Streetcart Archives - Page 2 of 4

In BBQ

Chinatown Night Market: Closest Night Market to Downtown

July 6, 2013

The Chinatown Night Market has changed a lot since I was a kid. With the emergence of the other Night Markets in town, the quality of the Chinatown Night Market isn’t as good as it used to be. Despite that, it still attracts thousands of people every weekend to enjoy the festivities. It’s the closest night market to the Downtown core, so it makes sense. If you’re in the area, take a short stroller here and then enjoy the sunset at False Creek near Science World.

The Vancouver Chinatown Night Market is open from May 17th till September 8th, 2013 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Related Link:

2011 Chinatown Night Market Food Vendors

The market spans from Main Street to Columbia Street on Keefer street. The block is closed off so people can walk freely on the streets.

There are a few stalls that sell toys, jewellery , clothing, and a lot of random stuff.

I honestly never come here to buy things. It’s all about the food for me. But when it was about 10 years ago, I would come here to buy pokemon cards. Nowadays, there’s nothing very spectacular from the vendors.

Bar-B-Q

There’s a stall that sells a lot of skewers. It’s one of those staple items that you must have at a night market.

Bubble Gallo Tea House

There’s bubble tea too. Perfect for the hot summer weather.

Dim Sum Express

The food area is quite popular and the most congested part of the street. There’s even Dim Sum Express, they have a food truck near Waterfront station too.

Potato Tornado

One thing that was a must for MedicalGiraffe and I were the potato tornadoes. You might know them as hurricane potatoes…. depending on where you’ve been. It’s $3.75 each and you can choose your seasoning. They also sell popcorn chicken for $4.50.

This was a popular stall, so the food did take about 10 minutes.

The way that they cut the potatoes is with a drill. Very strange but I guess it gets the job done. Then they deep fry it for the crunchy goodness. The last step is sprinkling on the spices.

We got our ketchup flavoured potato tornado and it sure looked pretty. The taste was ok, but it was very very oily.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki was another item on our mind. It was very very busy at this stall, so it took about 20 minutes to get our order.

They had a lot of people waiting for them, but it took me a long time to figure out something was off about this stall.

All the balls looked ready and perfect to eat, but they took a long time to cook. After watching them for a while, we realized they were frozen store bought takoyaki heated up in these pans.

She wasn’t poking to see if the batter in the centre was cooked, she was seeing if it was not frozen on the centre.

6 pieces for $4.50.

We did feel a bit ripped off since we now know we could probably go to T&T and get a gab of frozen takoyaki for that price.
It tasted passable, but sucks that it wasn’t prepared the way it should be.

Bubble Waffles

There was also bubble waffles too. 1 for $3.75 or 2 for $6.50.

Near the other side of the Night Market seemed a little more Gastown-like with artist, local produce, plants, and jams on sale. There were also 3 Food Trucks there too – JJ’s Trucketeria, Holy Perogy and Ze Bite.

JJs Trucketeria

JJ Trucketeria is a Filipino themed Food Truck. I’ve always wanted to go for a visit but they are usually on Fraser and 43rd. Way too far for me to get to during lunch.

During the night market, they had salads, garlic fried rice plate, panwiches and their market bowls. Their prices are pretty good for a food truck. We really wanted to try their meaty items but we held back and decided to try the market bowl.

Market Bowl ($5) has brown rice, carrots, leeks, caramelized onions, yams, black beans, chick peas with their signature JJ sauce. It is completely vegan, so good for those people with dietary restrictions.

MedicalGiraffe and I didn’t particularly like this item since it was mostly the brown rice mixture with a bit of sauce.

Ze Bite

Ze Bite was there selling their amazing French food.

Nice Pops

Nice Pops were selling some gourmet popsicles with 4 flavours:

Rhubarb and Cardamom
Cucumber, lime and Chili
Strawberry and balsamic Vinegar
Strawberry and buttermilk

The prices are $4 each or 3 for $10.

Cucumber, lime and Chili starts off with the refreshing cucumber and lime flavours but them the spicy chili taste kicks in. MedicalGiraffe’s mouth was literally on fire. She can handle her spice, but this was definitely spicy.

Rhubarb and cardamom was very refreshing. Highly recommended.

