Vancouver’s Best Curbside Cuisine

Yes, Vancouver is Hollywood-gorgeous – a postcard-perfect setting of snow-capped mountains and emerald forests overlaid with a scrim of misty ocean blue – but it’s also delicious, thanks in no small part to the city’s renascent foodie truck craze.

For decades, city restrictions prohibited the sale of anything other than hot dogs and roasted chestnuts sold as sustenance on Vancouver’s streets.

Then, in 2010, after years of lunching on popcorn and ice cream bars, the city council expanded the options for food permits with a focus on nutritious food that represents the cultural diversity of Vancouver while also providing affordable food options for low-income communities.

Three years later, Vancouver has more 130 diverse food trucks and carts and a burgeoning reputation as one of North America’s best street food cities. One of the tastiest ways to chew your way through the city’s best curbside cuisine is with Vancouver Foodie Tours. Founder Michelle Ng says, “Food rules my world” and Ng is determined to show visitors some of Vancouver’s best lunchtime munchies.

The crispy tempura-battered lingcod is sprinkled with shredded cabbage, drizzled with chipotle mayo, and dotted with salsa fresca. © MRNY

Tacofino: It’s quite possible that there is no better way (or place) to spend $5 than on the fish taco at this Baja-inspired taco truck. The crispy tempura-battered lingcod is sprinkled with shredded cabbage, drizzled with chipotle mayo, and dotted with salsa fresca, all served on a flour tortilla with a wedge of lime.  One bite and you’re transported to a beach in Baja.

Tacofino prides itself on “fast slow food” that is made from scratch and attentive to the environment and nutrition. The success of Tacofino‘s bright orange and blue trucks, which include the Original Tofino Truck, the Orange Taco Truck, and the Blue Burrito Truck, has engendered a restaurant called Tacofino Commissary.

As if that first fish taco weren’t enough (and it’s likely that you’ll throw down another fiver for a second one), there’s also Tacofino‘s chocolate-diablo cookie, a spicy fudge confection made with fresh ginger and chili, milk chocolate chunks, and salty sprinkles. The heat lingers on your palate, keeping Tacofino in your mind.

Owner Sarb Mund was once an accountant – and what is accounting’s loss is gastronomy’s gain. © MRNY

Soho Road Naan Kebab:  There’s only one food truck in Vancouver with built-in tandoor ovens – and that would be the little black cart parked at the corner of Granville and Georgia, which just happens to be the top-ranked street food cart in Vancouver by Canada’s Top Chef, Dale McKay.

Owner Sarb Mund was once an accountant – and what is accounting’s loss is gastronomy’s gain. As Mund admits, the naan is the “rock star” at Soho Road Naan Kebab. Fluffy, hot, and chewy, the freshly-baked Indian bread is served with chicken smothered in a butter chicken sauce and drizzled with tamarind chutney.

No matter how you eat it, you’re going to enjoy it – along with the gregarious and soulful Mr. Mund (who is also something of a heartthrob for numerous locals).

The Kaboom Box serves only seafood from Ocean Wise, a conservation program initiated by Vancouver Aquarium. © MRNY

The Kaboom Box: There’s something definitively Vancouver about The Kaboom Box‘s signature “salmwich,” which is called “The World Famous Hot Smoked Salmon.” Served on a toasted whole wheat bun with spicy mayo and homemade maple-mustard cole slaw, the deliciously silken salmon is smoked fresh inside The Kaboom Box daily.

The Kaboom Box serves only seafood from Ocean Wise, a conservation program initiated by Vancouver Aquarium, which seeks to educate consumers about sustainable seafood. As well, The Kaboom Box owner Andrew Fielding uses sustainably-produced meat and locally-sourced, organic vegetables.

For those with an oyster addiction, there’s also The Kaboom Box‘s “Oyster Po’Boy,” which might make a few New Orleans’ natives think they’re back home in the Crescent City.

Open since 2005, Japadog originated in Vancouver with a newly-emigrated, newlywed couple from Japan. © Japadog

Japadog: Vancouver’s most popular food cart is famous for its Japanese-style hot dogs. Open since 2005, Japadog originated in Vancouver with a newly-emigrated, newlywed couple from Japan who pursued their dream of opening a world-famous food stand, which has become, in the ensuing years, a celebrity and critical favorite.

Now with six locations, including one on St. Marks Place in Manhattan, Japadog offers no less than 20 variations on 8 different types of dogs, which include edamame and veggie versions. Toppings run the gamut from teriyaki, mayo, nori, daikon, bonito, miso, cabbage, plum sauce, noodles, and tonkatsu to just about every other condiment or sauce you associate with Japanese cuisine.

Japadog also features “shaked fries,” with teriyaki, shoyu, roasted garlic, wasabi or shiso.  In short, Japadog offers the best of two worlds.

© Mom’s Grilled Cheese

Mom’s Grilled Cheese:  After you graze your way through the food carts around Robson Square in downtown Vancouver, you might need a little digestive aid.

In that case, there’s nothing better than the homemade Ginger Tea from Mom’s Grilled Cheese Truck. Fresh ginger tea is sweetened with a touch of demerara (natural brown) sugar.  In the summer, there’s a decidedly delicious and refreshing homemade ginger mint lemonade with stalks of fresh mint and wedges of lemon and a serious ginger kick.

One circle around the block with Mom’s Ginger Mint Lemonade – and you’ll be ready for round two with Vancouver’s food carts.