215 W. Michigan AvenueI don’t know who originally came up with the idea for the Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department’s Lunchtime Live events…but seriously, that person deserves a hug.
It seems like we’ve been busy on every Friday this year when they’ve held the event, so it took over a month before we could finally make it downtown for lunch. I texted J at work and told her L and I would meet her down there and since it was technically a holiday (July 3rd), I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be too crowded.
L and I got downtown before J, so I started wandering from food truck to food truck trying to find L something to eat. I got a little sidetracked at Arcadia’s Twisted Tale because they had burnt ends and chipotle mac ‘n cheese. As I was ordering that, L noticed J and ran off to her.
J had said she saw a place to get L some chicken strips, so they were going to do that while I waited for my lunch.
J was standing in front of Singh Cruisin’ Cuisine when I caught back up with her. This food truck out of Battle Creek specializes in American and Indian food. It’s owned by the same people who operate A Taste of India on Michigan Avenue in Battle.
When I first walked by this truck, I really only glanced at half the menu. I didn’t notice that in addition to some of the traditional Indian street food they had wraps, burgers, hot dogs, and chicken. J noticed the Chicken Tender Basket which came with fries for just under $7. She put in order for that then went off to find herself something to eat while I waited for L’s food to come out of the window.
The food from Singh Cruisin’ Cuisine is cooked fresh to order, so I watched them drop a handful of fries and five large chicken tenders in to the fryer. It took about six or seven minutes for everything to cook thouroughly.
The meal was handed to me on a Styrofoam plate with ketchup packets and napkins. I spotted a table not to far away with three empty chairs, so I headed over there to dig in to my burnt ends and wait for J and L to show up.
The chicken was hot when L tried to pick it up, so I did my best to break it in to smaller pieces so it would cool down faster. You know how 3-year-olds are, no patience. ;)
The chicken, while looking like it was frozen strips, was actually very juicy and tender. The breading was crispy while not being burnt. The fries were crinkle cut frozen fries, but they were filling. It ended up all three of us eating off of L’s plate because there was way too much food for her and she just wanted to go make new friends and play. I got her to eat two of the strips before she was just too distracted and wanted to go find some new friends.
Singh Cruisin’ Cuisine is another great food truck I’m sure you’ll see pop up in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo from time to time. If you’re not a fan of Indian food, don’t just walk by. They have other things too. If you are a fan of Indian food, this is definitely a unique truck to this area and it diversifies the great street food we already have.
Chicken Tender Basket