On the day that we went, there was outdoor karaoke. Surprisingly a lot of people were fearless and stepped up on the mic. There was a variety of songs sang by people of various ethnicities.

The Chinatown Night Market is not as impressive as the Richmond Night market, so don’t go out of your way to come here. If you are in the area after dinner Downtown, you can just take a stroll over here after dinner.

Website: http://vancouverchinatownnightmarket.com/

In Downtown

Ze Bite: Savory Crepes on Wheels

June 24, 2013

Ze Bite is located on Cordova and Burrard close to Waterfront Skytrain. The truck is bright and teal, so you won’t be able to miss it.

My coworker and I came here for lunch since we needed some quick shots of food cart imagery, so we decided to grab a bite to eat too.

They sell French inspired cuisine. When we went here, the main items were baguette sandwiches and savory crepes. They also have a few items in the sides menu.

Risotto ($5) contains roasted vegetables, rice and cream.

Ze Tangerine ($10) is a savory crepe and has marinated chicken, lemon, mint, spices, hummus, grainy dijon, and mixed greens. This crepe was quite large and tasted great. It was a bit challenging eating this on the street, but with just be careful that come things don’t fall out. It’s packed with a lot of ingredients.

Overall, Ze Bite has a few limited option for lunch, but their savory crepes are mighty delicious. I found their hours to be incorrect on the Facebook page, so it’s best to check their updated hours on Twitter or the Street Food App.

We Rate Ze Bite:

Location: Cordova and Burrard

Website:
http://zebite.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=898+W+Cordova+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=898+W+Cordova+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Downtown

Fat Duck Truck: Amazing Sandwiches For Lunch

June 22, 2013

Fat Duck Truck is one of the new food trucks to hit the streets this Summer in Vancouver. What drew us to this truck was the name and it’s delectable menu. Their menu is quite simple, all items are $10 and comes with pop and chips. When I went here, they only had 4 items – Duck confit Philly Sandwich , pork belly sandwich, Beef tongue and cheek sandwich, and their creme brulee. Yummy meaty menu, but the downside is that they are cash only.

Watermelon Spritz (+$1) was what I ordered to substitute the pop. It’s nice, refreshing and I’m sure it has less sugary than pop. It tasted good.

Pork Belly Sandwich ($10) has 2 slices of super crispy pork belly, topped with avocado cucumber relish and chipotle mayo. It also comes with house made potato chips. It’s really good, thickly cut and very very crispy.

Beef tongue & cheek “bahn mi” ($10) with a hoisin and soy glaze, pickled daikon & carrots, cilantro and chili mayo. It also has the home made chips and pop. The meat was very tender and it was like a modern twist to a bahn mi sandwich.

Overall, Magz and I really enjoyed our meals. It filled us up and we even had to save some of the chips for an afternoon snack. I would definitely revisit again.

We Rate Fat Duck Mobile Truck:

Location:
Varies, but I found it near the Vancouver Main Post Office. Best to check their current location on Twitter.

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/fatducktruck

Website:
http://fatduckmobileeatery.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=600+hamilton+street+vancouver&hl=en&ll=49.280838,-123.11231&spn=0.003143,0.007639&sll=49.280236,-123.113174&sspn=0.001571,0.003819&gl=ca&hnear=600+Hamilton+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+2P1&t=m&z=17 “]

In Canadian

Richmond Night Market 2013: SaucyPops, Takoyaki, Chef James, and Mogu

May 24, 2013

The Richmond Night Market is back and is often confused with the Summer Night Market (the one by IKEA). This one is located right beside the River Rock Casino and Canada Line. There are tons of shops and food stands in the market.

There are also 1,500 parking spots in the lot and it’s free, but entrance into the market is $2 per person. Sucks, but I just tell myself that it’s worth the easy parking.

My friends and I came here to eat food at 7pm and it wasn’t too busy as we came on a long weekend. We aren’t too keen on shopping at the market but we just love the food stalls. Meat on sticks!

This year the theme is the Magical Duck Island, named after the stretch of land that the night market resides on. There’s a lot of hype around ducks this summer as Hong Kong has the duck art installation in Victoria Harbour. I’m not really sure if there is a correlation there or perhaps good timing.

