Nixtamal – The East Side's newest tasty food truck

Our newest guide, Sabrina Petrov is scouting out new food for us on her home turf on the East side of the island. Here is what she has to report about the newest addition to Kauai’s food truck ohana:

Nixtamal (pronounced Neeks-tamal), Kapaa’s newest food truck, packs some serious yum! Opened three weeks ago, by couple Will and David, Nixtamal offers a simple menu of tamales, chicharrones, rice and beans. Vegans will be delighted to learn that there are  tamales for them too!

Born and raised on Kauai, Will brings his passion for food to his hometown. David, raised in Arizona, moved to Kauai after graduating high school and went on to graduate from the culinary program at KCC before the pair opened Nixtamal. This food truck serves up Mexican-Sonorran food, offering tasty, wholesome meals at a great price. A combo plate, with two tamales, rice, beans, and salsa, is $10.25.

We at Tasting Kauai do our best to introduce you to local family owned businesses which utilize local produce to the best of their abilities. The sweet potato offered in the veggie tamale comes from the little island of Moloka’i! The love and appreciation for food and for cooking can be felt in each bite of this delicious fare.

I opted for the veggie tamales and was delighted to taste fresh pumpkin and sweet potato inside of the moist tamale masa. The beans and rice were a perfect, creamy side. The red salsa did not disappoint – you can surely feel the heat! Make sure to try the green sauce as well as the house made pico de gallo, they both add nice texture and flavor to any dish. I enjoyed my tamales at the food truck’s bench, right by the ocean, while feeling the refreshing sea breeze.

If you find yourself in North Kapaa, craving something other than the usual taco, this is a great spot to check out- and you get the bang for your buck!

Check out @nixtamalkauai on social media and be sure to check us out @tastingkauai.