Rapper Kool A.D. Tries to Stick to International Pho on Tour

Welcome back to Get Out of the Van, our new column from Max Goldblatt, the guy that well-known bands hire not only for his t-shirt slinging talents, but for his ability to find the best food in any city. He's brought his skill set to the likes of Dirty Projectors, Spoon, MGMT, Band of Horses and many more. He provides advice for musicians on where they should eat when they're on tour in hopes of preventing another sad gas station meal, and gets their feedback on the best and worst dining experiences around the world.

I first met Victor Vazquez in a projection booth. We were both involved in our college's repertory film screenings, and he would go on to work on my thesis film as a "stunt projectionist." These days, I know him as Kool A.D., a rapper, visual artist, writer, and beard cultivator. Having come up amid the taquerias of the Bay Area, becoming tied to the label "food rap" (for better or worse) via Das Racist's early hit "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell," and even briefly appearing inside Anthony Bourdain's fridge on an episode of No Reservations, Kool A.D. has an obvious passion for grubbing.

Victor has logged countless miles on the road as a member of Das Racist (RIP: gone, but not forgotten), the drummer in hardcore band, Party Animal, one-fifth of futurist boy band, Boy Crisis, and as a wildly prolific solo artist in his own right. After a string of mixtapes, Kool A.D. leaked his excellent new album, Word, OK in March. It features guest performances from Toro y Moi, Talib Kweli, Boots Riley, and Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire. That's a lot of music and plenty of touring, which translates to a myriad of meals in far-flung locales. I wanted to get some tips from Victor on where to eat on tour and hoped to impart him with a few of my own.

MUNCHIES: Would you say that you have a conflicted relationship with fast food? Victor: I'm not a big fan of fast food. I ate it a lot as a kid, though. I eat a fair amount of fast food on tour. I like the regional burgers. What's the Texas one… Whataburger? In-N-Out in California. Nation's in the Bay. There's a good one in the Portland area, forget the name [Editors Note: Burgerville]. Dick's in Seattle. I like a non-descript burger spot that might just say "burgers" on it.

Do you usually gain weight on tour? I probably put on like two pounds on tour and lose it in a week when I get back. I feel like there were a couple tours a couple years back where I was doing a lot of drugs and might have lost some weight.

I always want to stay healthy on tour, but it never works, so I started "pre-cleansing" before I head out on the road, which involves a sensible diet and no drinking for a few weeks. That's a good idea. I should do that. It's very hard to not eat horrible shit on tour. There's a lot of "food deserts" in the USA. I try to go for those "homey" diners instead of big fast food chains because at least they have salad bars. Once you're in an actual city, the options open up a bit. It's the long drives that suck. The healthiest option a lot of times is Subway, but even that can get kind of gross. The smell is weirdly haunting.

What sort of places do you look for once you've arrived somewhere? I feel like it's burgers and tacos in whatever city. Actually a strange amount of pho. Pho is a very good find on the road. You always feel good after pho.

I had killer pho in Brussels. This place called Hông-Hoa, on a street with a bunch of Vietnamese spots that was very close to that venue, Ancienne Belgique. How all these Vietnamese folks ended up in Brussels, I do not know. I had some good-ass pho in, I think, in Burgundy, France. I feel like Asians kind of kill it across the board in any country.

Oddly, when I'm on tour in France, I don't really get off on the food there. I had steak au poivre in Paris. That shit was crack. When I was on tour once, we were taken to a real old-timey looking spot where an old fat French chef came out and was like "What's up." It was a very good time. In general, European venues hook it up with the meals. Hella government subsidized venues that don't give any kind of fucks about making money. A Swiss spot gave us venison. Nice ratatouille a couple times. Oh yeah, and no joke: pasta and pizza in Italy are fucking hella good. The stereotypes are true.

So true. What's the weirdest thing you've ever requested that a venue provide? Did they provide it? I used to ask for a Blade DVD, then changed it to any Snipes DVD. Got a few of those Blade sequels… I think Demolition Man and Passenger 57.

What about food or drink-wise? I never fully took advantage of the rider. It was like Tecate, Modelo, Pacifico, or Jack Daniels. Some weed. One time, I got a copy of Teen Wolf unsolicited.

How often do promoters get you weed? Over the years of touring, I'd say like 65 percent of the time.

Not gonna happen at like a House of Blues, or something. Naw, but even then you can just ask a dude there.

You've got a "name your price" situation going on for your new album. Once I went to a "name your price" wine bar in Berlin that reminds me of your album. Do you think that could work in the US? Woah. I think it could only work in like, Manhattan maybe.

I feel like it'd go out of business immediately. The one in Berlin has a few locations. Very successful. I think that everyone feels guilty and overpays. Thats crazy, man… What?!

Similar to, like, intense Radiohead fans overpaying for that album. Yeah, I got a dude that paid a hundred bucks for my last two. Got a couple forty and fifty dollars too. But yeah, that one fool was gung ho.

Ok, let's get into some recommendations. You grew up in The Bay. Where should I eat the next time I'm passing through on tour? Oh dag, well I feel like the classic answer is El Farolito on 24th and Mission. La Taqueria a block down from there is hella good too, but probably like five bucks a taco by now. That used to be a buck when I was a youngin'. El Zocalo got nice pupusas and the whatnot. That's further down Mission, past Cesar Chavez, past the Safeway. Cancun on 19th and mission. Anywhere in The Mission, you can't fuck up really.

What about Oakland? I never know where to eat around there. Guadalajara truck on Fruitvale and San Leandro. Sinaloa and the other truck next to it on international and 20 something. The al pastor and carnitas and carne asada are all good in burrito, taco, and torta formats at both spots. Go to Guadalajara Restaurant next to the truck if you want some enchiladas and things of that nature.

Next time you're in LA, there's this mind-blowing taqueria spot called Guisados, and they opened a second location in Echo Park. Best handmade tortillas. You'll trip out. F'sho, I'll def hit that up next time.

You lived in New York for years. Any below-the-radar type NY food for me? Minca Ramen is my favorite restaurant in NYC. I also like spots in Chinatown like Excellent Pork Chop House, 69 Bayard, Joe's Shanghai, and Green Bo.

Awesome. You told me your forthcoming novel, OK, A NOVEL, is a sort of experimental "tour diary/memoir/tone poem." Any food-related content in there? It actually has two chapters towards the end with a lot of food in it, and it contains a list I stole off Wikipedia of every recorded last meal of every death row convict.

What was the wildest one? Man, they're all insane. There are some that are like a glass of milk and a head of lettuce. Or like an onion. Fools that just want raisins.

You're giving away the ending of your book. Yea. Here's a sneak peak of my novel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_meal.