Khemi’s Vegan Cuisine Food Truck: Caribbean Soul and Comfort Food

Just feet away from the Sacred Heart Discovery Science Center and Sacred Heart campus itself sits a row of food trucks and a wide shoulder where hungry eaters can park. Among the lineup, one small, silver truck takes its place there year-round, whether in cold, snow, heat or rain. Happily, I ventured to go see about Khemi’s Vegan Cuisine.

My greeting by Khemi’s Vegan Cuisine food truck owner, Deja Smith, was as sunny as the day itself. This food truck is (woman!) owned and operated by Deja and it’s obvious that she puts her heart and soul into her Caribbean Soul and Comfort Food. I was barely at the window a minute before she perkily asked “Would you like a sample?”. There were small condiment cups with samples of her chocolate brownie, one of the ingredients being Spirulina (a type of blue-green algae that is chock full of vitamins, minerals, protein and antioxidants). How could I turn away a brownie, honestly. Deja was eager to share her cooking and this brownie was fudgy and delicious. Samples of a Pumpkin Soup with chickpeas followed (delish), along with a splash of Sea Moss Pineapple juice (more on that later).

Deja Smith is of Puerto Rican and Jamaican descent and this food truck is a nod to her Caribbean heritage. Fresh, local produce along with uncommon ingredients, such as Sea Moss and Sunflower Mylk for her smoothies and juices and bunches of Oyster Mushrooms for her “Chick’n” Sandwich appear on her menu. Khemis (pronounced Keh-MY), for those wondering the origin of the truck name, is named for Deja’s son, Khemi. It’s a quirky, homey truck, with cloth produce bags of potatoes and faux greenery hanging in the window area and write-on community boards posted on the truck naming various local business owners who have stopped by. A bag of curly purply-brown Sea Moss sits on a condiment shelf and can be purchased as is (it has quite a following).

After the appetizer of Spirulina brownie, I tried some of her popular dishes, one of which was the Meal Combo, which included a Pineapple Sea Moss juice, long grain brown rice, Turmeric Chickpea Stew, Steamed Mixed Veggies, a Vegan White Mac & Cheese, and a spinach mixture, all topped with a few sweet plantains. A customer who was also waiting at the time mentioned that he stops by often to get that Meal Combo because, well, he loves it, but it also lasts him two meals as it is such a generous serving. The Pineapple Sea Moss juice was delicious-tart and sweet and a total tropical blast. Amazing too, as Deja let me sample the actual Sea Moss before she incorporated it into her smoothies and the taste was pure ocean-the beach, the brine, the salt. She explained that in Jamaica (and beyond, Sea Moss is also known as Irish Moss), Sea Moss is used for boosting energy and mood to all manner of ailments, from muscle recovery to iodine deficiency, eczema and viral infections. Well, the old adage does say that the sea heals…

The other items in the Meal Combo were hearty and tasty from the lightly cheesy Vegan Mac and Cheese to the fresh tasting kale and cabbage mix and the Turmeric Chickpea Stew, which brought Indian flavors to mind. The Seasoned Spinach Chunks didn’t resonate with me, to be honest, but try them, they may be for you.

Next up was the Oyster Mushroom “Chick’n” Sandwich. The hunk of Oyster Mushrooms looks like a bouquet of sorts and was tossed in Old Bay seasoning and then fried in Grapeseed oil for a crisping. Deja then slid it onto a whole wheat potato bun and topped it with Bermuda onion, marinated yellow peppers, fresh greens, tomato, and vegan smoked Provolone.

While Deja makes all her food to order, the Jamaican Patties are procured from a local vendor. I sampled one that had a mix of plantains and the other had a filling of Ackee, Jamaica’s national fruit (although it is cooked and used as a vegetable) which is yellow is color and has a mild taste which I felt tasted like a mix of squash and corn, maybe a little bit tomato-y? The dough was flakey and they were all wrapped up like lovely little envelopes. Good eat-on-the-go food.

Deja makes most of this comfort food herself-she’s a one-woman band in this food truck-and favors organic items when she can. She loves to support local farmers and growers to source ingredients, and she composts her food scraps and tries to be eco-friendly in as many ways as she can. Comfort food for you, the community, and the earth.

Khemi’s Vegan Cuisine

Bridgeport, CT and available for catering/events

@khemis_vegan_cuisine

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