When we started The Manila Machine 10 months ago, we had two goals:
- Introduce street and home-style meals from the Philippines to the hungry masses of Southern California
- Make it to 6 months
Everything and anything that happened in addition to these two goals would be gravy, or in our case, adobo sauce. We never had any aspirations to open a brick and mortar restaurant, and we never entertained thoughts of having more than one truck. Quite honestly, we just had a crazy idea and wanted to see if we could pull it off.
And I think we did.
Since day one, we put our noses to the grindstone and worked our asses off to execute our vision of Filipino food. And now, after looking up and looking back, we see that The Manila Machine has gone above and beyond our initial expectations:
- We became the FIRST gourmet food truck in Southern California to serve Filipino food. No gimmicks. Just Filipino food.
- The Manila Machine was the FIRST gourmet food truck to be owned and operated by food bloggers.
- Our Pork Belly and Pineapple Adobo took home “Best Nouveau Street Food” honors from the 2010 LA Street Food Fest.
- We teamed up with Chef Andre Guerrero for a historic showcase of Filipino food at The Oinkster.
- You might have caught us on television here and there.
- We made big news in the Philippines.
- A few twitter folk tweeted some very nice things about The Manila Machine.
- We had a theme song written for us.
- Our ube cupcakes are considered among the best in Los Angeles.
- The Manila Machine was named one of the 5 best Food Trucks in Los Angeles, twice.
- And perhaps the highlight of the past few months, The Manila Machine was selected to participate in The Gold Standard 2011.
We don’t know about you, but we think we’ve accomplished quite a lot for a just a couple of food bloggers.
Team Manila Machine at The Gold Standard 2011
And now, we’d like to announce that The Manila Machine will no longer be roaming the streets and freeways of Southern California… at least for the time being.
At this stage of our business we will no longer be operating out of our truck, but rather, we will be focusing on catered events only.
We are fortunate that with the success of The Manila Machine, we have been afforded some great possibilities beyond the realm of food trucking. And we’d be crazy to not dive head first into these new opportunities.
For me, a new cookbook is in the works. And for Nastassia, a few new business opportunities are on the table for her choosing. If these aren’t good enough reasons to give up grueling work days on a food truck, we don’t know what is.
And thankfully, by focusing on catering for the next few months, Team Manila Machine will have more time to spend with our family and friends, as well as more time to dedicate to our individual projects. And if you keep your eyes peeled on The Cooking Channel in the coming months, you might just catch a quick glimpse or two of Team Manila Machine up and about–out of the truck.
For all the biters, doubters, and haters out there (we’ve got a lot of them)–we’ve heard, and continue to hear, the things you say about us, so thank you for making us feel that much more SPECIAL. Enjoy the streets.
And a sincere thank you to our fellow food truckers who made us feel welcomed, who truly understand the everyday grind of food trucking, and who are as passionate about their work as they are their food.
Lastly, thank you to all our loyal fans, customers, and supporters. Thank you for helping us put Filipino food into the general consciousness, and into the mouths, of Southern California and beyond. SALAMAT!
But don’t fret, Filipino food lovers. This isn’t the end of The Manila Machine. Just think of this as an extended hiatus of sorts. Please continue to keep an eye out for us. You might just see our big orange truck when and where you least expect it. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Until then…
Mabuhay!
Marvin Gapultos
Nastassia Johnson
The Manila Machine
