Wholly Schnit Schnitzel Food Truck

Wholly Schnit is a food truck selling some of Sydney's best chicken schnitzels. From an enormous schnitzel and chips to one smothered in delicious mushroom gravy to their own creation of a schnitzel topped with mash, peas and gravy!

Wholly Schnit's owner John O'Kane had a variety of jobs like milkman, pool man, plumber and construction before coming up with Wholly Schnit. When John's wife was pregnant with their fourth child her craving was late night schnitzels. "We noticed that all the places that served good schnitzel would close at 9pm and we couldn’t find a decent schnitzel anywhere after 9pm, so I started making them for her. It turns out I had quite a talent for making schnitzel," says John.

The idea first started when the City of Sydney started their food truck program in 2014. Noting that there were no schnitzel food trucks he began planning his schnitzel mobile. It took a couple of years of planning and then he purchased an ex-film catering van that he had kitted out. All of the schnitzels are handmade fresh daily with no tricks other than to butterfly, tenderise, flour, egg wash and crumb each piece of chicken.

The business also grew during COVID. "As many other places were closing, and unsure how to navigate the situation we went harder. We went from doing 2-3 days a week 5pm til 8pm to 7 days and 12 til 8-9pm from the front lawn of my mothers house in Chifley. We were getting smashed everyday. It was exhausting, but very rewarding. We had to buy a second truck to keep up," says John.

Nowadays the Wholly Schnit food trucks pop up at the Alexandria Hotel, Waterloo and Heffron Park and although Waterloo is closer to us we go to Heffron Park location because we really want to try the Wholly Schnit schnitzel which is only available at Waterloo on Wednesdays and Heffron Park on Sundays. There are several choices available from a classic schnitzel and chips to a schnitzel sandwich to a Jaeger Schnitzel with the chicken schnitzel served with chips, coleslaw and jaeger or hunter mushroom sauce. The schnitzels are enormous and well priced from $14-$20 each with a kid's schnitzel at $7. Also available are sides like coleslaw, potato salad and cucumber salad as well as crumbed mushrooms and camembert.

We look around at Heffron Park and decide that a better option to eat would be La Perouse near Bare Island. I wasn't sure how Schnitzel would fare being from a food truck as well as taking the 5 minute drive to La Perouse but as we are handed the boxes they are piping hot. And once we open them up and start eating they are absolutely delicious.

The Jager Schnitzel comes with a wonderful creamy mushroom sauce smothered on top of the schnitzel which sits atop a bed of French fries with coleslaw on the side. The edges of the schnitzel are crispy but I adore that mushroom sauce on top of the schnitzel and the gravy soaked fries. The coleslaw is a light one without a thick, mayonnaise type dressing which suits the schnitzel well as it is quite rich.

Ahh the schnitzel that we came here for. The Wholly Schnit schnitzel is a chicken schnitzel topped with a generous amount of mashed potato, peas and gravy, like their version of the Harry's Cafe de Wheels Tiger Pie. John explains, "As far as putting mash potato, mushy peas and gravy on a schnitty, that was my idea. I often got the Tiger pie from Harry's at Woolloomooloo whilst out riding my motorcycle, so it thought it would be great on schnitty. My wife Candice scoffed at the idea at first, saying that no one will eat that. It turns out is is one of most popular dishes and one of hers." I can't pull Mr NQN away from it as he adores it and once I try it I understand why. The topping makes the schnitzel a complete meal with plenty of veggies and a rich gravy. It's such a generous, substantial serve too.

As for Teddy, he was hoping for the kid's schnitzel but he had to content himself with the view.

So tell me Dear Reader, which schnitzel would you like the best out of the two above? Do you have a favourite food truck?

Wholly Schnit

https://www.instagram.com/whollyschnit/