When I first heard about the bacon tempura at Sook Thai Mobile Kitchen, I was confused. I misheard it as tempeh, which is a soy-based food, like tofu. So I thought it was fake bacon.

But then I read the description online. The food truck’s bacon tempura is real bacon, dipped in egg, coated in a bread crumble and deep-fried.

Deep-fried bacon? Now that’s something I knew I would have to try. So on a recent weekend day around lunchtime, I ventured over to Sook Thai Mobile Kitchen, parked at Austin Street Brewery in Portland. The bacon tempura is listed as an appetizer, for $9.

To balance out my lunch, I also ordered a dish of garlic ground beef stir-fry on rice, for $10. It was listed as a small plate but would have been a hearty lunch for one person. My daughter Dinah and I split the bacon and the beef, a well-balanced lunch if ever there was one.

Under the light and crispy coating – hot out of the fryer – the bacon itself was not crisp, but also not chewy. It had a very pleasant texture and the bacon’s flavor was complimented well with the saltiness of the fried batter. It was served with a sweet and spicy sauce for dipping.

After eating a couple slices – there were maybe eight to a dozen in the order – I realized why this is listed as an appetizer. It’s extremely rich and is probably best shared with several other people. The beef dish was our main course. The food truck has an extensive menu of entrees, appetizers and small plates, so you don’t have to survive on fried bacon alone. Unless you want to.

Sook Thai Mobile Kitchen regularly parks at breweries and other locations around Greater Portland and has made stops this summer in Westbrook, Gorham and Scarborough. So wherever you are, deep-fried bacon could be coming to you.

Bacon tempura appetizer, $9, at Sook Thai Mobile Kitchen. sookthaimobilekitchen.com

Sook Thai Mobile Kitchen, parked in early August at Austin Street Brewery in Portland. Photo by Ray Routhier