The Fresh, Local, Wild food cart, of Chef Josh Wolfe, at the corner of Burrard and Hastings in downtown Vancouver on June 8th, 2011. A new wave of food carts accross the downtown has raised the bar for street food in the city. Pictured is Wolfe's take out "surf and turf."
Simon Hayter for The Globe and Mail
FAST FOOD
Vancouver vendors serve up food à la cart
ALEXANDRA GILL
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Published
Last updated
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La Brasserie Street's food cart with their signature beer-brined rotisserie chicken on a buttermilk bun, topped with crispy onions, at the corner of Granville and Georgia streets in downtown Vancouver on June 8th, 2011.
In downtown Vancouver, the streets are alive with the sounds of sizzling beef, hissing fried onions, crab legs cracking and the whir of mangos being pulverized in juicers.
It’s strange to think that, a year ago, the only street food you could get in Vancouver were hot dogs and pretzels. Now we have Vietnamese subs, chicken-fried oysters, lamb souvlaki, barbecue brisket, beer-brined rotisserie chicken and not just one, but four kinds of Korean tacos.
The pilot program that launched last June to diversify our street food has flourished like wild yeast in a warm bakery. It hasn’t been a perfect process. The City of Vancouver has come under heavy criticism from all sides.
First, it was damned for the random nature of last year’s freewheeling lottery selection of 17 new vendors. Then it got slammed for micromanaging the next batch of licenses through a two-step screening process in which the applicants were evaluated by a selection panel of chefs, restaurant owners and various foodies according to, among other criteria, how much organic, fair trade, local and nutritious ingredients they were proposing to put on their menus.
In April, 19 new licenses were granted, 13 of which have already been permitted. The turnaround is much faster than it was last year, when many of the inexperienced lottery winners were caught completely unprepared.
But is this new crop of food carts really more ambitious, nutritious, delicious and diverse than the original 17? It’s probably too soon to say, but it’s never too early to eat. We’ve sampled the fare at 10 new vendors (which include permit conversions, ownership partnerships and sublets) and selected our top three picks.
Let us know what you’ve tried and what you think.
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GOLD: Fresh Local Wild
Chicken fried oysters, albacore tuna melts, seafood poutine
Burrard Street and West Hastings Street: Mon.-Fri.; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Fresh, Local, Wild food cart, of Chef Josh Wolfe, at the corner of Burrard and Hastings in downtown Vancouver on June 8th, 2011. A new wave of food carts accross the downtown has raised the bar for street food in the city. Pictured is Wolfe's take out "surf and turf."— Simon Hayter for The Globe and Mail
It’s a food cart. It’s a single-table restaurant. It’s a mobile campsite.
Chef Josh Wolfe is back with a crazy new cart after splitting with his business partner from last year (who now operates the old Fresh Local Wild on Granville Street as The Kaboom Box).
Launched this week, the shiny, stainless-steel trailer is a self-sufficient, nearly carbon-neutral eco-warrior that runs off used vegetable oil from its very own deep fryer. The new cart is also destined to become the most sought-after patio in town. It boasts a four-seat chef’s table on an elevated back deck, enclosed by a wooden railing. The private table is available by reservation during the day for the regular food-truck menu or for more elaborate tasting dinners at night, either downtown or in remote locations.
As the name suggests, the food here celebrates the seasonal, sustainable bounty of British Columbia. The fish and chips use tempura-battered sockeye. French fries are slathered in chunky bacon and seafood gravy. Line-caught albacore tuna is crusted in coriander and fennel seeds, barely seared and grilled with smoked cheddar between thick-sliced multigrain bread. Chicken fried oysters are soaked overnight in buttermilk and chili.
This is fantastic, full-bodied comfort food. And in our humble opinion, Fresh Local Wild is the most ambitious, nutritious and delicious food cart on the streets of Vancouver today.
Wholesome factor: Even the napkins are made from recycled materials.
Value: Dishes range from $7 to $12. The 20/20 lunch gives you the covered patio table for 20 minutes with any main, side and drink.
Service: A flap-up door connects the kitchen to the patio, allowing the larger-than-life Mr. Wolfe to plate sandwiches, serve the table, reassure waiting customers that their takeout order is almost ready and compliment passing pedestrians on their Canucks jerseys – all at the same time.
Takeaway thought: Fresh Local Wild didn’t pass the city’s screening process. Mr. Wolfe, who says he didn’t submit a proper business plan, sublets this space.
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SILVER: Feastro the Rolling Bistro
Seafood taco truck
Thurlow Street and West Cordova Street: Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Diners enjoy some of the bright seafood dishes by Feastro the Rolling Bistro at the corner of West Cordova and Thurlow in downtown Vancouver on June 8th, 2011.— Simon Hayter for The Globe and Mail
It’s difficult to choose from the expansive menu at this big, purple truck, which has moved down from the Sunshine Coast. Will it be halibut tacos, giant crab-and-shrimp cakes with truck-smoked tomato cocktail sauce or silky scallop ceviche cured in local Victoria Gin? The main seafood dishes are beautifully plated around ravishing green salads festooned with blood orange segments, ground cherries, artichokes, olives and pickled beets.
Wholesome factor: The bounty of the Pacific, organic produce from the Sunshine Coast and daily fresh-squeezed juices.
Value: One of the more expensive carts, with dishes ranging from $7 to $13, but generously portioned.
Service: Time to invest in proper takeout containers. Flimsy paper plates covered in tinfoil are awkward to carry.
Takeaway thought: This will really impress tourists.
