Food Truck Fest 2014

The third annual Food Cart Fest is on now in Vancouver, and there’s even more to eat, with five new food trucks this year. Try a pulled pork wrap from Blue Smoke BBQ, a wood-fired pizza from Community Pizzeria, a wood-fired sandwich from Via Tevere, cold brew coffee from Stumptown by Luke’s General Store, and froyo and waffles from the Sweet Ride.

Scoping out five new trucks won’t take all summer though, so we’ve put together a couple of itineraries for you. For the adventurous, try our exotic itinerary with bold, experimental flavours. For those who like the tried and true, try our traditional itinerary with dishes that mom used to make (but not by generator).

Exotic

One loop around Sunday’s Food Cart Fest and you’ll get a taste (or umpteen mouthfuls) of Vancouver’s cultural diversity. Vij’s Railway Express, the legacy-on-wheels of Vij’s Restaurants, serves up a perfectly portioned Chickpea & Puffed Rice Salad to get your taste buds working. Tangy, sweet, and spicy all at the same time; mango percolates through each bite of curry and cashews.

Once your palate has been sufficiently prepped, head over to Mogu Japanese Street Eats for an authentic albeit surprising rendition of Japanese cuisine. Dig into the Kabocha Korokke, which looks like any other sandwich but is loaded with sweet Japanese squash—fried, breaded, and drizzled in Katsu sauce, of course (think soy sauce, but with a kick of sugar and fire). If you’re up for an even more exotic route, swing by Guanaco offering Salvadoran comfort food. Any tummy filled with their handmade pasteles, which are essentially Salvadoran calzones, will no doubt be comforted.

Now it’s time to circle back to the best coast and nibble on Tacofino’s Chocolate Diablo Cookies, which make your grandma’s Toll House look, well, a little wimpy. In Tacofino’s version, each devilishly delicious bite emanates cayenne and fresh ginger—a sinfully addictive combination.

As the delicacies from the far reaches of the globe settle in your stomach, let some much-needed digestion take its course under a scattering of bright orange umbrellas. Close your eyes, and imagine you’re in Puerto Rico remarking on the throngs of tourists in your backyard.

Traditional

Start with potato and cheddar perogies from the delightfully decorated Holy Perogy truck. Not exactly the way Baba used to make them, as they’re lightly pan-fried, but still delicious, especially topped with sour cream, fried onions and sausage.

You may want to share with a friend to save room for a personalized sandwich from Mom’s Grilled Cheese. Choose your bread (gluten free options available), your cheese (vegan options available) and add on some extras like dill pickles or double smoked bacon. Or if you’ve just rolled out of bed, visit Yolk’s, where you can build your own breakfast sandwich/benny. Choose bacon, ham, or portabello mushroom, have it covered in either hollandaise or white cheddar, and served with one egg or two.

It might be time for a small time out, so swing by Dougie Dog, grab a glass of their butterscotch root beer, and watch artist Davide Pan create giant sculptures from discarded material. Once you’ve taken a minute or two for digestion, it’s time for dessert. On hot, sunny days head to Johnny’s Pops for his frozen creations, like avocado lime or blackberry yogurt. When the sun is being shy, it’s time for pie. The Pie Shoppe has handheld pies so you can conveniently chow down on a rhubarb and elderflower pastry.