Are you ready to rumble?

If your stomach is rumbling with hunger on Sunday, then this is something you won’t want to miss! The Food Truck Rumble is back this year, with more trucks than ever before! Set outside in the Perth Cultural Centre, the Food Truck Rumble will be tempting our tastebuds on Sunday the 26th of March between 11am and 8pm. We sat down and chatted to the organiser of the whole event, Ai-Ling Truong, to find out where the idea for the Rumble came from and what we can expect to see (and eat) this year.

The story behind the rumble

Ai-Ling is a food blogger. It was this passion, along with her volunteer work at food events around the city, that first brought her into contact with the food trucks scattered around Perth. After chatting to various food truck owners and discussing the huge food truck rumbles that often happened all over the US, the idea of a Perth food truck event slowly came to fruition, with Ai-Ling at the driving wheel. Getting the Perth Food Truck Rumble off the ground back in 2014 wasn’t an easy process: 

“It was a huge learning curve. I always say to people it’s like planning a wedding but a lot bigger.” 

A whole lot bigger, in fact - 15,000 people attended the rumble last year, and Ai-Ling is expecting similar numbers or more this year as Perth punters treat themselves to the delicious foods the various trucks have to offer. 

The line-up

The line-up itself is a reflection of what the people of Perth are loving at the moment. Ai-Ling has also made sure there is enough variety in the trucks to guarantee there is something for everyone. If you went last year, there will be a few trucks you’ll recognise, but around half the trucks will also be new to the event this year, which means a whole lot more new food to try! There will be 30 food trucks in total, all of which are from WA. The majority are based in Perth, but a few are making the journey from down south, travelling from the likes of Mandurah and Margret River. 

As well as all the food trucks, there will also be live entertainment for you to watch whilst you enjoy your delicious meals. Cool Perth Nights will be providing some local bands to set an awesome vibe to a fun day, and you can look forward to seeing some live DJ sets too. On top of that, in front of the steps of the amphitheatre, there will  also be a break dancing competition which just so happens to be the biggest break dancing competition in Perth. There will also be a pop-up bar so you’ll be able to wash down all that good food with a drink or two whilst you enjoy the atmosphere. 

Something for everyone

A trend that’s been around for a little while now, at least two trucks on Sunday will be delivering loaded fries for the masses. Get Chips or Die Frying is one of the vans getting creative with the old favourite - their meatballs on chips option sounds well worth a try. In all, there will be a huge selection of cuisines, ranging from insane hotdogs to French crepes, and finishing on some Gelato for dessert. The trick will be not eating too much so that you can try a bit of everything! 

Ready to rumble?

Over the past few years, the food truck industry has grown quickly, and has even, as Ai-Ling says, become over saturated. She says the trick now is to find a gap in the market and fulfil a need that isn’t currently being catered for: 

“If you’re really amazing and new you will do really well. But you have to have a really original and unique idea.”

The high competition means standards will be raised. This means one thing for lucky Perthians - the food should just get better and better. 

Rumble while you can!

This is the fourth time the Food Truck Rumble has taken place in Perth, but it also may be the last. Ai-Ling says “chefs plate every meal like it’s their last,” so each year she has put together the best possible day for the people of Perth. There is no certainty that it will be back again next year, so make the most of the opportunity while it’s there and head on down to what promises to be a great day to spend with friends and family.