Vancouver World’s Best Food Truck Tour
By Tara Stoker
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| maps.com |
It’s 11:30am in downtown Vancouver
when all of a sudden the Canadian air changes. The scent of cedar from the
nearby forest is overtaken by a whiff of freshly cooked naan, fish tacos and
grilled cheese on the breeze. I’m pleased I’d exercised self-control on my
flight from Toronto, and not eaten the rubber-egg sandwich. Instead, I rushed
to my hotel and hastily donned walking shoes and a roomy dress; eager to join
the ‘World’s Best Food Truck Tour.’
My first thought on booking this
two-hour expedition was, ‘What could possibly warrant an entire tour of food
trucks?’
Plenty!
The food scene in Canada’s bustling
Pacific seaport city is dynamic, diverse and creative. Each day a barrage of
trucks (there are over 100 with permits) serves up a diverse and delicious
culinary cabaret of food.
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| Photos: Tara Stoker |
Vancouver Foodie Tours selects the crème-de-la-crème
for their two-hour foray. They’re run by an authentic group of prideful
Vancourverites who relish “food tasting and educational excursions.” Given a 5
out of 5 rating on Trip Advisor and noted as a Canadian Signature Experience
by the Canadian Tourism Commission, I was looking forward to an enlightening
food-foraging adventure.
We rendezvoused at the Japadog
stand located at Burrard and Smithe Streets, and met our guide Lisa, who was
knowledgeable about the foodie scene as well as the history and points of
interest in Vancouver. A dozen strangers stood in a circle as we confessed our
favorite fare and desires to seek out some of the best food truck cuisine in
Vancouver, and meet some of the interesting locals who run them.
Food trucks are relatively
new to Vancouver, ranking behind only Portland and Austin in North America,
Lisa explained. The movement started in 2008 when City Councilmember Heather Deal decided
Vancouver could do better than the meagre allowance of hot dog, popcorn and roasted
chestnuts street vendors. They offered 17 permits for food trucks and 800
enthusiastic wannabes applied. Each prospective food truck owner had to go
before a panel of food experts with their menu plan, how it would contribute to
the diversity of food offered, and present samples for the judges.
Japadog – the hotdog with a Japanese
twist – is one such successful applicant, and one of the most popular trucks in
the West End. Lines run up to a half a block long, so arriving when it opens is
best. We tried the spectacular signature
Kurobuta Terimayo dog, made from the best Berkshire pork imported from England
and topped with fried onion, teriyaki sauce, Japanese wasabi mayo and crispy
seaweed – which gives it a surprisingly tasty crunch. After dividing the huge servings
amongst the group, there was one-half of a dog left over. I gleefully jumped in
and volunteered to consume it, since I was the best prepared in my expandable
dress.
On our journey to the next truck
Lisa pointed out interesting historical sites and places of interest. As we
approached Howe Street, I inhaled a familiar aroma coming from Mom’s Grilled
Cheese Truck. Thick-crusted grilled sourdough bread and aromatic cheddar cheese
were a delightful accompaniment to a tasty dill pickle, all ensconced in a checkered
paper cone. We enjoyed a small mug of tomato soup and a refreshing cup of
ginger-mint lemonade as Lisa explained that Mom, Cindy Hamilton, was an
experienced caterer for the film industry, spoke four languages and had decided
she wanted to spend more time with her daughter. Thus, her food truck began.
Meanwhile, I had somehow envisioned
the acidity in the tomato soup and lemonade might help dissolve the plethora of
food entering my body. Or the few blocks between trucks might wear off the
substantive calories consumed. This was not to be. Gaston, the local food truck
bulldog moocher, waddled by and suddenly I realized we looked rather similar at
this point. But I was not one to surrender. I loosened my buttons, and moved
on.
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| maps.com |
Down Howe and right on West
Georgia Street we came upon the Soho Road Naan Kebab truck. Through the back
window we could watch chef and owner Sarb Mund make fresh naan bread in his traditional
Indian tandoori oven. He kneaded the dough, then tossed it in the oven with
movements similar to a whirling dervish, managing to stretch it around the
sides of the inner oven to create the perfect thickness of naan. Within minutes
he dished out naan filled with butter chicken and secret spices, much to the
delight of our group. Originally from Birmingham, UK, Sarb explained his
passion was for sharing the wonderful smells and tastes he experienced as a
child there.
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| Mom's Grilled Cheese Truck |
The World’s Best Food Truck Tour
is a wonderful way to get entrenched in the local cultures and cuisines. Proud
Vancouverites not only have the opportunity to share delicious food via their
culinary traditions, but to share their background and heritage with passersby:
real people with real life stories as to how their trucks and food came to be. As
for me, it was an introduction to the authentic Vancouver life, and a wee taste
of living like a local.
Vancouver Foodie Tours
(604)295-8844
