Day 27: Comme ci Comme ça for some Not-so Comme ci Comme ça grub.

Posted by StreetGrubSteve in 30 Day Challenge, Food Truck Reviews | 0 comments

Chef Samir’s bright green Comme ci Comme ça truck is a mouth and eye-full, donning bright red verbiage, as well as a host of colorful veggies and animals, with his own happy mug plastered on all four corners.  One of the only Mediterranean food trucks in NYC (the Bistro Truck is a blend of Moroccan & Mediterranean), Chef Samir serves up delicious couscous with a mouthwatering assortment of different meats, all marinated in bright and exciting spices.  The delicious smells coming out of the kitchen immediately took me to the Mediterranean, where the abundance of vegetables and fresh herbs makes for the most ideal pairings with meat and pastas.  I introduced myself to Chef Samir, and was thrilled to learn that he’d been a follower of my blog, amazed at all of the places I’d so quickly uncovered thus far.  I was even more amazed that I hadn’t uncovered his gem of a truck much sooner.  When I asked for my regular, I received none other than their Couscous Royale, a Smörgåsbord of meat atop a bed of veggies and couscous.  For couscous-newbies, they’re steamed grains of semolina that mimic the texture of al dente rice.  Check out this clip to see what went into my lunch.

The couscous was a first for me, and had the texture of rice, but wasn’t bland.  It was savory and buttery, with a healthy kick from the spices and hot sauce.  The flavors were bold, and I could easily have eaten just the couscous alone.  I took a bite of the lamb sausage first, and it was crumbly, yet moist, with large chunks of coarsely chopped meat suspended between herbs.  The sliced beef was next, and was easily the most flavorful of the bunch.  Superbly seasoned and encrusted with a myriad of herbs, the meat was exciting and bursting with flavor.

I sampled the chicken next, and although the herbs were similar, it was a tad less savory (perhaps the beef just picked up the herbs better), but the meat here was infinitely more tender.  I also got my favorite pieces of burnt edges that are indicative of a nice hot grill.  The few pieces of kofta I got were, to be honest okay.  They had nice texture, but compared to the bold beef and chicken, tasted a little milder.  The veggie selection consisted of squash and chickpeas, both of which are well-cooked and seasoned.  In fact, not one thing was under-seasoned, but it wasn’t salty either, just packed to the brim with big bold flavor.  I was a happy camper today, and as stuffed as I was from Eggs Travaganza, I easily finished the entire platter.  My lunch was delicious and definitely not merely “so-so”.  Thank you Chef Samir and Comme ci Comme ça for the super flavorful grub today.  I’ll be back for more couscous very soon!

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