The Chinese Chuckwagon in Point Reyes
Alan Keady thinks he has found a solution for the lack of Asian food in West Marin. His mobile Chinese Chuckwagon began serving Szechuan last week. It is parked next to the Western Saloon in Point Reyes Station, serving lunch from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm, and dinner from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, closed only on Tuesdays. Whether or not he is right will be up to his customers.
The menu will change as Keady’s ingredients do, but will feature a few staple dishes, including spicy twice-baked pork ($9). The potstickers ($7) are popular, along with the fried prawns ($8), Szechuan beef combo ($9), and Kung Pao Chicken ($9).
Keady hatched the idea of opening the eatery nineteen months ago. After finding no suitable location, he decided to make one up. He met a man in the Los Angeles area who had experience building catering trucks for the movie industry, and began to shape a box truck he had purchased locally into his kitchen on wheels. The ruck would house all the equipment necessary to prepare a full Szechuan menu.
Ten months passed while Keady ironed out approvals from the Board of Health and other governing bodies. It took another six months to complete the truck because all the equipment, except the stove, had to be customized to fit into such a small space. But finally, in late May, Keady had his mobile restaurant. It came complete with seven specially made vents fans, which protrude out of the top of the truck like skylights, and a fiery red steel exterior to suit the spicy cuisine being prepared inside.
Keady complete the task of finding a talented chef by hiring George Chung of Monterey in early June. Chung cooks Szechuan (spelled “Sichuan” in American Chinese), the type of cuisine Keady wanted to feature because of its mixture of what he said were all the best aspects of Chinese cooking: flavor, versatility, and spiciness.
The first test run came on Saturday behind the Bank of Petaluma. The grand opening follow on Sunday, despite a change of location to the new spot adjacent to the Saloon. This opening was marred when Keady’s supply of kerosene ran out, preventing him from running any of the necessary equipment. Apparently, even he underestimated the demand for a change of culinary pace and the power of word-of-mouth advertising.
“The word-of-mouth has been great,” says Carol Waxman, a Point Reyes Station resident, who initially heard of the idea from Keady’s wife Barbara, the Village Snipper.
“I smelled it all the way at work,” said Joanne Sims, who works at Coyuchi in Point Reyes Station. She and her coworker, Boog Booke, came for lunch. “We’ve been waiting anxiously for this for a year,” Book said, adding that it is “good to have a new lunch option in town.”
Keady hopes his new location will be permanent, as does Fred, the Western Saloon’s resident pug and Keady’s new mascot, who circles the wagon with his nose in the air. The rest of the staff consists of Phil Torres and Antonia Ramriez, a large group to fit into a truck just slightly larger than an ambulance. But, the tight fit doesn’t mean the food sacrifices any flavor.
When asked what his staple dish is, Keady’s bright bluegreen eyes light up behind his glasses.
“It has to be the twice-baked pork.”
This article appeared in the July 12, 2007 issue of the Point Reyes Light Newspaper.
