The Chairman

I had the chicken sandwich without the sesame purée. It made me throw up. Nuff said.

One of out Go-​to food trucks! We will travel to get this for lunch on occasion. They never disappoint! All their pickled veggies are mouth watering delicious! Fun to eat, great presentation and flavor! I’d love to have them cater my next big event!

Always a good snack or meal for me every other Sunday. The tender pork belly on the steamed bun is excellent. I only wish they were bigger! You need to order at least 2 to satisfy your taste buds. The pickled daikon really compliments the tender pork belly.

Amazing. These guys were at the Maker Faire in San Mateo this weekend and I can’t recommend them enough.
I had the braised pork sandwich on the baked bao. It’s the larger of the sandwiches (compared to the steamed bao).
The pork was cooked to perfection and the coleslaw-​like concoction inside the sandwich with the pork was a great compliment.
The sandwich was neither greasy or overly heavy.
Also try out their bao chips. Salty and crunchy!
Service was incredibly fast considering how busy they were. Will definitely go back given the chance.

Alas, fellow Unilocalers– I have figured out the perfect concoction! Order one Tender Pork Belly with Turmeric Pickled Daikon & Green Shiso (steamed bun), and one Spicy Chicken with Toasted Sesame Purée, Pickled Carrots-​Cucumber & Cilantro (steamed bun). These two are by far the best entrees and are packed with a punch!

Really happy I tried this place at the Alameda Antique Fair. I got the steamed baos, which aren’t like the typical steamed buns you find at Chinese bakeries and dim sum restaurants. The steamed baos they make are the same pastry from the buns, but folded up like a taco with the menu items of your choice. They had four types to choose from which also come baked. There was a line to order and they were already out of one item when I ordered.
I got the Fried Tofu bao and the Spicy Chicken bao. Everything was seasoned «Asianly-​perfectly» (a cross between Korean cuisine meets Chinese cuisine) with super fresh toppings such as kale and cucumbers. I don’t think the chicken was too spicy so I think even the sensitive types could handle it. Anyone who wanted more spicy could use siracha sauce from their counter. These are a little messy to eat but believe me you will want to get messy for these. I think a fork and knife would be too cumbersome to save you from the mess.
Two were perfect for me but a third might be better for some. I heard the baked bao is larger too so that might be a better choice for the really hungry.

The Chairman is probably my favorite food truck out of the variety that visit Menlo Park’s Off the Grid Wednesday night gatherings. Meat eaters, go for the tender pork belly with turmeric, pickled daikon, and green shiso. I prefer the steamed version ($ 3.75) over the baked version ($ 6.75). Get a couple pork belly baos, add a dollop of sriracha on top and you are set for the night.
Veggie lovers, go for the baked crispy miso cured tofu with garlic-​tofu mayo and baby choy sum ($ 6). I’ve tried the steamed tofu version and it definitely pales in comparison.
Note that the coca-​cola braised pork and spicy chicken baos aren’t necessarily bad — I think the pork belly bao just blows them away.

They refused to make a vegan sandwich even though they have tofu were unwilling to not butter the bun. I asked to just get the tofu and no bun. They refused. It was pretty surprising and kind of rude. Wouldn’t recommend it at all but to be honest never actually got to taste anything

The Chairman food truck (and I) can sometimes be found at Bishop Ranch 3 on Tuesdays. My favorite is the Steamed Pork Belly and surprisingly, the Steamed Miso Tofu buns. Not sure how to describe it, but I love what they do with tofu!

I have found by chance the truck at Stanford.
Food is good but overpriced. You will need 10+$ to fill you up. A bit too much for a food truck.

Tried the steamed buns again at The Chairman and they were fantastic this time. Seems like they were much fresher and the meat was much more tender. Only 3 stars because of the inconsistency… If I have them a few more times and they’re as good as these were I’ll update the review to 4 stars.

Love, love, love the baked buns with the tofu. With a drink, it’s a whole meal for like $ 8! The bun is so soft, the tofu is so flavorful, generous, and hearty, AND they have diet coke! I’m always excited when I see this big red truck.

The Chairman has been my white whale for the past two years. I’ve never been able to catch it. Edgewood eats? They’re not there that day. Downtown San Francisco? They’re just pulling away. Today was the day. I found the truck and it was glorious.
As everyone says, the steamed buns are better than the baked. You can get more variety and the bun is softer. The baked ones look like a burger, which is fine but you’re here to get the best Chairman experience you can. Get the steamed.
I had the spicy chicken and the pork belly and both were amazing. The chicken is not especially spicy, but more tangy and rich and flavor. The pork belly is likewise very soft and has a bold taste where you want to lick your fingers after. The pickled vegetables on top add a nice counter balance to the heavy meat so it doesn’t feel as greasy as other types of street food. My friend had the tofu and was not so impressed, so if I were you I would stick to the richer meats.
Enjoy! It’s worth it.
If you’re on Stanford campus, the Chairman comes every two weeks to the street right outside Mitchell Earth Sciences (near the big fountain outside Thornton). Check out
for the schedule!
Note: I notice that there’s a main Unilocal entry for The Chairman based in San Francisco (
). It’s really hard to find unless you’re near SF (I didn’t even find it except for a Google Search). Since the truck moves all up and down the bay, is there a better way for Unilocal to show search results for food trucks? I’m going to leave my review here so people in South Bay can more easily find it.

Trust me, you want to eat here. And you want the steamed buns (which are cheaper) over the baked ones. And you can’t go wrong with any of the meats.
One of the best things that Off The Grid: Menlo Park has to offer.