What an absolute whirlwind it has been for us to get the opportunity to drive our Nominator all the way from Los Angeles to NYC! If you would have asked us a year ago we would be competing on a Food Network show, traveling like a band on the road, meeting such amazing people, we would have said: Mmm..ok, would you like Grilled Pork or our Deli Banh Mi.
Misa and I (and everyone else competing) really honed our skills in clean-slating our businesses: finding new suppliers in a matter of minutes, shifting out of our comfort zones and ultimately bending and twisting symphonically with every challenge that was thrown at us. We love that we get to share our favorite sandwich to everyone, we love how cheerful and how much energy you all have in supporting our random idea of serving food from a truck! You, our nomsters, are what makes our job so undeniably fun and strives for us to do our best. Thank you for that. Really.
NYC was so awesome. We ended up staying a few extra days to visit with friends, eat copious amounts of rich foods (Momofukus Pork Buns anyone?) and just relax away from our permanent molded car-seat butts.
Congratulations to our friends Matt, Ryan and Joel of Grill em All Truck for winning The Great Food Truck Race. We love you guys! :) Burgers x banh mi!
Here are some photos from our NYC Adventure!
Here I am showing my excitement as Tyler Florence is nommin on my winning Heavy Metal Protogé Burger. Tear it up Tyler!
St Georges for celebratory Nom Nom achievment.
On top of the Flat Iron Building!
Getting our Nominator flat-bedded back to Los Angeles. 3,000 miles on that bad boy! Nominator needs a lil rest.
Visiting the High Line Park!
My 8-y.o. daughter cried when Grill Em All made it to the top of the building first :-( Fantastic effort we really enjoyed watching your success!
I was really impressed with your work on the show and most especially impressed with the class you all showed in defeat. After winning every other challenge it must have come as quite a blow to lose that $50k. But your joy in the win of the Grill Em guys was genuine and that shows a lot for your class.
Their burgers looked really awesome and I wish I could try your sandwiches but Dallas is a bit of a drive.
Good job to all of you and you have a lot to be proud of.
My 8-year old didnt want to watch when Nom Nom was behind! Jenns burger on the menu? I love Sriracha Mayo!
You rock! It wasnt a climbing competition. You win!
Way to go! You did us Asian Angelenos proud!!!! Way to Represent! You may not have won the 50k but you won us over and alot of new fans. Also very classy in defeatWe love you guys. (David, say something!)
I just watched the finale and was wondering The episode showed that you guys left the last location before the grill em all guys. Was there a reason you didnt make it to the flat iron building before them? Or was that just the editing making it look like you left before them?
Congrats on a good run! :)
Noooooooooo! You were so totally robbed. One of the Grill Em All customers was wearing a Grill Em All T-Shirt when he ordered the french fry burger. There is absolutely no way that this was a fair race. You should have won, and its blatantly obvious to everyone who watched the show.
I admire your good sportsmanship, but I will say what your team was too respectful to say: NOM NOM WAS ROBBED.
Hello there. I watched the food truck race episodes with great interest. I was on a Food Network Show also Throw Down with Bobby Flay. I created a fusion fajita marinade that bested the Iron Chef at his own specialty. Now, I travel all over the country promoting the mission of Grace Before Meals which is to strengthen family relationships around the dinner table. I was very impressed with the work you all did. Ill be heading to LA for business and would really enjoy getting some of your food truck specialties. Looking forward to sampling the cuisine. In the meantime, enjoy all of those free trips and congratulations for your graciousness in all of those wins, and in the final episode when you graciously congratulated Grill em All!
SIncerely,
Fr. Leo Patalinghug
You guys were great and Ill really miss not watching the show every Sunday night. It was sad to see you lose but I was really impressed with the great sports all of you were in defeat by congratulating the Grill Em All team. I just got done watching the final episode (on DVR) and it brought tears to my eyes. Sad that you lost but also very happy for everyone (including Grill Em All). I hope you continue to do well in Los Angeles and congratulations on your success. Enjoy those vacations!!
You totally should have won that 50k after crushing your competition at every other challenge! A total injustice!! Youre a long way from NJ, but hope to try your banh mis someday! Enjoy your vacations!!!
The grill-em-all truck might have won overall but you guys were winning a lot of the more important contests! I am dieing to try your food now :) So, see you Thursday in Hollywood! (I have a feeling there is going to be a long line *sad face for me, happy face for you*)
Two gorgeous ladies, who really should have won!
Everybody wants to know what happened to the Nom Nom truck? Why was it not there when Grillm all drove by? Did you guys move it or were you on your way to the Flatiron? How much time elapsed between their finish and yours?
We want to know!
BTW: Misa = Hottie
Great job Nom Noms! It was a great show and you smoked everyone 5 weeks in a row! Continued success is coming your way, for sure!
You guys are AWESOME and winners in my book. I was flipping through the channels and came across the show. Unfortunately, it was the second to the last episode (Jonesborough). I took a liking to the Nom Nom Truck right away! I am dying to try a Banh mi! You two showed so much professionalism, even while you were faced with so many challenges. Although you did not win the money, you won something worth much more, our hearts.
Congrats on an amazing run if they hadnt structured the finale to totally nullify your advantages (your incredible planning & business skills!) you surely would have taken it all home. None the less, you have set an amazing example of how smarts and tastiness can combine into a great business. My daughter is also a big fan :)
Hoping someday world NOMination will extend to the SF bay :)
How did you guys lose? On the show it looked like you left Union Square before Grill Em All, but they were the first ones to the Flatiron building. Im sure they edited parts out to keep the suspense, can you fill us in what we missed?
I totally thought yall were gonna win, still think yall shouldve. For the whole matter of just winning every challenge, :(.
I was sooooooooo disappointed when you guys didnt win!!!! I was rooting for you all the way, you guys did great! Misa seems so efficient the way she would call and make arrangements ahead for the next city, it seemed like she was the first one who started doing that and then eventually the other trucks caught on. But you guys did so great anyway. I am a huge fan and havent even had your food, haha! But we are making a trip from Phoenix to LA very soon so Ill be looking for your truck, if youre not on vacation that is :)
Love you guys!
I am so sad that you guys did not win, but am so proud of you for showing such amazing business skills throughout the entire competition. You networked like crazy and worked so hard to come ahead of everyone during the entire competition. I hope I can visit your truck someday when I visit Los Angeles! :)
Very nice!
Even though Im from USC, I fell in love with the UCLA nommers! Just shows you how amazing you guys truly are! With your business ethic and your smarts, you all have so much to be proud of! Fight on, Nommers!
<3, A Hapa Trojan
I think once you hit Manhattan it should have come down to sales. I have no doubt you would have won. I really enjoyed the show and liked how you used your brains as well as your great food to do so well. I was inspired to try some Banh Mi and next time Im in L.A. I will hunt you down.
Cheers!