Welcome to the Vancouver Foodster Taco Challenge. Restaurants from all over the city were invited to enter their taco creations into this challenge, most have created a special taco creation just for this challenge. Each restaurant will be featuring their tacos on their menu from May 21 – June 14, 2015.

How Does this all Work? For the public challenge, you are invited to go out and order any or all of the tacos in this challenge, then you decide who you think has the best taco creation for the People’s Choice award winners. 

Share your experiences: Tweet (and don’t forget to tweet or instagram your photos) throughout the challenge, our twitter and instagram address is @vanfoodster and the hashtag is #TacoChallengeYVR please include this hashtag in all your tweets during the challenge.

Voting criteria –  some things to help you judge your favourite taco creations – keep these things in mind: originality, creativity, uniqueness, traditional, non-traditional, price, value and most importantly taste.

Watch – – > the Vancouver Taco Challenge Global TV Saturday Morning News with hosts Lynn Colliar and Jay Janower from the 1st taco challenge in 2014.

Get some friends together and make a day or night of it, visit 2 places or more to share and taste the different taco creations or go solo or with a friend– just remember to VOTE for your favourites

Here are the 13 Taco dishes in this challenge, listed in no particular order other than when they were received by us.

Tacomio

Tuna Libre

Price: $4 (for 1 taco)

Description: Pan seared B.C. Albacore tuna, ancho chile crust, citrus slaw, chipotle crema

Created by: Fernando Llanas

Offered: Monday – Saturday all day

Tacomio

435 Abbott Street, Vancouver

Tel: (778) 868-7041

Web: http://www.tacomio.ca/

Twitter: @tacomiovan

Instagram: tacomiovancouver

 

CAVU Kitchen Bar

 

Baja-inspired Sturgeon Taco

Price: $5 for one or $9.50 for two

Description: Organically-certified, locally-farmed Fraser River Sturgeon from Northern Divine in Sechelt, prepared in the Baja style but with a CAVU twist

Created by: Chef El Jefe

Offered: Lunch, Happy Hour & Dinner daily.

CAVU Kitchen Bar

5911 Minoru Blvd , Richmond

Tel: 604-232-5001

Web: http://www.cavukitchenbar.com/

Twitter: @CAVUKitchenBar

Instagram: CAVUkitchenbar

 

American Grille

Wanna Taco ‘Bout It

Price: $16 (for 3 tacos)

Description: Braised pork Belly, BBQ Hoisin Sauce, Sriracha Aioli, Kimchi, Cucumber w/ a Pickled Daikon and Carrot Granish on a Steamed Bun

Created by: Chef Jaspere Regalado

Offered: all the time

American Grille

7571 Westminster Highway, Richmond

Tel: 604-232-2804

Web: http://www.american-grille.com

Twitter: @GrilleYVR

Instagram: grilleyvr

 

Big Rock Urban Brewery

#…hadalittlelamb

Price: $10 (for 3 tacos)

Description:  Stout and Red wine braised Lamb confit with a chipotle lamb jus,  brussel sprout slaw, and brightened up with a grilled pineapple pico di gallo on fresh grilled corn tortillas.

Chefs:  Alex Newton & Sam Omdal

Offered:  Daily 11 am until close.

Big Rock Urban Brewery

310 West 4th Avenue

Tel: 604-708-8311

Web: http://bigrockurban.com/big-rock-urban-eatery

Twitter @BRUeateryYVR

Instagram: big-rock-urban-eatery

 

Little Mexico Cantina

Tacos Cantineros

Price: $15.95 (for 3 tacos)

Description:

Taco Don Pedro – Edam cheese chicharron, chorizo sofrito, prawns and braised short ribs glazed with Pedro Ximenez reduction topped with julienned pear

Ensenada Stye Fish Taco – Snapper dusted with Little Mexico seasoning, topped with house dressing, guacamole sauce, white and purple cabbage slaw and pineapple pico de gallo

