BELMONT — On State Road 46 West at the old Knight’s Corner, Ginger Knight cooks American food with an Asian twist.

From tenderloins and corndogs breaded in panko — bread crumbs used in Asian cooking — to egg rolls made with beef, to an old-fashioned cheeseburger grilled with onions, Johnny’s Grub to Go is gaining a following.

Her food truck has been open since Sept. 28 and boasts customers who rave on its Facebook page about the quality of the food and the cheap prices.

When she was home with her newborn son two-and-a-half years ago, Knight watched the Food Network often, and her husband, John, took notice.

He traded his motorcycle for a food truck in Shelbyville, and they parked it at the former gas station that is now headquarters for the family’s trash business, Knight’s Trash Removal.

“One of the people in Nashville said, ‘Only you could pull off that combination: trash and food,’” John said with a laugh.

John helped Ginger, who is originally from the Philippines, come up with the menu.

At first, he suggested selling American food only, like cheeseburgers and barbecue sandwiches.

“I was like, ‘No, no, we’re not going to sell the rice,’” he said. “The first day … our secretary’s daughter put it on Facebook. They couldn’t believe Asian food in Brown County. We sold out of it the first day,” John said.

“I was like, ‘Never mind, whatever you want to make.’”

Popular dishes include the cheeseburgers and the chicken rice bowls, Ginger said.

Ginger’s egg rolls are also a best-seller. She makes them with beef, celery, carrots and white chestnuts, which is different from the cabbage egg rolls others may be used to in Chinese restaurants.

All of the meat is bought locally at the Brown County IGA and is never frozen, John said.

She’s recently started serving a Filipino food called adobo, a marinated chicken dish. “People love it,” John said.

Ginger is the only one who works in the food truck. It’s is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and until 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

“If you love what you’re doing, it’s like you’re not getting tired of it in spite of all the time spent,” she said. “You want to cook and serve your community.”

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Where: In front of Knight’s Trash Removal on State Road 46 West at Yellowwood Road

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays

Website: See Johnny’s Grub To Go on Facebook

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