This new East Austin food bus packs a punch.
By Emma Whalen
Kati Luedecke uses every square inch of her food bus—not to be confused with a food truck or trailer—to pack in a breadth of Central Texas-influenced Peruvian cuisine. The bus, located on Airport Boulevard in East Austin’s Govalle neighborhood, is set to have its grand opening June 3. Luedecke plans to cook up a creative, Peruvian-focused menu of brunch and lunch during the day and run a supper club and catering service by night. As the chef and owner of Killa Wasi, Luedecke spent several years in the Austin restaurant industry before hatching plans to open her own establishment. She takes yearly trips to Peru to study the country’s cuisine, and her modern twist on the country’s food culture utilizes Central Texas ingredients like yucca, boar and pork. For breakfast, try a rocoto boar sausage benedict or a stack of quinoa pancakes. At lunch, snack on confit pork sandwiches with a side of grilled papaya for a sweet treat. A grab-and-go deli case will offer pressed-for-time customers a chance to pick up salads, breads and cured meats.
The dedication to authenticity Luedecke puts into her work is reflected in the name of her bus. Translated from Peru’s native Quechuan language, Killa Wasi means “moon house,” a tribute to Mama Killa, the Incan goddess of the moon. Luedecke says she hopes to honor Peru’s varied natural wonders—from the coast to the deserts, mountains and rainforests—through her cuisine.
Make an afternoon outing to this small, mobile wonder bus, and you might just forget you’re still in Austin.
