For business owner Miguel Gutierrez, having a rooster in the logo for his business, El Gallo food truck, was the perfect representation of both Hawaii and Peru. Gutierrez, who’s from Peru, started El Gallo about four months ago with the goal of bringing the Peruvian street food he loves to Oahu.

“‘El gallo’ means ‘the rooster’ in Spanish,” he explains. “Our logo also includes mountains and waves, representing the ocean here.”

Per Gutierrez, everything on the menu is made in-house.

“We try to focus on locally sourced products as much as we can,” Gutierrez says.

The most popular menu item is anticuchos ($18), or twice-marinated beef skewers.

“They’re covered in a Peruvian herb sauce and served with a side of grilled corn, potatoes and vegetable fried rice (mix of ginger, rainbow carrots, garlic and green onions),” Gutierrez says.

Picarones ($6.50) — butternut squash doughnuts served with house syrup — are so popular that the food truck often sells out.

“The doughnuts are fried in coconut oil and topped with housemade fig syrup,” Gutierrez says. “My other featured dessert is mazamorra ($5), which is a purple fruit pudding topped with local Kauai pineapple, a little bit of cinnamon and an edible flower as a garnish.”

If you’re trying to keep cool in the August heat, Gutierrez recommends trying the chicha morada ($5), an aromatic purple corn fruit punch.

“Purple corn gives it its color, and it’s infused with spices and fresh fruit; it’s naturally sweet,” he explains.

Keep an eye out for monthly specials. For August, customers can enjoy Hawaiian Juane ($12), a local twist on a Peruvian classic.

“This Peruvian-Hawaiian fusion dish includes rice, teriyaki beef, egg and olives cooked and wrapped in kalo leaves (instead of banana leaves),”Gutierrez says.

Customers can find El Gallo food truck at Mother Waldron Park 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 8 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Aloha Farms Lovers Kakaako farmers market. Gutierrez says the food truck sometimes does pop-ups on Sundays as well.

“If you’re looking to try something new, this is a great option,” he adds. “Hopefully next month, I can introduce some vegan options so everyone can enjoy my food.”

El Gallo food truck

Mother Waldron Park
(510 Cooke St.)

Phone: 626-554-2709
Web: elgallohawaii.com
How to pay: In person or by phone
How to order: Cash, all major credit cards, Apple Pay