Spotlight On: Uncle Shyam’s Food Truck

Spotlight On:
Uncle Shyam’s Food Truck

As part of our ongoing series, we are interviewing people of interest in the area who are having a positive impact on our community.

This time, we reached out to Uncle Shyam’s food truck!

What inspired you to start Uncle Shyam’s food truck?

My wife and I have done a good bit of traveling over the years, and one of our favorite things to do in each country we visit is sample the local cuisine, street food in particular. Sitting with locals at streetside tables and tasting the food that they enjoy always makes me feel a little closer to their culture, even when there’s no other common denominators. Food is one of those universal mediums that can bring people together from any walk of life and make them happy for a short period of time. I wanted to contribute to that.

Can you tell us about the journey from concept to reality?

It’s been a long road to get where we’re at now. When we started 7 years ago I had no formal culinary training or commercial kitchen experience, I was just a home cook with a passion for cooking. I bought a hot dog cart in Michigan and started selling fusion banh mi and lumpia at farmer’s markets and any public events we could get in to. Gradually the menu expanded and we’d offer different specials whenever possible, but I was always limited by my setup and wanted to do more. So 2 years ago we bought the food trailer and I feel very fortunate to be able to serve the community from my little kitchen on wheels.

What makes Uncle Shyam’s food unique in the local food scene?

Well, Bishop is very fortunate to have such a thriving food truck scene. There’s a lot of people putting out tons of great food every week and they’re really filling a niche that needs to be filled in the Eastern Sierra. My food is all about authentic flavors and flavor combinations. I don’t dilute any recipe to appeal to a larger audience. If it’s supposed to be spicy I make it spicy, if it’s supposed to be sour I make it sour. Obviously not everyone will like every dish I serve, but I make the kind of food that I enjoy eating, and I’ve learned over the years that there are plenty of others who enjoy this type of cuisine as well.

How would you describe the menu and the types of Asian cuisine you offer?

I’m Filipino-American so I definitely lean heavily on Filipino flavors. Most of my entrees are Asian fusion too though. I serve banh mi, the Vietnamese sandwich with pickled vegetables, cilantro, jalapenos and hot sauce with a choice of Korean BBQ beef, Filipino Chicken Adobo, Filipino BBQ pork, rotating tofu recipes and occasionally a Chinese style pulled pork. All of the sandwich options are also available as rice bowls or salads, with the option to add a fried egg on top. For appetizers I always have lumpia (Filipino egg rolls) and occasionally wontons. I also always have vegan options on the menu.

Are there any signature dishes or customer favorites that we should know about?

The Korean BBQ beef was my bestseller for several years, but lately the Filipino recipes have been getting more attention. The liempo is a customer favorite, it’s Filipino grilled pork belly marinated in citrus and soy sauce, I run that as a special pretty regularly. The Filipino BBQ pork has become my best seller for lunch, it’s grilled pork shoulder in a Filipino BBQ sauce, the same recipe that’s sold on the streets in the Philippines. And you can never go wrong with lumpia, lumpia is life.

Lastly, where can we find you day-to-day?

My regular spot for lunch service is 153 E. Elm St, Bishop (off Main St just behind Giggle Springs). On a regular week I’m posted up there for lunch Wednesday – Friday from 11-4pm. We serve dinners at Owens Valley Distilling Company one rotating weekend a month. You can find us at the Friday Night Markets in Bishop, June Lake Jamfest September 6-8 and Millpond Music Festival September 20-22. Please check our social media pages for weekly schedule and specials. Instagram: @uncleshyams Facebook: Uncle Shyam’s.  Our phone number is 760-920-9093.

A special thank you to Uncle Shyam for answering our questions!

Tanner Rush