Ngon's funky food bus takes shape

Courtesy of motorhugger.com

Hai and his primed VW Bus

​Chef-owner Hai Truong of Ngon Bistro not only tinkers in the kitchen--he's also a bona fide gearhead in the garage. News of his plan to convert a VW Bus into St. Paul's funkiest mobile food vehicle hit the Star Tribune, and the Hot Dish wanted to know more. He's been blogging intermittently about his year-and-a-half-long effort to transform an iconic '60s van into a treat machine.

So what's the scoop on his ride's future menu, impending paint job and overall design? .

It all started in the winter of 2009, when Truong bought a '65 VW Bus with the dream of tricking it out. Why that particular van? Because, as he explains on the blog motorhugger.com, "The number-one reason is because it's so damn cool." And Motorhugger? It's a site that he and some pals maintain about the cars and bikes they help each other fix up for fun (which includes artist Atom Petchman, the man behind the Señor Wong's metal dragon and Barrio St. Paul's bull).

Courtesy of Hai Truong

VW Van designed for street meat (and ice cream)

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He hoped to have it done in time for the 2010 street eats season, but it required a lot of work to get it rolling. So despite the help of his buds, he sold that VW and picked up a '67 model that already ran in Wisconsin. Zebras and a friend from the state department both played a role in getting the later-model bus back to the Twin Cities.

Before the renovations

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Once safely ensconced in his two car garage, Truong stripped the bus entirely, as the interior will be stainless steel, much like an in situ kitchen. The bus is primed, and he's waiting for the weather to warm up before he paints it two-tone green. He also plans to add a record player, to play vinyl like in the bistro, and a simple "EATS" with an arrow sign that blinks and will attach somehow to a pole affixed to the bumper.

Foodmobile in progress...

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One person will cook and another will take orders and money out in front of the VW. While the van will take up only one parking spot (a big bonus), it will be larger than a simple food cart and smaller than a full-sized truck. Truong would like to use the kiosk kitchen as a place to experiment. He'll probably have pho in ramekin cups, lettuce wrap tacos, stewed pork, and charcuterie, but he also intends to sell housemade ice cream on certain days, depending on his mood.

So, food truck devotees--stay tuned. Truong will continue to blog about his progress, and once ready to roll, he'll take location requests and tweet where Ngon-a-go-go is headed. The Turf Club, however seems to be a recurring theme...