The food truck on the edge of Coventry that serves Asian food in a unique way - with a massive bonus

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Outside the Cannon Park Shopping Centre south west of Coventry, there is a food truck right by the entrance to the car park. It looks fairly innocuous but the Asian Street Food cabin besides the Tesco does what it says on the tin.

To understand why it feels authentic, I have to explain the South East Asian hawker centre. These places, common in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore, are the equivalent of greasy spoon cafes.

They’re food courts with dozens of little stalls selling traditional Malaysian, South Indian, and Chinese food with a dining area in the middle. Frequented by construction workers, taxi drivers, small business owners, and families, these are the places people eat, socialise, and share ideas.

READ MORE: This Malaysian cafe in Coventry gave me a massive hit of nostalgia

Invented in the mid 20th century, they were a way to get food vendors off the street and into a single premises where they had guaranteed access to clean water, proper facilities, and where the hygiene standards of the food on offer could be monitored closely. Originally built with these public health benefits in mind, they’ve become like a pub, a social club, and a community hub all rolled into one, where the food is both plentiful and costs a pittance.

When I saw I could get a rendang by the road, I had to give it a try. I decided to mix it up a bit. The rendang on offer was chicken, rather than the usual beef, and I opted for noodles rather than rice.

I’d never tried that particular iteration. So after being relieved of £8.20 for the meal and the obligatory can of 100Plus, I had to see how it stacked up against my last rendang in Coventry.

My last was at Warung by Evro Cafe on Corporation Street. While the quality was absolutely spot on, the portion left me wanting more.

This one transported me to an Asian Hawker centre. It was greasy, plentiful, flavourful food. No pretense, no fancy dressing, nor any ingredients you wouldn’t expect.

It was just a big unapologetic lump of noodles doused in rendang curry sauce, chicken, and vegetables. Eating it at home in Coventry felt incongruous. I should be in a hot, sweaty food court with the din of swivelling fans competing with the shopkeepers shouting and swearing in Hokkien, Tamil, Bahasa Malay, English, or a mix of all the above.

This is what a working man's meal looks like in most of South East Asia. Chicken rendang, noodles, sliced vegetables, and a can of 100Plus.
This is what a working man's meal looks like in most of South East Asia. Chicken rendang, noodles, sliced vegetables, and a can of 100Plus.

The flavour was spot on with spice that didn’t blow your head off. The noodles soaked up the flavour of the sauce well, while the chicken felt tender and perfectly cooked

Would I go back? Given it’s a local shopping centre for me, to know I can get 100Plus without schlepping across town to a specialist shop is a massive bonus.

The food, however, was excellent. I genuinely can’t fault it.

There’s degrees of authenticity in any food culture. We in Britain know you can get a posh sunday roast or head to a greasy spoon carvery for the same meal done differently. It’s two expressions of the same meal.

It’s the same with Malaysian food. You can go to a posh sit-down restaurant and pay through the nose to have a posh expression of a particular dish.

This food truck isn’t that. If you want to try food prepared in a way that the everyman in South East Asia would eat it, head to Cannon Park Shopping Centre and search this one out.