There are rows upon rows of shops, but I can’t remember exactly how many stands there are. When I was younger, the usual items we would purchase would be stationary, Korean socks, and a stack of blank CDs.

The food section is much busier. It can get crowded at peak hours and you will probably fear the people walking and holding their skewers. Even though I wear glasses, I’m always afraid someone will poke my eyes out. It’s not likely to happen, but beware the crowds.

This year the sitting area is slightly larger. If you have 2 plates of food in your hands, you know you need a place to sit and actually enjoy your meal.

SaucyPops

SaucyPops sells homemade chicken wonton lollipops or as I call it jumbo fried wontons on a skewer. Their fried wontons are served with 4 signature sauces:

Wasabi Aioli – Mild sweetness with a wasabi kick
Korean Spicy Aioli – Spicy and salty
Honey Garlic Aioli – Sweet and savory
Citrus Orange Marmalade Aioli – Sweet and spicy

You can get all 4 for $4.75. It’s not a bad price and it’s a fun treat to share with others too.

I really liked the different sauces that went along with the wontons. When you bite into them, you get the crunchiness of the wonton wrapper and the great flavour from the sauces. My favorite was the Korean spicy aioli and the wasabi aioli. Clearly I like it spicy when it comes to fried food.

Takoyaki

It’s everyone’s favorite! Theres a few other stands in the night market but most of them are about the same.

For this particular stand, it’s 6 pieces for $5 and you can choose from octopus, shrimp, scallop or veggie for the center filling.

Chef James Xin Jiang Man BBQ

Chef James Xin Jiang Man BBQ is best known for his lamb skewers. There was a HUGE line for these bad boys and there were at least 10 – 15 people waiting to pay and another line waiting for the food. The lines move fast, so don’t be intimidated by the large amount of people. Just make sure you line up correctly cause it can be very confusing where the line begins.

3 skewers for $7.25
5 for $11.50
Buy 6 and get a free pop ($13.75)

They cook a bunch and then have it kept under the warm lights, so that’s how they move quickly through the long line ups.

We got a bunch of different skewers, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. They all taste good. My personal favorites was the beef and lamb.

Mogu Japanese Street Eats

Food Trucks make me excited, but what makes me even more excited is when they are at the night market. Mogu was selling their signature item – the chicken karaage. They aren’t selling their sandwiches, but thats ok since the chicken karaage is pretty darn good.

3 pieces – $4.75
5 pieces – $7.50

I liked the chicken karaage and so did my friends. Some were a bit iffy about the sauce, but the way they batter and fry the chicken was spot on.

Rotato

Rotato serves up the hurricane potatoes. The line up is always long. It seems to be the only stall that served these. We didn’t line up, but they do have this really cool illustration about what you can do with your Rotato.

You can now learn how to propose with a rotato, make a baby stop cry with a rotato and even go fishing with a rotato.

I usually go to the night market a few times a year and it’s fun for the summer. Lots of things to see and buy, but its all about the delicious food.

Address:
8351 River Rd
Richmond, BC

Website:
richmondnightmarket.com

In Downtown

Vij’s Railway Express: Indian Food On Wheels

April 30, 2013

It’s great working downtown since there is always good restaurants and food trucks around. On a nice sunny day, my coworkers and I took a little adventure to Vij’s Railway express to have a taste of their indian food on wheels. Their location is at West Georgia and Thurlow, but this location can vary.

If you’ve heard of Vij’s, they are known for their indian food.

Their menu always changes and they have some pretty cool items.

Mushroom Medley with Rice and Naan ($11.25) was a good portion for lunch. I love mushrooms, so it was a perfect dish for me. From the description, I didn’t know it was spicy. It was a tolerable spice, but it can pack a punch if you don’t like spicy food. I loved the naan, it was nice an crisp on the outside and was amazing.

Punjabi Lamb Curry with rice and naan ($12.50) was ordered by my coworker. On the way back to the office, she kinda spilled some on herself, so remember when carrying the box back to the office, keep it upright. She did enjoy it.

Overall the food was good and better than most food trucks. Do note, that you probably need to pop in a few mints before getting back to the office. One of my coworkers said she smelled like garlic for 3 days.

We Rate Vij’s Railway Express:

Location:

Varies but is usually at E Georgia and Thurlow. Double check on their Facebook or Twitter.

