The Five-Cent Food Truck from the movies!"Cuban Sandwich": A symphony of three cheeses

▲The Five Cents Food Truck sees a constant stream of customers. (Photo / Provided by Five Cents Food Truck)

Reporter Hu Shaofu / Comprehensive Report

Located in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City, the Five Cents Food Truck has been in business since June 2015. In just over a year, it has opened branches in both Kaohsiung and Pingtung, winning widespread popularity among netizens. The shop’s signature dish is the Cuban sandwich, which features pork marinated with four or five kinds of spices, ham, and three types of cheese—delivering a rich and satisfying flavor. Below is an introduction to this popular and delicious menu item.

▲The name of the Five Cents Food Truck comes from the fact that Cuba’s most famous bar is called Five Cents. (Photo / Provided by Five Cents Food Truck)

When asked about the idea behind designing the restaurant in the shape of a food truck, owner Yoyo laughed and said that she originally studied holistic styling design in Japan. After watching the movie Chef, she was struck by the idea that even a small food truck could be a vehicle for realizing dreams. Determined not to have any regrets, she went for it. The name “Five Cents” comes from that same famous Cuban bar. After opening, the shop received an overwhelmingly positive response, which she considers a great stroke of luck.

▲The Cuban sandwich at the Five Cents Food Truck is a must-try signature dish. (Photo / Provided by Five Cents Food Truck)

Speaking about the shop’s signature Cuban sandwich, priced at NT$120, Yoyo explained that designing the dish was quite a challenge. She started by looking for the original recipe and tried to adapt it to Taiwanese tastes. Since Taiwan doesn’t have the “Cuban bread” used in Cuba, she experimented with various types of bread before concluding that soft French bread best captured the desired crispy-outside, soft-inside texture. She then had a factory produce a similar type of bread, which is now used in the sandwich. It’s filled with pork marinated with four or five kinds of spices, ham, and three types of cheese (Swiss, cheddar, and mozzarella), along with a special sauce—the final recipe.

▲The Five Cents Food Truck also sells pork skewers. (Photo / Provided by Five Cents Food Truck)

To cater to spice lovers, the shop has also created a spicy version of the Cuban sandwich, made with hand-prepared Taiwanese chili peppers. It’s also packed with flavor and is sure to win repeat customers.

▲The Cuban sandwich at the Five Cents Food Truck is a must-try signature dish. (Photo / Provided by Five Cents Food Truck)

In addition to the signature dishes, the owner has also developed a burger called “If It’s Not Delicious, Then Forget It.” It’s beef-based, seasoned with tomatoes, onions, basil, and other ingredients. One bite fills your mouth with the aroma of fragrant beef, and the taste is relatively light and refreshing.

▲The Five Cents Food Truck sees a constant stream of customers. (Photo / Provided by Five Cents Food Truck)

The newly opened Pingtung branch differs from the Kaohsiung takeaway shop’s food-truck-like exterior, adopting instead an American industrial style. The shop is also offering a special discount for readers of ETtoday Ettoday News Cloud: from now until March 26, show the app in-store to get a NT$20 discount on both the original Cuban sandwich and the “If It’s Not Delicious, Then Forget It” burger!

▲Show the ETtoday Ettoday News Cloud app at the Five Cents Food Truck to enjoy a NT$20 discount on sandwiches. (Photo / Provided by Five Cents Food Truck)

Five Cents Food Truck

Address: No. 206, Chaha’er Second Street, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07 311 8992
Business Hours: 11:00–15:00, 17:00–20:00; Open during Lunar New Year: 12:00–17:00 on the first to fifth days

ETtoday Ettoday News Cloud is currently running a free collaboration event with the shop
Feel free to email ettravel@ettoday.net or send a direct messageto the ETtoday Eats Facebook pagefor inquiries