Customers of the Galactic Mega Stallion dining at the Red Bank Farmer’s Market last Sunday. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By LILLY WARD
In the summer of 2023, the sudden, quiet arrival of a new food truck with an almost indecipherable death-metal logo puzzled shoppers at the Red Bank Farmer’s Market.
But behind the window were two familiar faces who live just a few blocks away: acclaimed vegan chef Adam Sobel, and his daughters, who often works alongside their father.
Adam and Idil Sobel, above, and their truck’s hard-to-decipher logo, below. (Photos by Lilly Ward. Click to enlarge.)
The story of Sobel’s new food truck, the Galactic Mega Stallion, began with the end of his well-loved, internationally acclaimed vegan restaurant and food truck business, the Cinnamon Snail.
“I’m really doing this just because I really miss cooking for people directly. I’m doing all these other things that I love doing,” said Sobel.
Sobel closed the doors of the Cinnamon Snail, a New York City restaurant renowned for pushing the boundaries of vegan cuisine, and his food truck, a beloved fixture at the farmers’ market for years.
The Galactic Mega Stallion was born in part out of a desire to reclaim the creative control that Sobel had felt was starting to slip while managing the demands of his wildly popular restaurant.
“My rule is that I don’t have any rules now. It’s really nice. It’s like, it’s kind of super, like, anarchist,” said Sobel.
In contrast to the stir created by Sobel’s first debut in Red Bank, the Galactic Mega Stallion was quietly launched, without a social media presence, but with billboards featuring cryptic messages, a website featuring glittering horses with no mentions of food, and a phone number that connected to an odd voicemail message.
A few intrepid people were able to decode the messages, while others simply encountered the truck at the market.
“Never in a million years did I expect that it was his advertising,” said Red Bank resident Abby Bean, a weekly customer at the Galactic Stallion. With the help of her neighbor, Abby was able to decode the encrypted messages.
By using an unorthodox marketing scheme free from the predictability of social media marketing, Sobel said he is free to focus on experimenting with new ingredients while developing recipes for the Galactic Mega Stallion and his online cooking class.
Developing the recipes involves a complex process of tweaking technique and perfecting ingredients, along with receiving feedback from testers all over the world with varying cooking skill sets, he said.
The resulting food produced is simultaneously international yet rooted in the local flavors of Red Bank. Ingredients are sourced from the farmer’s market, and each week introduces customers to new dishes.
Bursting with assertive yet harmonious flavors, this year’s theme is based upon Southeast Asian street food dishes, drawn from Sobel’s experiences in Malaysia and Indonesia. The subtle flavors and spongy texture of ube combines with dragon fruit syrup to form a pancake equal parts savory and sweet. Smoked shiitake or oyster mushrooms sprinkled generously with cashew cheese and chili powder are sharp and creamy at the same time.
Whether vegan, or nonvegan, it’s the bold flavors and the excitement of the prospect of a new
menu each week that keeps customers coming back for more.
“The way he flavors things is different than any place I’ve gone to,” said Meghan Weintraub, who used to dine at the Cinnamon Snail in New York.
Sobel’s commitment to producing unique combinations of flavors each week involves research as well as intense prep work. Despite the demands of his latest endeavor Sobel is happy to be back behind the window of a food truck.
“It’s a labor of love. And I sincerely love doing it and that’s why I do it,” said Sobel.
You can read more about the story behind the Galactic Mega Stallion on Sobel’s website.
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