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/vijsrailway

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=V6E0B6&hnear=Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6E+0B6&t=m&z=16 “]

In Downtown

Street Meet Food Truck: Mushroom Soup and Risotto Balls

April 27, 2013

Street Meet Food Truck is located on Pender and Burrard. It’s quite close to Burrard Skytrain. The chefs are very focused in providing great food while being as sustainable as possible in everything they do. They try to use local ingredients in their food and have gluten-free options too.

I came here during a lunch break with my coworker to grab something back to the office. They were raving about the risotto balls and I just had to join in the fun.

Wild Mushroom Soup ($3) has local mushrooms, cream and truffle. It’s smells amazing once you open the lid. They claim it’s ‘the best mushroom soup ever’ and it’s definitely great soup but could have more mushroom chunks. I really wish they had larger portions. I could drink this all day. I am a huge mushroom fan.

Crispy Risotto Balls ($5) is stuffed with homemade Italian sausage, and basil aioli. It comes with 2 pieces and it’s a great size if you don’t want a huge meal. It’s also good to split among 2 people. The exterior is nice and crispy and the inside is oh so delicious.

Tuna Nicoise Salad ($12) has Ocean Wise seared local BC albacore tuna, organic mixed greens, pickled beans, tomatoes, olives, egg, kettle chips, potatoes and dijon vinaigrette. This salad has everything, so many ingredients. It tasted alright but I felt there was too much sauce on the salad. Perhaps I will have the sauce on the side. Other than that, it was good.

Overall, really great food and different from some of the other food trucks in town. They also sell Cannoli’s but they weren’t available on the day we came here. Must make a return visit! Their location varies, so best to follow they on twitter – @StreetMeetTruck.

We Rate Street Meet:

Website:
http://streetmeettruck.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=burrard+street+and+pender+street&hl=en&sll=49.280328,-123.11844&sspn=0.100562,0.244446&hnear=Burrard+St+%26+W+Pender+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia&t=m&z=16 “]

In Brunch

Yolks Breakfast Food Cart: OMG SO GOOD

February 27, 2013

Yolks Breakfast Food Cart is located outside of Stadium Skytrain Station on Thursday and Fridays at 8:30am. Even though it was pouring rain, I really really wanted to try this! M and I went before work to grab a quick bite before going to our offices.

If you work Downtown, it’s hard to find good breakfast in the morning. Plus, this place takes debit and credit!

Their menu! Limited choices, but there’s a reason why…….it’s all delicious.

2 Eggs and Double Everything ($8.95) with a side of Truffle-Lemon Hashbrown Skewer ($2.75).

M chose the Double smoked bacon with arugula, and real hollandaise on their daily bread. The way they poach their eggs are very soft so the yolk will squirt out if you take a bite. It’ll be messy but it’s SO GOOD!

The Truffle-Lemon hashbrown was heavenly!! The truffle and the lemon paired perfectly and the hashbrows were crunchy too!

Roasted Portobello Mushroom English Muffin ($6.95) with arugula, pepper aioli, and aged white cheddar. The creaminess of the cheese and egg went really well with the mushroom. It was messy eating it, but it tasted so good. The way I avoid all messy yolk is biting a small hole in the egg and sucking out the yolk.

M and I loved this place! One of the better breakfasts we had in a long time. If you are Downtown early enough or happen to catch them at a special event, do try their amazing food! Just watch out for those pesky yolks and grab yourselves a lot of napkins.

We Rate Yolk’s Breakfast Food Cart:

Location:
Dunsmiur x Beatty (Stadium Skytrain)
Thursday and Friday 8:30am till 1pm

Website:
http://www.yolks.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=beatty+and+dunsmuir+vancouver&hl=en&hnear=Dunsmuir+St+%26+Beatty+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Downtown

Mogu Japanese Street Eats: Japanese Inspired Sandwiches

November 13, 2012

Mogu Japanese Street Eat is one of the new food trucks that debuted in Vancouver. They are on the corner of Howe and Dunamuir and sells Japanese inspired burgers.

I came with @smoovegroove to grab lunch and see how their sandwiches were.

They feature 3 different sandwiches with an option to order chicken karaage or drinks.

