IT was a cold, windy evening on the outskirts of Fremantle. It had been a long day. My legs were aching, my stomach rumbling and my eyes drooping.
Suddenly there it was, glowing in the distance in an eerie empty street: the food truck everyone was talking about — Comida do Sul.
Cue the Brazilian music, cue the samba, cue the Carnival! Brazil has hit the streets of Freo more deliciously than ever.
I could have never imagined that a handful of ingredients could give so many unbelievably tasty meals, but Comida do Sul transforms beef steak, mayo, farofa and kale to bring the ultimate food truck experience.
Joel Rees and Dany Flauzino met in the streets of Sao Paulo more than two years ago. After coming back to Australia they realised there were no Brazilian food trucks around Freo so they decided to buy a truck, cook some coxinhas and hit the road.
“I just said to her ‘why don’t we start a food truck and you can cook some Brazilian food?’ and we did,” owner Joel Rees tells me. “We wanted to activate areas of Fremantle where people don’t usually go. Get people out of their homes.”
And it certainly does. On a Wednesday night in gloomy Montreal Street, next to Booyeembara Park, people were lining up to lively music to get their coxinhas.
We decided to sit down in the little chairs, despite the cold, and ordered pretty much everything on the menu. The coxinhas came first as an entrée, warm and crunchy. I didn’t know what to expect of spiced shredded chicken wrapped in deep-fried potato and wheat flour dough but it was certainly amazing.
It blends altogether incredibly well, bringing a mix of flavours that I had never experienced before, the spicy sauce being the cherry on top.
The mains didn’t deceive me either: me and my foodie partner went for a prato feito ($14), a traditional Aussie-adapted dish with picanha grill (beef streak), farofa, black beans and rice covered in a light tomato chutney and kale. I can only say — the tastiest beans I have ever eaten.
In an attempt to satisfy our hungry stomachs we ordered two of their famous sandwiches. The mutante ($12) brought me to the streets of Rio straight away. The flavours were simply dancing samba in my mouth.
I could taste the street culture, the music, the party all in one bite. Certainly delightful — and all in a crunchy, tasty bun. The choripan, despite being Argentinian, didn’t stay behind.
After not leaving a single bite behind, we decided to go for dessert. I think I am safe to say it was the tastiest experience of the whole meal.
The pudim is simply unbeatable: light and authentic, with the real coconut feel and laying on thick caramel sauce. I couldn’t let go after eating my share. La paleta however is a must. Those Mexican ice cream poles change according to seasonal flavours. Our dilemma was between Dutch chocolate or coconut.
Following the food truckie’s advice we went for coconut and we couldn’t have been more right. Despite being an icy pole it is creamy on the inside and simply melts in your mouth to give way to coconut bits.
We were so satisfied with our first meal we returned for seconds on Saturday.
Comida do Sul brings the best of Brazil to Australia, with unique flavours and textures all surrounded by cheerful music and friendly staff.
The best way to find out its locations is to follow it on Facebook and Instagram.
by MARTA PASCUAL JUANOLA
