Wu Er By Wow Barbecue, Brookline

Some people might not think of a food truck as a higher calling. But Wow Barbecue founder Steve Liu is not one of those people. "I hate wearing a suit and tie," the Babson College MBA graduate says in a video profile, adding "I don't need an alarm clock to wake up. I wake up, and I feel like I have a mission."

That mission? To set Boston's tastebuds afire with authentic Chinese barbecue, and it's one he's been performing since 2013. Today, he's expanded his fleet of trucks to two, and he's opened a brick-and-mortar store in the heart of Malden. Whether mobile or stationary, the three eateries serve meals off a menu filled with dishes of lamb, beef, shrimp, and chili crab.