One of the more exciting places dishing out food in town is Gathering AK, off of Old Seward in the same building as Anchorage re:MADE. Since 2019, Gathering AK has functioned as an incubator for entrepreneurs across the community to showcase their meals or baked goods on a rotating schedule. It also happens to be where I discovered Mochileros for the first time a few years ago. However, they've since grown to become a full-on food truck to haul their Guatemalan-inspired eats around town.
It recently occurred to me that I hadn't had any of their food since that initial visit. So with an appetite for Latin cuisine, I went to Double Shovel Cider Company last week, where they were stationed. The cidery was jam-packed, with a few folks already lined up alongside Mochileros's signature bus — which, I have to say, is oddly reminiscent of another iconic bus in Alaska, even down to the green and white color scheme. This tenuous connection might make a little more sense considering that "mochileros" translates to "backpackers" in Spanish.
While examining their menu, I noticed their convenient ordering system, which sees patrons providing their phone numbers to contact once the food is ready. After placing my order, I ducked inside for shelter from the late-summer breeze and grabbed some cider to pair with my meal. The wait was a little on the long side, given that I was already on my second glass of cider by the time I got the call. But even if patience isn't my strongest suit, I remembered the old adage: good food takes time.
Mochileros features a lean selection of goods, most of which are available in a few different varieties. Pupusas — a beloved staple of Latin American cuisine — seem to be one of their main draws. These thick rounds of griddled masa are traditionally stuffed with cheese along with some other kind of protein. Here, they're available with bacon, chicharron, black beans, or loroco — tiny, exotic flowers which possess a flavor similar to artichoke or asparagus.
This time, I opted for the enhanced version of these savory treats dubbed the Mountain Pupusa. From what I can tell, the primary difference with this towering creation is the addition of many more ingredients piled onto the dish: curtido (a slaw made from pickled cabbage, carrot, and onion), guacamole, lettuce, mango salsa, cotija cheese, and corn, transforming the meal into somewhat of a salad, but with an edible plate.
After my first few bites, what immediately stood out was the abundant freshness of each component. Surprisingly, even the lettuce had some bite to it as if it were shredded by hand, while the guacamole was as smooth and ripe as you'd want from an avocado. The pickled slaw managed to deliver a satisfying crunch and an appreciable amount of heat and acidity, while the little bits of mango contributed pops of refreshing sweetness.
Of course, this dish wouldn't be what it is without the pupusa itself. I dug through the once-insurmountable wealth of toppings to discover a pupusa filled with stretchy cheese and a thin layer of black beans. What I enjoyed the most was the earthy flavor and starchy texture of the masa that looked to have been formed by hand. If you're a fan of tamales, you will undoubtedly appreciate this fresh twist that fires on all cylinders in terms of flavors and textures.
Then there are the two pork dobladas I ordered — one of the specials on offer that evening. Though I lack the knowledge to clearly delineate the differences between dobladas, tacos, or even quesadillas for that matter, I noticed the dobladas were encased in a fried tortilla after having been griddled much like tacos de birria. They also look to be much larger than the tacos served here, but one commonality is that all their tortillas appear to be handmade. That, in and of itself, is more than a welcome change of pace as most vendors seem indebted to use oft dry and flavorless store-bought versions.
The magic didn't stop there. From the start, I experienced a mouthful of some of the most tender braised pork I've ever had, dripping with fat and juices. Furthermore, each doblada oozed melted cheese in all directions, only for there to be even more cheese through a healthy sprinkle of cotija. There was enough indulgence in these dobladas to induce meat sweats and could surely satisfy even the most voracious carnivore. This nearly exceeded my own capacity for excess were it not for the two different salsas — a mango salsa previously seen on the pupusa along with a vinegary chimichurri-like concoction that possessed a significant amount of heat. I ended up making liberal use of these sauces to help consume these crunchy, greasy explosions until I felt as though my heart would give out.
With little room left, I committed to trying one last item on their menu. Elotes — also known as Mexican street corn — are served here not just in the traditional way but also in Flamin' Hot, nacho cheese, and chile limón variants as well. I've yet to see such playful preparations done anywhere else before, and the fat kid in me was delighted to see such a creative incorporation of junk food. I went with the chile limón flavor, which I later realized was likely made from crushed-up Dinamita tortilla chips based on the unmistakable flavor of processed corn. This corn-on-corn action definitely struck a chord, but what kept it from reaching higher ground was the fact that the corn had been either steamed or boiled — not grilled. Without any hints of char from a grill, this elote was still satisfying in a backyard BBQ sort of way — just not as outstanding as it could have been.
I can attest that not much has changed since my first visit to Mochilero — in a good way, mind you. If anything, their expanded menu and rotating specials indicate they've accelerated past their infancy and are now as confident as ever in doling out their street food approach to Guatemalan food. For many, this food truck stands as a gateway into a cuisine few are fortunate to know much about. If there's any truth to the idea that the people of Guatemala eat food this good on a regular basis, then this may very well be one of the world's most underrated cuisines.
Food trucks usually don't have much permanence due to their transient business model, but for our sake, I hope Mochileros sticks around for a long, long time.
To find out where you can snag some of this delectable street food, visit mochileros-street-food.square.site.Â
