A Roadside Review of Gorilla Gourmet

Gorilla Gourmet is best discovered on foot. It is a flavor rich for the passerby, who happens to pause and notice the winking open sign in the side window of a truck colored much like the weather, this time in February. A black and white gorilla stares at you as you deliberate the menu specials for the day, written brightly on a wipe board in saucy handwriting, propped against the passenger side doorstep.
Kalamazoo’s only food truck, Gorilla Gourmet has a lot to live up to. Will it be the spark that will ignite food truck culture in the city of Kalamazoo? Probably not, but that doesn’t deter them from cooking up some hot and tasty dishes for the locals.

Food truck culture is not a new concept to places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Portland, but it is fairly new to the Midwest. In a small city like Kalamazoo, there is a question of whether or not food truck culture will thrive. In the winter months, pedestrians are far and few in between, rushing to do their errands and get to an end destination. Standing outside in the cold—whether it is snowing, raining, or generally bleak—and eating a taco, does not appeal to many individuals. In the summer months there is a greater opportunity for business; that is if a food truck can make it through the unsympathetic Michigan winter. Can Gorilla Gourmet stand up to the challenge? So far they have been successful, huddling close to K College and Western Michigan’s campuses, and heavily relying on hungry students to spend a few bucks for lunch.

Located at 305 Oakland Boulevard, Gorilla Gourmet offers a variety of freshly made favorites, ranging from Asian inspired tacos, vegetable soups and black bean chili’s made from scratch, to cheese sandwiches with an unexpected twist, such as combining bacon with avocado and smoked cheese, for example. While a great majority of their food is Asian inspired, this food truck isn’t afraid to be eclectic and adventurous when it comes to serving up food that endeavors to creatively intersect and merge different cuisines. They describe their food as, “Kalamazoo's best street food. International in scope and not restricted by flavor.”

While Gorilla Gourmet has many flavors to offer, its menu is limited and frequently changes. Even more frequently changing are their hours. Gorilla Gourmet owner and chef, Noel Corwin, says that weather often decides when they are open. Some days they are open from morning until late at night, and others they stay open only for a few hours into the afternoon. This unpredictability is frustrating at times for customers, but to help get the word out when their stove is hot, Gorilla Gourmet uses social media through Facebook and Twitter. Their Twitter, however, is quite unreliable, as it hasn’t been updated since July. Gorilla Gormet’s Facebook page, on the other hand, is the best way to find out not only if they are open, but also what they are serving up that day.

After a first visit, it becomes apparent to most people what it is that keeps Gorilla Gourmet in business, and what keeps customers coming back for more. Street food is exciting and it appeals to a certain sense of adventure that takes little effort to satisfy. At Gorilla Gourmet, they stick to the basics, cook your food right in front of you, and use fresh, local ingredients that taste even better than they look. Unlike the high-in restaurant chefs who express their creativity in the perfected presentation of their food, Gorilla Gourmet keeps their food art abstract, trusting the palate to work its magic accordingly. Even better, at Gorilla Gourmet, Noel Corwin is friendly and tries to get to know his customers. He is rather chatty as he prepares an order, happy to have someone to talk to and to share his passion with.

The taste and quality of the food at Gorilla Gourmet exceed the messy presentation by far. Somehow though, the imperfect presentation and the mess that proceeds as one takes their first bite makes customers feel at home. With its close proximity to K College’s campus and exceptionally low prices, Gorilla Gourmet deals out a good reason to stay open for business, attractive to the average college student’s taste and their budget.

Although their specials vary day to day, there are a few selective freshly made favorites that often reappear on the menu. The mega-veggie quesadilla deemed El Monstro, is an XXL flour tortilla filled with melted cheese and slaw for the veggies, all for $6. Also for $6, customers can order two different types of Gorilla Grinders: smoked pork loin with spicy slaw and pepper relish on a toasted bun or smoked beef brisket with onions, mushrooms, and pepper-jack cheese on a toasted bun. Much like a Philly steak sandwich, Gorilla Grinders are served hot and messy, with the meat enveloped in a melted layer of cheese. Upon the first bite, it is apparent how seriously Gorilla Gourmet takes their meat, slow roasting it to an expert level of perfection where it falls off the bone or is smoked until tender, and taking care to marinate it in their own peppery sauce till it peaks in flavor.

Poblano Pork Tacos are another popular choice frequenting the menu, simply comprised of slow braised shoulder with spicy slaw on corn tortillas. A single order gets you three small tacos for $7. While the meat is tender and seasoned lightly, the coleslaw—a throw of crisp lettuce, carrots, onion, and peppers—distracts from the experience, taking away from the flavor of the meat. The spray of hot sauce covering the slaw unevenly delivers a fiery flavor throughout, leading to a seemingly unsatisfying imbalance that lessens the enjoyment of the overall experience, although it is not entirely joyless, as no slow braised shoulder done right could be.

Experimental with their flavors and openly friendly to their customers, Gorilla Gourmet helps individuals feel at home, even on the side of the road, giving their customers a flavorful experience that makes them want to return. While it is risky to own a food truck in Kalamazoo, even in the dead of winter Gorilla Gourmet does its best to stay open for customers brave enough to venture out for a hot and savory meal that is cheap and close by. Messy and adventurous, Gorilla Gourmet may make you work for your food and have you guessing when it is open, but it sure lives up to its name.