I ordered the Sandwich combo ($12) that comes with your choice of sandwich, a mini sweet and spicy chicken karaage and choice of drink.

The green tea was non-sweetened and straight up green tea. I loved it.

Mini Sweet and Spicy Chicken Karaage (唐揚げ甘辛ソースがけ) is marinated deep-fried chicken in a house made sweet chili sauce. It was so good! The chicken was so moist that the juice squirted out when I bit into it. Really good!!

Pork Miso Katsu Sandwich (味噌カツサンド) has breaded deep-fried pork cutlet, red miso sauce, and Asian hot mustard coleslaw on a soft bun. The katsu was very large, so it sticks out of the bun. I wasn’t a fan of the miso cause since it was a bit salty and sweet. The katsu was also dry.

Overall, the green tea and the chicken karaage was awesome but the sandwiches would use a little bit of work. I will definitely come back for some more karaage!

We Rate Mogu Japanese Street Eats:

Location:
610 Howe street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.eatmogu.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=610+Howe+street+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=610+Howe+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6Z+2H7&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Downtown

Feastro the Rolling Bistro: Rolling Around Downtown Vancouver

October 23, 2012

Feastro the Rolling Bistro has rolled its way over to the Art Gallery. They serve up local fresh seafood with their menu items. I was excited about this place since I heard much about it when they were near the Convention Centre.

Everything looked good, so I really have no idea what to choose. The fish and chips seemed good, so I ordered that.

I also splattered some vinegar onto my fish before digging in.

Fish and Chips ($13) has Red Snapper coated in a light panko breading, served with fresh-cut fries,our tangy red wine vinaigrette coleslaw and truck made tartar sauce. You definitely get a lot of food for the price. The taste of the snapper was ok, but nothing too impressive.

On the bottom, you have fries that are really awesome and crunchy! Then the coleslaw was OK too.

Overall, I found the items on the menu to be a bit pricey compared to other food carts that are around. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, except for their super crunchy crispy fries.

We Rate Feastro the Rolling Bistro:

Location:
Howe St x Robson near Art Gallery

Website:
http://www.feastro.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.com/maps?q=Vancouver+Art+Gallery,+Hornby+Street,+Vancouver,+BC,+Canada&hl=en&ll=49.282067,-123.119107&spn=0.002289,0.005552&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.284089,90.966797&oq=art+gallery+&hq=Vancouver+Art+Gallery,+Hornby+Street,+Vancouver,+BC,+Canada&t=m&z=18 “]

In Food Tour

The Juice Truck: Juice On the Go

October 21, 2012

The Juice Truck is located in Gastown and serves up delicious cups of juices, smoothies and other drinks. M and I were passing by and decided to have a post-lunch snack.

The juices are quite expensive, but are very filling. I was quite surprised I couldn’t finish it all.

The Almost Chocolate has a banana blended with medjool dates, almond butter, raw cacao, raw maca & soy milk. M liked the combination of the chocolate and bananas!

The Avocado Pineapple ($7) has avocado blended with pineapple, coconut water, lime, vanilla & agave. It was a good combination of ingredients! Healthy too. My only complaint is that it wasn’t cold enough.

Overall, the flavour combinations are pretty cool. The drink will really fill you up for lunch, so you don’t need to worry too much about getting hungry after.

We Rate The Juice Truck:

Address:
200 Abbott Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.thejuicetruck.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=200+Abbott+Street+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=200+Abbott+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6B+2K8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Downtown

Finest At Sea: Food Cart in Downtown Vancouver

October 11, 2012

Finest At Sea is a provider of 100% wild seafood caught off the West Coast of BC by their own fishermen. They even have their own food cart on Robson Street by the Art Gallery. I came here for lunch with @GoodEat and @EatingWithKirby as we had a craving for some food carts before they close for the Winter.

Their menu is all under $10!

Roasted Halibut Bisque ($5) is homemade soup served with aioli and croutons. I liked the soup, it had a good depth of flavour and there were large chunks of halibut.

Local Albacore Tuna Steak ($8.50) has flash seared fillet with marinated seaweed, wasabi mayo, and micro greens.

