New food truck features Filipino cuisine
Aug. 14, 2025
The newest food truck in Sioux Falls features Filipino foods, drawing its name from its signature lumpia, or egg rolls.
Lumpia on Wheelz made its debut in late July and has been doing parking lot pop-ups on the weekends.
Katrin Palafox “loves sharing her food,” said her husband, Carlo Palafox, who owns the business but said Katrin “is the heart of the whole operation.” Introducing her cooking to the community through a food truck seemed like a good way to start, he said.
They both were born in the Philippines, moved to the U.S. with their families when they were children and met through friends while attending high school in different states – Katrin in San Diego, California, and Carlo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We’ve been together ever since,” Carlo Palafox said. They moved to Sioux Falls a couple of years ago from Alaska for his work.
Lumpia on Wheelz is starting with a simple menu so the Palafoxes can introduce Filipino cuisine to customers, they said.
The fried lumpia are filled with ground pork, celery, bell pepper, potato, onion, garlic and seasoning and come with a sweet chile dipping sauce. Customers also can preorder frozen ones by the dozen to cook at home.
Pancit is a stir-fry with rice noodles, chicken and vegetables. Adobo is pork simmered in a soy, vinegar and garlic sauce. The meat is served with steamed rice and two lumpia.
“As we get known more, then we’ll release a special weekly menu,” Carlo Palafox said. This weekend, Katrin Palafox is testing out a spam teriyaki bowl. “We’re slowly introducing the Filipino cuisine and specials we have,” he said.
Lumpia on Wheelz sells pineapple juice, Coke products and bottled water.
Because their daughter has food allergies, Katrin Palafox said she made sure the menu highlighted allergens to help other people who need to be careful about what they eat.
To get Lumpia on Wheelz started, she spent months researching food trucks, and they ended up buying a new one out of Texas.
She does all the cooking, and her husband helps with the trailer and serving customers.
With his full-time job, the plan for now is to be out Friday through Sunday, typically from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. They’ll be in the Royzzz parking lot at 2520 S. Louise Ave. from Friday through Sunday. Lumpia on Wheelz also has used the parking lot at Hot Spring Spas at 1605 W. 41st St.
With a later start to the food truck season, they’ll pursue events and festivals for next year but are open to opportunities. Katrin Palafox said she’ll be available to do catering over the winter.
Her experience in that area comes from cooking for her family in Las Vegas. When they gather for celebrations, she flies out and cooks big meals for them.
“She’s always enjoyed doing that,” her husband said.
While their schedule is limited to Friday through Sunday, Lumpia on Wheelz can be booked for public and private events.
For pop-up locations, follow Lumpia on Facebook or check Street Food Finder.
