Food Truck Fridays: Cucina Zapata

Food Truck Fridays is a column by sophomore Will Constan documenting all the tasty mobile treats in Philly.

Cucina Zapata

            Because Penn was blessed with extraordinary weather this week, I decided to take a longer walk to one of my old favorites, Cucina Zapata at 31^st and Ludlow. Unlike La Porchetta and Tacos Don Memo, Cucina Zapata achieves excellence through creative twists on common foods. They even have one of the most creative paint schemes I have ever seen on a food truck. Among the inspired creations on Cucina Zapata’s menu are Thai Short Rib Tacos, Chicken Satay Tacos, Sweet Potato Curry and, most notably, a Cap’n Crunch Tilapia Burrito. Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are that Tilapia and Cap’n Crunch could coexist in a burrito, so of course I had to try it.

Cap’n Crunch Tilapia Burrito

I was initially concerned that this burrito would just be another example of a food truck serving something that was unique for the sake of being unique, rather than for actual flavor and quality. I could not have been more wrong.

When I opened up the burrito, I was immediately struck by its presentation. Usually food trucks wrap up their burritos tightly in foil, sacrificing presentation for portability and speed. Cucina Zapata instead partially wraps their burrito in foil, leaving the other end of the burrito open. This turns the burrito into a cornucopia of fresh vegetables, fish, and eggs with Cucina Zapata’s sauce smothering it all.

Now you are probably wondering exactly how the Cap’n Crunch comes into play in this burrito. Are there pieces of Cap’n Crunch sprinkled throughout the burrito? Is it grounded into a powder and then mixed into the sauce? No, even better, the Cap’n Crunch forms a beautifully browned crust around the tilapia. This crust adds a subtle sweet and nutty taste to the fish, while also honoring the Captain’s name by giving the fish a distinct crunch. I was also shocked to find fish on a food truck, especially delicious fish. The tilapia is smooth and tender throughout, with no sign of the fishy taste that can sink lesser pieces of fish. The texture and flavor of the tilapia combines with the crunchy, nutty, and sweet crust to create a truly extraordinary bite of fish.

Although the tilapia is the obvious star of this burrito, the rest of the ingredients are also important players in tying the whole thing together. The lettuce and cabbage add textural interest through fresh crispiness, diced tomatoes add acidity, and avocado adds creamy richness. I also chose to add a fried egg to my burrito. The egg’s main function is for the running yolk to mix with the sauce, adding body and eggy flavor.

Cucina Zapata’s special sauce evenly coats it all. I am not exactly sure what is in this sauce, but it has the appearance and flavor of a thin chipotle mayo sauce, but, unlike mayo, the sauce is not fatty or slimy at all. I also added a little bit of Sriracha to give the sauce an extra kick.

All of these ingredients are encased in one of the best burrito tortillas that I have ever encountered, if not for the flavor, but for the thinness.  I barely noticed the tortilla when I was eating this burrito, which is a welcome change from the thick, stick-to-the top-of-your-mouth tortillas that most places use.

This burrito is a perfect example of why I love food trucks. Not only is it delicious, it’s unique and well-crafted. Because food trucks are small, they have the freedom to try new and innovative things that larger businesses would not. They need to use their creativity to create an identity for themselves and attract customers. Once you make the trek to Cucina Zapata to try this burrito, you will understand what I mean.

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-Will Constan