Being in Mrs. SF’s words a (miserable) tight arsed git (love you too dear 😂), I am always on the look out for cheaps eats and in these inflationary times it is becoming increasingly tricky to find them.

Couple of years back I did a post called “Feed your face for a fiver“ (most of the places featured are now gone – I still mourn the loss of the faggots, peas and gravy that were the staple at long departed from the market B.R. Donnelly – and those that have survived certain aren’t offering the stuff at a fiver or less anymore). That, subject to certain exemptions, fiver seems to have become £7.50 to £10 min.

One place where the inexorably price raises has been a bit less 😱 is “The Plate” food truck at Oasis in Splott, with the blog previously covering their click and collect offering in the teeth of the Covid pandemic,

where everything on the menu

is (so far as I could tell) £6 (including a meal for someone else – the pay it forward concept seems to have died a death a bit as people start to feel the pinch).

Nice looking Latin American theme to the lunch offering on the day of my visit and it seems it is rather popular (I am invariably late to the game, despite having a nigh on pathological hatred of being late) as everything bar the tacos had sold out by the 13.50 (they are open from lunch between 12.30 and 14.30) time I rocked up in the jalopy.

I quite fancied both the pupusas and the baleada, but heyho and the early bird catches the worm at this place it seems.

As such tacos it was and despite the limited (well it was this or nothing) choice I was rather pleased with my choice. I opted for the chimichurri sauce and asked to add to that roquito peppers (what I got were actually sundried tomatos) at an additional cost of 50p.

Big portion this, with 3 generously filled tacos.

Really nice tortillas that had been given a bit of crispness on the flat top (yet still retaining the flexibility to roll then up in order to get it all in the gob)

The chicken filling had a bit of spice (relatively mild) to it and was supplimented by beans (pinto and kidney I would say), fried and raw onion (as well as the rogue sun dried toms, with the onions and these adding both sweetness and acidity) and the punchy chimichurri

Very much enjoyed this and even the toms were quite nice (not the oily leathery horrors you often get). Do think the sour, sweet and heat of pickled roquito peppers would have lifted it even more, but I was happy enough with what I got.

I know next time that what we both (me and the very jovial lady serving the stuff up) took to be rehydrated chillis were not that at all.

The verdict

Cheap and very cheerful is how I would characterise this place’s food offering. The tacos I had were very pleasant (touch more of a spice hit, perhaps, would have been nice), filling and good value for money.

Parking nearby was easy and there is cover if the weather is too hot or too wet.

As the corny (you would expect no less from me) post title suggests, some might say that this is one the the beat value lunches on offer in Cardiff at the moment. I would agree and so, I suspect, would Noel.

For those that might say ” What about the WOL piece on hygiene ratings?” I would say, firstly “You miserable sod” and secondly, “Please see the response below from Oasis“.

The details

My untutored “non EHS stormtrooper” eyes found the food “truck” to be spotlessly clean.

Address: 69b Splott Road, Cardiff, CF24 2BW.

Website: https://www.oasiscardiff.org/external-catering

Opening hours: Thursdays: 12.30 – 14.30 and 17.00 – 20.00; Friday: 12.30-14.30

Suggest get there early doors as seem to sell out of a lot of stuff.