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BRONZE: La Brasserie Street
The Brass Chicken Sandwich
Granville and West Georgia: Mon.–Sun., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
La Brasserie Street'st signature beer-brined rotisserie chicken on a buttermilk bun, topped with crispy onions, at the corner of Granville and Georgia streets in downtown Vancouver on June 8th, 2011.— Simon Hayter for The Globe and Mail
The street-side outlet of La Brasserie Franco-German restaurant makes one dish only, and makes it exceptionally well: beer-brined rotisserie chicken in a light, rosemary-infused gravy on a buttermilk bun topped with crispy onions and grainy mustard. The crumbly butter tarts come from Tartine bakery.
Wholesome factor: Who cares. This is the best chicken sandwich ever.
Value: A steal at $6.25
Service: Laid back with customers yet meticulous about layering the sandwich just so.
Takeaway thought: One just isn’t enough.
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The Coma Food truck serves up a fusion of Korean/Mexican/American food on the streets of downtown Vancouver on June 9th, 2011. Owner/chef Jay Cho studied the food truck scene in LA before setting up in Vancouver two months ago.— Simon Hayter for The Globe and Mail
Bada Bing
Philly cheesesteak, rice box and poutine
Robson Street and Thurlow Street: Tues.–Fri., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., noon to 10 p.m.
A decent rendition of the gooey shaved-beef American classic. Blandly seasoned yellow rice is topped with the same mix of caramelized onions, green peppers and mushrooms. Poutine is an undercooked salt bomb.
Wholesome factor: Halal free-range beef and (extremely tasty) chicken.
Value: Sandwiches (chicken $5.99, steak $6.99) are somewhat skimpy.
Service: Disorganized and excruciatingly slow.
Takeaway thought: I waited 15 minutes in the pouring rain for this?
Coma Food Truck
Korean-Mexican fusion
Mobile vendor: Check www.comafoodtruck.com for location and hours.
Spicy kimchi quesadillas are an addictive high-carb splurge; greasy, deep-fried seaweed rolls stuffed with sweet-potato noodles must be an acquired taste.
Wholesome factor: “Healthy” bibimbap rice bowls and takeout containers made from recycled materials.
Value: Can’t complain about entrée-sized dishes for $5 to $7.
Service: Vendor-chef is a friendly guy.
Takeaway thought: Yet another Kogi BBQ truck knockoff.
Slingers
Parmigiana sandwiches and noodles
Mobile vendor: Check www.slingers.ca for location and hours
Why would anyone want to ruin a perfectly good veal cutlet by plunging it in a deep fryer? This is not the Italian way. Soft, squishy mangiacake buns masquerading as Calabrese add insult to injury.
Wholesome factor: Homemade tomato sauce that is very simple and very good.
Value: $7.99 for veal or chicken; $6.99 for eggplant.
Service: Not always parked where it’s supposed to be.
Takeaway thought: New Yorkers would be horrified.
Ursu Korean BBQ Taco
Korean tacos, quesadillas and steak dogs
West Georgia Street and Richards Street: Mon.–Fri., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
If it weren’t for bottled sriracha sauce, the beef bulgogi, buldak chicken and plain tofu fillings would be incredibly bland. Of the four Korean-fusion carts now parked on Vancouver’s streets, this is the weakest.
Wholesome factor: Uh, the sweet little old lady fry cook? Not sure how iceberg lettuce and pre-shredded cheese passed the nutritional evaluation.
Value: A $2.99 taco won’t break the bank, but it won’t fill you up either.
Service: Impressive food-safe practices. Server doesn’t lay a finger on a plate without protective gloves.
Takeaway thought: Where’s the kimchi?
Re-up BBQ 2
Beef brisket sandwiches and sweet Southern tea
Robson Street and Howe Street: Mon.-Sat., 12 to 3 p.m.
Succulent, fall-apart slices of slow-smoked beef smothered in a dark and spicy espresso sauce that is unfortunately jolted with too much acidity.
Wholesome factor: Local pasture-raised beef finished on barley and alfalfa. No corn syrup in the sauce.
Value: A massive pile of meat for $9.
Service: Hyper joviality slightly annoying.
Takeaway thought: If they can tame the tang, this brisket will run rings around its sister cart’s pulled pork, which can sometimes be soupy.
Nu Greek Street
Souvlaki, dips and salad
Granville Street and West Georgia Street: Mon.-Sun., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Pillowy pita bread – hot off the grill, brushed with butter and sprinkled with salt – makes for a dreamy skewered-meat wrap. Go for the robust lamb, folded with onion, tomato and thick, creamy tzatziki.
Wholesome factor: It’s all house-made, even the pita.
Value: $6.50 for souvlaki (chicken, lamb and vegetable). Greek salad, $4, is an extremely generous portion with lots of briny black olives.
Service: A bit slow.
Takeaway thought: Worth the garlic breath.
Bun Me Baguette
Bahn mi
Robson Street and Hornby Street: Tues.-Sun., 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The lemongrass chicken and tofu in these verdant Vietnamese subs is intoxicatingly fragrant. Fresh French loaves are toasted to order, smeared with whole-egg mayonnaise and stuffed with cilantro, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrots.
Wholesome factor: Besides being chock-full of vegetables, the crispy tofu will likely turn diehard carnivores into mock meat fans.
Value: Only $4.25. The best food-cart deal in town.
Service: Charmingly solicitous.
Takeaway thought: Shame they don’t also serve a traditional ham and paté combo.