Local Albacore Tuna ‘Japanese Style’ Wrap ($5.50) has seaweed seeds, green onions, organic greens, and housemade Indian Lime Pickle Yogurt. The wrap tasted ok, but nothing too special.

Overall, the prices of Finest At Sea Food Cart are very reasonable and cheaper compared to other food carts in the area. The food here is average

We Rate Finest At Sea:

Location:
Robson Street & Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
www.finestatsea.com

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Robson+Street+%26+Hornby+Street&hnear=Robson+St+%26+Hornby+St,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Sheung Wan

Fat Boy Fruits: Fresh Juice From Street Vendors in Hong Kong

September 9, 2012

We were walking along the street markets and we all got very thirsty because the weather was about 35 degrees. There were even warnings about how hot it was outside.

On the corner of Wing Kut Street, there is a man who sells juice. The juice is made fresh right in front of you, so there are no preservatives or an other ingredients. Pure 100% juice!

He offers a wide variety of juices and you can even request your own combination. You may even want to try juices that aren’t available in North America. A small drink is $7 HKD, large is $12 HKD and extra Large is $17 HKD. Very cheap and affordable.

There were lots of people ordering especially business men that were passing by. He wait wasn’t too long as he works really fast to make the juice.

Depending on the item you order, it can be made from a juice extractor…

or if its a orange..it will be from a juicer.

You can also purchase fruit as well if you don’t want juice.

Pineapple Pear Lemon (Large-$12) and it was so good. It was a surprising combination of flavours. Unfortunately, since he doesn’t use ice, the drink isn’t cold enough. Nonetheless, the flavours were great.

You can continue doing a bit of more shopping after you get your drink! There are other places all around Hong Kong that sell juice on the street. I don’t think this particular stand is famous or anything, but it has a convenient location in the business district in Hong Kong.

Words of Wisdom:

There is an english menu
Use cash
Short lines

We Rate Fat Boy Fruits:

Address:
153 Queen’s Road
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

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In Downtown

Guanaco Truck: Guanacombo Dining Package Review

August 27, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: VANEATS.ca approached me to try out their “Guanacombo Dining Package” and write a review about it. I got a complementary dining package for myself and I tried to keep the review as unbiased as I could.

Guanaco Truck and VANEATS.ca have teamed up to create the “Guanacombo” Dining Package for only $9. I came downtown with Alvin to check this deal out. I’ve never been to Guanaco Truck, so I was pretty excited. Guanaco Truck serves authentic Salvadoran food.

Their truck explains their name and how to pronounce it. It’s good to note how to pronounce the name because I told people I was going to the Guantanamo Truck. I know, I am horrible and I was embarassed! Remember, it’s [gwah-nah-koh].

The Guanacombo Dining package comes with Pasteles, Yuca Fritas, Pupusas, Bebidas, and Curtido. It makes for a very filling lunch!

The line ups around noon were ok, but it did take a bit of time for the food to be ready. Everything is freshly made, so I am willing to wait a bit longer.

Bebidas is Spanish for drink. You can choose from

Horchata: beverage made of morro seeds, ground cocoa, cinnamon, sesame seeds, nutmeg, tigernuts and vanilla
Tarmarindo: chilled beverage made from the tropical tamarind fruit
Cebada: chilled beverage made from flavoured barley, coloured with crushed seeds

I chose the Horchata and it was ok, but at the end all the seeds settled to the bottom and created a bit of a paste. You may want to stir it up once in a while.

Time to dig in to the other items of this meal. The Yuca Fritas are made of deep-fried cassava root. They are really crunchy and taste nothing like regular fries. Definitely something to try.

Pasteles are deep-fried corn pocket stuffed with beef, cheese, and vegetables. I really liked it! Yummy flavours and it goes well with the sauce that accompanies this meal.

The pupausas come in 4 different flavours:

Revueltas, seasoned pork with vegetables, cheese and savoury refried black beans
Queso Y Frijoles, savoury refried black beans, and a mixture of fresh and aged cheeses
Ayote, savoury refried black beans, cheese and zucchini
Pollo, seasoned chicken with vegetables, cheese and savoury refried black beans

I chose the Pollo Pupausas since I really love chicken. The chicken was well seasoned and pairs nicely with the ooey gooey cheese.

Fresh Tomato Sauce comes with the meal and it’s great to dip the pasteles and pupusas into it.

