Fugu Truck Could Launch Next Month

If Fugu Truck's Kickstarter campaign succeeds, the new Asian street food concept could be on the road serving up steamed pork belly buns and curried shrimp laksa next month. Led by founder Bing Liu, the Fugu Truck team has already secured the truck itself and the necessary permitting to operate in Boston, but they're hoping to fundraise about $4,000 more (out of an initial Kickstarter goal of $10,000) in the next 10 days to outfit the truck with exterior graphics, purchase locally-sourced ingredients and eco-friendly utensils, and acquire equipment for the prep kitchen.

Raised in northeast China and fascinated by the street food culture, Liu earned a degree in engineering but switched paths and ended up at Le Cordon Bleu in France before cooking his way through Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City. He later moved to Boston to learn about Japanese cuisine; meanwhile, he missed the street foods of his childhood and decided to do something about it. Enter Fugu Truck.

Named after the Japanese word for the toxic pufferfish, a delicacy that can only be prepared under strict rules in order not to poison diners, Fugu Truck won't actually be serving fugu. (While true wild fugu is served in a few places around the United States, there's lots of red tape involved.) "We took the fugu and its background as an inspiration for the concept," a Fugu Truck rep tells Eater. "Plus it's just too darn cute!"

The fugu-less menu isn't finalized, but a gallery on Fugu Truck's website shows some possibilities, like "zong zi" stuffed glutinous rice, mung bean noodle salad, braised oxtail in scallion pancakes, and Hong Kong-style bubble tea. A rep for the truck provides a few more tantalizing possibilities: "Other goodies will be more inventive such as kimchee-fried yakisoba, grilled unagi sandwiches, Korean dopoki stew, and five-spiced stuffed eggplant fritters, just to name a few."

Permit-wise, Fugu Truck could begin operating on April 1st; the truck is currently scheduled for Monday and Tuesday lunches at Northeastern University and weekday dinners alternating between the Prudential and Copley Square. On Sundays, Fugu Truck will be at the SoWa market. The April launch is contingent on the success of the Kickstarter campaign, though, which ends on March 18th. Supporters can earn rewards including a pork bun panini, Fugu Truck tote bags and shirts, and even a cooking class with the team.

· Fugu Truck [Official Site]
· Food truck lineup for SoWa announced for upcoming season [Patch]
· New food truck takes to Kickstarter [BostInno]
· All coverage of Fugu Truck on Eater [~EBOS~]