Photo: Courtesy of Justin Mi
Have you ever gone on vacation and wished you could take a piece of it home with you? Justin Mi did that – and then some – when he started LobstaTruck, a (mobile) piece of Maine in the middle of Los Angeles.
When Justin Mi quit his job in seafood management, he decided to travel to Maine to clear his head. Though part of his family lives in New England, Justin had never once tasted a true Maine lobster roll. Like many vacationers before him, Justin fell in love. Several lobster shacks (and several more lobster rolls) into his trip, Justin had an inspiration: the quick, fresh, simple food served up at coastal lobster shacks wasn’t so different than the taquerias back at home in L. A. And if tacos could be served out of trucks as street food, why not lobster rolls?
Thus, LobstaTruck was born. Mi uses a Boston distributor that brings the lobster meat to Logan Airport 4-5 days a week, where it is then shipped to Los Angeles. Justin’s biggest problem was finding a split bun that matched what he’d tasted in Maine. After inquiring about having them made in California, he eventually decided that the only way to get the right flavor and consistency was to have the buns imported from New England as well. Justin says that when New Englanders approach the truck, the split bun gives them confidence that they’re about to taste a little piece of home. “The split bun makes the roll,” he says.
Justin says that other L.A. eateries make lobster rolls but add a California “twist” to the recipe. He sticks with the basics (only mayo or hot drawn butter) and doesn’t deviate. Though the New England branch of his family has yet to come out to visit the truck, Justin is “confident” that he will impress them. The line helps.
Photo: Courtesy of Justin Mi
The LobstaTruck has already attracted a following of transplanted New Englanders. After Jenine Almahdi moved to California from Boston this summer, she found herself a bit homesick and tracked down LobstaTruck in Pasadena. She said her lobster roll was “delicious.” Justin claims some fans will order 5 to 10 rolls to take home to their families so that they can introduce them to an East Coast tradition. And how much will that New England specialty set you back? Amazingly, LobstaTruck charges only $12 per roll – though locals complain that the price is too high. He claims that if they knew what a lobster roll cost in Boston, they’d be pretty surprised.
The Los Angeles LobstaTruck has been operating since December of 2010, and Justin added a second Orange Country truck in April. Business is booming, and he is already considering bringing the concept to San Francisco and other West Coast locales.
LobstaTruck Links:
Check out the truck’s website.
Follow the LobstaTruck on Facebook.
Listen to Radio Boston’s recent report “Maine Lobstermen Risk Getting Caught in a Trap.”