Chun Yi Liao, owner of Soom Soom Street Kitchen. Photo: Tenele Conway.
You might have seen her getting around Canberra. She’s big, beautiful and is packed to the brim with Taiwanese street food. It’s the Soom Soom truck.
Soom Soom Street Kitchen owner and former XO chef Chun Yi Liao purchased the truck in July 2022.
“When I bought the truck, I didn’t have the money to rebrand it, so I used the former owner’s brand, My Island Kitchen, until I could afford to do it in my own style,” says Chun.
Living in Australia since 2012 but growing up on the island of Taiwan, Chun felt a connection with the reference to an island that the existing name had but was keen to bring her own fun, creative style to her new business.
Undertaking an extensive rebrand this year with the help of Pete at Swell Design Group, Chun now serves her traditional Taiwanese scallion pancakes surrounded by her new bold custom Soom Soom Street Kitchen brand.
I first spotted the Soom Soom truck at the Bungendore show. In need of a late-morning brekky to hit the spot, I chose the bacon and cheese scallion pancake, which seemed like an interesting alternative to a bacon and egg roll.
It’s rare that something from a food truck stops me in my tracks anymore, but this did. It was like taking all the best bits of a bacon and egg roll and stuffing it in crispy, layered pastry. The texture is similar to a roti but with a firmer structure that encases the fillings in a strong embrace.
“I specialise in scallion pancakes as they are one of my favourite types of street food and found all over Taiwan. Every city serves them, and it’s a reminder of home to make them here,” explains Chun.
Taiwanese scallion pancakes from Soom Soom Street Kitchen. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Chun serves five varieties of pancakes from the Soom Soom truck. A version with egg and soy, Chun’s favourite corn and cheese, my personal favourite bacon and cheese, a kransky version, which is a spin on a traditional Taiwanese sausage and a vegetarian option.
“The flavours are pretty much how they are in Taiwan, but in Taiwan, many places serve up to 20 flavours. I chose five flavours as there are just two of us in the truck,” says Chun.
Chun also serves a range of delicious sandwiches and mixes up her menu with specials from time to time, like the sloppy joes she’s serving at Sunset Cinema. All of her food shows the touch and flavours of an experienced chef, but if you have the chance, the pancakes are where Chun really shines.
During my chat with Chun, I had to take the chance to try her favourite flavour, corn and cheese with extra pickle.
I didn’t mention to Chun that I am fairly sceptical about sweet corn with cheese. I’ve never come across a version of the pairing I love. But she proved me wrong. The corn kernels are embedded in a generous helping of gooey mozzarella. The pickle cuts through the sweetness of the sweet corn and Chun’s sauce is a caramelised soy that she’s cooked down herself until it’s sweet and sticky.
Soom Soom Street Kitchen menu. Photo: Tenele Conway.
With so many food trucks in the region, Chun is really meeting the street food brief and setting herself apart from the crowd. I am a firm believer that you should be able to eat street food with one hand while standing, and this delivers on functionality as well as taste. It turns out that scallion pancakes are the ultimate one-handed walking food.
The Soom Soom truck currently has a base at Dairy Road in Fyshwick, where you will find Chun outside on the Lonsdale Street Roasters serving breakfast and lunches four days a week from Monday to Thursday.
She is also a resident food truck at the Sunset Cinema for the summer, where she has a custom late-night movie menu from Wednesday to Saturday.
And if you find the big yellow and black truck at a local event, all I can say is make a beeline for a scallion pancake – 23 million Taiwanese know what they’re talking about when it comes to street food.
You can keep up with Soom Soom Kitchen’s location by following them on Facebook.
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