Curtido is pickled slaw. It was alright, but nothing too amazing.

I personally enjoyed this meal since I don’t often eat food like this. It’s great exploring different types of cuisines. The downside is that some items are a bit oily. My favorite items were the pasteles and pupusas.

The menu is a tad confusing, but don’t worry, most people struggle with pronouncing the menu items.

You save about $4 with buying the Guanacombo dining package from VANEATS.ca. The package is available now on their site. If you are looking for something different for lunch, give Guanaco Truck a try.

Words of Wisdom:

Under $10
Pasteles and pupusas taste awesome
Lines can get a bit long around 1pm

We Rate Guanaco Truck:

Address:
Seymour St & Robson St (Outside H Mart)
Vancouver, BC

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/guanacotruck/

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In Food for Thought

32cm Twist Ice Cream Cone in Myeong-Dong, Seoul

August 10, 2012

Wandering around Myeong-Dong in the middle of a monsoon was not a smart idea, you get really soaked from the rain even if you have an umbrella. It’s a great area to find face masks, dirt cheap jewelry and awesome food. In the middle of Myeong-Dong, there is an area with a small ice cream stand under the Matching Mole pub. They have a tall 32 cm ice cream for 2,000 won ($2 CDN).

I passed by it with Kirsty and I had to go back later in the evening to have a snack.

Chocolate and Strawberry Twist Cone was definitely cool! It wasn’t too sweet and the flavours blended well together. What sucked about it was that the cone was kinda stale. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it because I’ve never had anything like it!

Overall, if I was to get a 32cm ice cream cone, I would still do it even if the cone is stale. I get excited by new things too easily. There are various locations in Seoul where you can find this. The price can also differ too.

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In Downtown

Holy Perogy: Perogy on Wheels in Downtown Vancouver

July 11, 2012

Holy Perogy is a new Food Truck that has hit the streets of Downtown Vancouver. They sells perogies of course. Since Jen and I were going on a little Vancouver food cart adventure, we decided to stop at Holy Perogy since it was new and different that some of the other food trucks out there. Holy Perogy is located outside the library.

Their truck has a cute perogy mascot too. Sometimes I wonder if they have a name. hehe.

Their menu is quite small, but has enough flavours to entice your taste buds.

Smoked Salmon Perogies ($10) contain bits of smoked salmon, cream cheese and potato filling. It’s topped with cream cheese and fried onions. The topping was supposed to have capers, but it wasn’t on there for some reason.

It tasted alright, but the salmon flavour needs to stand out a bit more. Perhaps even have bits of smoked salmon as a topping? It was a pretty expensive box of perogies compared to what you could buy at the grocery store said Jen. The quality was ok as some of them were falling apart. Perhaps we went on an off day.

Overall, it was a good experience, but kinda disappointing. Nonetheless, you do get a good amount of perogies to get full for lunchtime. With the variety of different food trucks in Vancouver, you might as well try it once.

Words of Wisdom:

A bit expensive for perogies
Easy to share
Good for perogy lovers

We Rate Holy Perogy:

Address:
700 Homer Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.holyperogy.com/

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In Dessert

Wafels and Dinges: Throwdown Wafel by Bobby Flay in New York

June 26, 2012

Wafels and Dinges has been featured on Eat St. and even Throwdown with Bobby Flay. I was at Columbus Square and this cart caught my eye. I saw them a few months ago being featured on Food Network and I just had to see what all the buzz is about. They have won several awards and were well publicized by various publications in New York.

If you were wondering what dinges are…don’t get it confused with dingus. Dinges = toppings.

You can watch the video below from the episode from Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

Looking at the menu, it makes for a nice snack and it’s all under $10. The line wasn’t too long and the staff at the cart were friendly.

de throwdown wafel ($6) was the wafel that beat Bobby Flay. It’s crunch on the outside and light on the inside. The wafel is topped with spekuloos spread and then a load of whipped cream. Spekuloos is like a spread that tastes like gingerbread cookies. It’s simple , but I did have to use a fork and knife to eat it. There was way too much whipped cream to eat it with my hands. I didn’t want to get any on my face or my clothes.

Overall, it was a great experience and I can see why they have won so many awards. Definitely check it out when you’re in New York.

