The Dish: Nem Nuong Cuon

Equal parts charity initiative, restaurant pop-up, and revolutionary delivery platform, Mama’s Drive-By Kitchen distributes dish pairings from separate mom-and-pop restaurants to convenient pick-up locations all over the city. Sometimes that manifests in bringing together Little Tokyo legends Kouraku, Fugetsu-Do, and Azay, other times it’s a special one-day meal from Jun Won. A few months back, I was lucky enough to get the nem nuong cuon from Brodard Chateau in Fountain Valley. Sweet pork sausage rolls in one hand, steering wheel in the other, plus Kim Petras blasting through the speakers - this blessed combination was a one-way-ticket to transcending my physical form.

The innovative delivery service/pop-up event, Mama’s Drive-By Kitchen is back with another restaurant collaboration. This time, they’re partnering with the Little Tokyo community to create a special meal including dishes from Azay, Fugetsu-Do, and Kouraku. They’ve also partnered with the Little Tokyo Service Center and 88Rising to continue their Meal Matching Program, which means that for every meal ordered, a second one will be donated to a senior living in Little Tokyo. Orders can be placed through their website.

Mama’s Drive-By Kitchen dropped a new collaboration with Beverly Soon Tofu this week… and promptly sold out in under five minutes. Each set came with the now-closed Korean restaurant’s signature soon tofu, plus a ceramic traditional bowl and/or limited print t-shirt. Punching yourself for not setting a reminder earlier? Us too. But not to worry, Mama’s will return next week with a brand-new merch/restaurant collaboration on Wednesday, May 19th at 12pm. We’re telling you extra early for a reason.

Devastated by the overwhelming number of restaurant closures due to the pandemic, Jared Jue and Alice Han teamed up with fellow marketing experts and creatives Jonathon Chu, Andy Lam, and Geng Wang to put their love for LA immigrant food culture into action. And thus, Mama’s Drive-By Kitchen was born. Equal parts charity initiative, restaurant pop-up, and revolutionary delivery platform, this mega-hybrid distributes dish pairings from two separate mom-and-pop restaurants to convenient pick-up points in West LA, Koreatown, and the San Gabriel Valley. Past collaborations have included Boyle Heights shop Las Flautas + Colombian Korean-owned Escala, the legendary Brodard Restaurant paired with Ktown institution, Hwang Hae Do, plus a Gamboge + Medan Kitchen crossover that might just have been LA Senior Editor, Arden Shore’s favorite meal of the year. Presales tend to sell out quickly, so make sure to keep an eye on Mama’s Drive By Kitchen’s Instagram for all the latest updates.

-KH