Fine Foods, 407-494-3896; goldiesfinefoods.com
Runners-up: Red Panda Noodle, redpandanoodle.com and The Bruja’s Table, instagram.com/thebrujastable
Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.