We Rate Wafels and Dinges:

Location:
Outside the Time Warner Centre
Website:
http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/

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In Downtown

Pig on the Street: Bacon, Bacon, Bacon

May 15, 2012

Word on the Street is that Pig on The Street is finally open! Pig on the Street is one of the newest food trucks opening this Summer in Downtown Vancouver. They are located at the library new Mom’s Grilled Truck and Tacofino.

Instead of the usual truck-style, they have converted and old Volkswagon into a kitchen. It seems a bit crazy, but it seems to be working. Pig on the Street sells wraps with BACON..and pastries with BACON. I came here with StarbucksAddict for lunch to check out this food truck.

As you wait for your order, you are given a little wooden piggy with a pig-related pun. In this case, we got “Ham Solo” that references Han Solo from StarWars. Super creative and better than a boring number system.

Since it was a sunny bright day, we decided to eat our lunch outside on the steps of the Art Gallery. Everyone else was doing it, so it doesn’t seem too weird at all.

Cheddar and bacon twisty bread ($2) was pretty awesome. Theres a strip of bacon hidden inside. The ratio between the bread, cheddar and bacon was perfect! So addictive!

Southern Piggy ($8.95) has double smoked bacon, bourbon BBQ sauce, grilled peppers, corn, cheddar, chipotle mayo and greens.

Piggy Blues ($8.95) has double smoked bacon, grilled mushrooms, creamy blue cheese, caramelized onion mayo, greens.

The bacon was nice and thick and meshed really well with the mushrooms and blue cheese. I usually dislike blue cheese, but it wasn’t too pungent. If you are a bacon lover, you’ll definitely love these sandwiches.

Pig on the Street does face a bit of competition with other food trucks like Tacofino and Mom’s Grilled Cheese. Since there is such a large concentration of businesses around, I don’t think it would hurt their business at all. When I walked into the area, I just loved how there are so many options to choose from. You can come down with your coworkers and not be limited to just one truck.

Overall, I really enjoyed Pig on the Street! The food wasn’t too greasy and the ingredients really shine through. Plus, bacon is awesome. For the vegetarians, they do have meatless wraps too. Even though they have a small truck, they pack some serious flavour in the food! Don’t let their small size fool you!

Words of Wisdom:

Popular items can sell out super fast, so get here early
Under $10
Not too long of a wait
BACON!

We Rate Pig on the Street:

Location:
Howe and Robson (near Art Gallery)

Website:
http://www.pigonthestreet.com/

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In Food Carts

The Juice Truck + Beta 5: Hot Chocolate Festival

January 26, 2012

The Juice Truck is participating in the Hot Chocolate Festival thats happening till February 14th, 2012. They have teamed up with Beta 5 chocolates to make some amazing creations. All proceeds raised goes towards food services programs of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre in Vancouver.

Even though Juice Truck is known for their juice, the hot chocolate is out of this world.

Flo and I went to the Street Food City thats part of Dine Out Vancouver and saw they had this available! We were getting cold outside and it seemed like something delicious to drink.

The Hot Chocolate ($5.50) has 63% dark Beta5 Chocolate stick stirred into hot almond milk, served with smoked sugar marshmallow. I love how interactive this drink is! You stir for about 2 minutes, but it is totally worth the wait. Perfect consistency and really smooth. Definitely recommended!

They have other flavours too listed below for the duration of the festival:

“JAPAN” – Matcha and White Chocolate Stick stirred into hot water.
Served with: Yuzu Marshmallow
Available January 14 – January 20
“INDIA” – 45% Milk Chocolate stirred into almond milk
Served with: Chai-spiced Marshmallow
Available: January 21 – January 27
“MEXICO” – 72% Dark Chocolate Stick stirred into rice milk.
Served with: Cinnamon-Vanilla Marshmallow
Available: January 28 – February 3
“CANADA” – 63% Dark Chocolate Stick stirred into hot milk.
Served with: Smoked Sugar Marshmallow
Available: February 4 – February 14

Overall, good quality hot chocolate. As I said before, I generally hate hot chocolate but this is an exception. It is still a tad expensive for just a drink, but the money goes towards a good cause.

Location:
200 Abbott Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.thejuicetruck.ca/

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