Isuzu dumpling truck hits the spot

With its distinctive bright blue livery, this eye-catching Isuzu is satisfying both its owners and its many hungry customers at a range of events in regional Victoria.

Based on an Isuzu NQR 87/80-190, the Li’l Dumpling truck is actually not so little, being the latest and third business solution for joint owners Emma Ma and Herris Wang.

The couple embarked upon their food truck odyssey in early 2020, just before the COVID pandemic, with the resulting lockdowns seeing the business pivot from selling dumplings at festivals to the home delivery of frozen dumpling packs.

They soon outgrew the mobile kitchen towed behind their ute and moved to a light truck with in-built kitchen. And once the pandemic was in the rear-view mirror, the couple expanded the business yet again, recently hitting the road in this new, blue Isuzu.

These days the Li’l Dumpling truck can be found at events in Geelong and its surrounds, including the townships of Bannockburn, Lara and Winchelsea, where the firm’s handmade delicacies sourced from local suppliers are proving a major hit.

“We want to make sure it’s simple but just right with only four flavours,” explains Emma.

“You’ll see our dumplings change colour throughout the year, because we use fresh carrot, spinach, and beetroot. Every batch is different because the veggies are different each time.

“Our dumplings are all handmade, the dough, the filling, and the colours, which all come from veggies… it takes a lot of labour, but it all makes our product special.”

These days the business is a roaring success, even if the ‘Li’l’ in its name doesn’t quite match the reality.

“Lots of people say it’s not exactly ‘little’ – maybe that’s the funny thing about it,” says Emma.

“We wanted to do ‘little,’ but slowly it just happened to evolve into the biggest dumpling truck in the market!

“Probably 80 per cent of children think we are the ice cream truck, but we don’t mind. As long as we’ve got your attention, the design is working!”

Requiring an 8.5-metre-long chassis to accommodate their new custom-designed kitchen and servery from Frank’s Food Vans in Tullamarine (Vic), Emma and Herris landed on an NQR 87/80-190 with six-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) recommended by the team at Geelong Isuzu.

The NQR features a GVM of 8700 kg and a GCM of 12,200kg, with a turbocharged four-cylinder 4HK1-TCC engine that can reliably draw the weight of the required kitchen equipment and supplies.

The ability of the NQR platform to safely float the weight of the custom build was a key issue for Emma and Herris, who were investing a significant amount of money into the production of their new business venture.

The NQR’s suspension setup – steel springs with hydraulic shocks front and rear – boasts a total axle capacity of 9700kg, which far exceeds the truck’s 8700kg GVM.

“With the heavy build and the appliances, we knew we needed a strong, quality truck and a reliable brand if wanted to keep it going for at least 10 years,” explains Herris, who also happens to be the chef behind the operation.

“So, we started asking around and people from other food trucks would say, ‘If you want cheap you go this way, but if you want quality, you choose Isuzu’.

“We were very happy to go with Isuzu.”

As designated driver and an operator in the public domain, Herris says safety is a critical priority.

The NQR’s elevated driving position and the cab’s extra-large windscreen and windows offer excellent vision in tight confines, while Isuzu’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) adds a further safety net while bumping in and out of busy event sites.

“I need to be careful because it’s a big truck, so the proximity sensor warnings and safety cameras are very helpful for what we do,” says Herris.

“I feel totally safe, comfortable, and that’s a big advantage for me.

“The upgraded multimedia system that supports Apple CarPlay is also handy; I can use Google Maps easily now, which I couldn’t in our older model truck.”

And adding to Herris and Emma’s peace of mind is Isuzu’s aftersales backup, comprising a six-year warranty and six years of roadside assistance, as well as the expertise always on offer at their local Geelong Isuzu dealership.

Now with several years under their belt, the pair are showing no signs of slowing down.

“I’m so happy to have this job,” says Emma. “It’s opened my eyes to different places and different things – like car shows, 4x4s, Formula One, the Air Show – all these kinds of things I would never have considered, but now I get to see them,” she says.

“We want to use this new truck as much as we can and maybe in the future visit other states and see how that goes.

“Our favourite places to go are community events like the school multicultural events… those are the people who supported us in the beginning, which I really appreciate, so we’re always happy to go back and visit them.

“We’re very lucky to have met lots of local people who recognise our dumplings and recommend them to each other.”