Don Chow Tacos facts for kids
Don Chow Tacos was a popular food truck in Los Angeles, California. It was known for mixing Chinese and Mexican flavors. Dominic Lau and Lawrence Lie started the truck on April 22, 2009. Their motto was "Where Chino meets Latino." This showed their Chinese background and the Hispanic culture they grew up with in LA. Don Chow Tacos stopped serving food on February 16, 2015.
Don Chow Tacos was featured on many TV shows. These included the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. They also appeared on NBC and KTLA. The truck was even on the Cooking Channel's "Chinese Food Made Easy". It was famous for its delicious late-night street food in Los Angeles.
History of Don Chow Tacos
The idea for Don Chow Tacos came from Dominic Lau and Lawrence Lie. They noticed that people leaving bars late at night wanted good food. When they decided to start their truck, the food truck business was quite new. They named their truck "Don Chow." "Don" is a respectful Spanish title. "Chow" is a common Chinese last name, and it also means "food."
Don Chow Tacos began with just two people, Lau and Lie. They cooked and served food to crowds on Thursday and Friday nights. They also worked weekends. They often parked at Zanzibar in Santa Monica and Townhouse in Venice. Both owners kept their regular day jobs. They worked on the food truck after their normal work hours.
In October 2009, the truck started working a full week. Ernie Gallegos was hired to manage the cooking team. With his help, Don Chow Tacos became a regular business. Sales really grew after Guy Fieri tried their food. This happened on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on June 21, 2010.
Earlier that year, Don Chow was on NBC's Food Truck Week. This was on their first birthday, April 22, 2010. Dominic Lau was also interviewed by Kurt Knutsson, "Cyberguy," for KTLA in May. As the truck became more popular, it was featured again on KTLA. This was for National Taco Day on October 4, 2010.
Don Chow Tacos and Dominic Lau were on the Cooking Channel's show "Easy Chinese." This episode was hosted by Ching-He Huang in June 2012. The show focused on late-night street food. Lau made one of Don Chow's special dishes, the Chinese BBQ Pork taco. Huang made a spicy oyster omelet "Taco."
In July 2013, Dominic Lau got to be on a TV show called Supermarket Superstar. This was a reality competition on the Lifetime Network. Lau won his episode, which was about "Global Cuisine." He made a Kung Pao Chicken Chimale. He then became a finalist in the show's last episode.
Delicious Chinese-Mexican Cuisine
The Don Chow truck served many Mexican dishes with Chinese flavors. These flavors came from Lau and Lie's family recipes. Their menu included tacos, burritos, tortas, and "Chimales." They also had noodle dishes. Some of their most famous dishes were Kung Pao Chicken Tacos. People also loved their Chinese BBQ Pork Burritos. Their "Chimales" were like traditional tamales. But they were filled with Chinese-style meats.
Other special dishes included Carne Asada Chow Fun. They also had "Ultimate LA Tacos." These were carne asada tacos topped with bacon. This idea came from the bacon-wrapped hot dogs. These hot dogs are often eaten at football parties at the USC. Both Lau and Lie went to USC.
All the food was made fresh on the truck by the staff. The menu could change based on where the truck was located. They also had some secret items that were not on the main menu.
Events and Community Work
The food truck could move around easily. This allowed Don Chow to serve many different people in California. The truck often appeared at big events. These included the Los Angeles Outdoor Cinema Food Fest. They also went to the LA Street Food Fest and farmers' markets.
Don Chow Tacos also catered many private events. They balanced having fun with making a profit. They catered on the sets of the Food Network's Giada at Home. They also catered for the movie No Strings Attached.
Don Chow also helped the community. They took part in fundraisers and charity events. These events helped local schools and other good causes. The truck worked with Cal State LA many times. This helped their Urban Learning Program. They also helped with charity events for the 2009 Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines. They also helped after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
On May 29, 2010, Don Chow worked with KTLA news anchor Wendy Burch. They helped the Good News Foundation rebuild Gilbert Lindsay Park in Los Angeles. Don Chow provided free lunches for all the volunteers that day. Technology was very important for Don Chow's growth. It helped them connect with many tech-savvy customers.
