I am cool enough to remember when a burger from a van wasn’t gourmet fare. My burger from a van purchases were classy 2am outings; kicked out after last orders from a pub or club, sweaty, foaming at the mouth, holding the hand of a guy you weren’t sure you even fancied or knew whether his name was John or David and as he leaned in for a kiss, the van owner shouted – burger ready. That sorry episode lasted all of 5 mins or maybe 10 minutes if you were really unlucky!
Fast forward 16 years and not only is a burger from a van gourmet food, these vans have their own cookbook. Yes, let me introduce you to, if you aren’t already acquainted with, Le Camion qui fume or the van that smokes. They can be found all over Paris and me being the lucky girl I am, this Wednesday 24 July they were outside the best cinema in Paris (MK2 Bibliotheque).
I had planned to go to the movies to escape the hellish humidity. In a city that has a problem with air conditioning and body odour I thought the cinema was my safest bet. I could sit myself down in a corner far from others and enjoy the artic blast of air conditioning. Yet when I saw the van, I thought maybe this could make for an interesting solo dining experience.
I marched up to the van and the man said to me, Mademoiselle, la ligne/queue, it is a 45 minute for a burger. I started to laugh. I looked back at the long line of people waiting patiently. Not only am I cool enough to remember the original dirty burger from a van. I also don’t do queues and definitely not for food from a van!