Lobster Cazadores Taco – Sautéed lobster, shallots, garlic, thai chile, lime juice, Little Mexico seasoning and Tequila Cazadores Reposado served over a bed of refried black beans topped with papaya, pickled red onions and cilantro served on double 4” corn tortillas – gluten free

Created by: Chef Roberto Lopez Lara

Offered: Available for Dinner

Little Mexico Cantina

3131 Chatham St #150, Richmond

Tel: (604) 272-5123

Web: http://www.littlemexicocantina.com/

Twitter: @MexicoCarol

Instagram: littlemexicocantina

 

Molli Café

Fraser Valley duck Mixiote with cactus salad

Price: $2.75 (for 1 taco)

Description: Duck leg marinated in guajillo sauce and spices. Then the meat it is wrapped in package with parchment paper (traditionally with a paper made out of maguey leaves skin) and slowly cooked in the oven. It is served with a fresh cactus leaves salad (salt cured and seasoned with vinegar, limes, onions and oregano). It is a really traditional dish from central Mexico made out of rabbit or lamb, usually cactus will be cooked in with the meat, but we decides to go for a salad to give that nice freshness and acidity.

Created by Berenice Balbuena & Rafael Flores

Offered: Monday to Saturday from noon to 6pm

Molli Café

1225 Burrard Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604-336-6554

Web: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Molli-Cafe/1433190433617382

Twitter: @MolliCafe

Instagram: molli_cafe

 

Ban Chok Dee

Thai Taco Platter

Price: $15 (for 3 tacos)

Description:  Salmon citrus filling in homemade herbal soft tortillas along with northern style sweet & salty pork salsa with crispy mini bite shells.

Created by: Executive Chef Parinya Lopston

Offered: All the time

Ban Chok Dee

20563 Douglas Crescent, Langley

Tel: 778-278-3088

Web: http://www.banchokdee.com

Twitter: @BanChokDeeThai

Instagram: banchokdeethai

 

Darby’s Public House

Lime Cilantro Red Snapper

Price: $9.95 (for 3 tacos)

Description:  Cilantro lime red snapper pan seared with smoked jalapeno aioli, apple radish slaw, and corn tortilla.

Created by: Chef Bill Taylor

Offered: 11am-midnight everyday

Darby’s Public House

2001 Macdonald St, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 731-0617

Web: http://www.darbyspub.ca/

Twitter: @darbys_in_kits

Instagram: Darbys_in_Kits

 

Las Tortas

Tamataco

Price: $3.50 (for 1 taco)

Description: Slow roasted pulled pork filled  Tamal,  chipotle slaw,  topped with pico de gallo.

Created by: Chef Moises Toyber

Offered: All the time (11 30am- 7 30pm Monday- Saturday)

Las Tortas

3353 Cambie Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604-569-1402

Web:  http://www.lastortas.ca/

Twitter: @LASTORTAS

Instagram: n/a

 

Havana Restaurant

Pacific Cod Taco

Price: $13.99 (for 2 tacos)

Description: Panko Crusted, Sundried Tomato Aioli, Pickled Cabbage, Gherkins, Lettuce, Fresh Guacamole Lemon

Created by: Executive Sous Chef Jeff Grant

Offered: Served All Day, daily

Havana Restaurant

1212 Commercial Dr, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 253-9119

Web: http://www.havanarestaurant.ca/

Twitter: @HavanaVancouver

Instagram: havana_restaurant

 

U&I Thai

U&I Thai Fish Taco

Price: $8.95

Description: Fish taco

Created by: Chef Ui Ratsomjit

Offered: All the time

U & I Thai

3364 Cambie St, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 875-6999

Web: http://uandithai.com/

Twitter: @uratomjit

Instagram: n/a

 

The Copper Chimney

Goa Fish Tacos

Price: $18

Description: tomato, mango & pineapple salsa, wasabi mayo, Indian spices, red cabbage, corn tortilla

Created by: Executive Chef Jaroslaw Faryna

Offered: Lunch and dinner daily

The Copper Chimney

567 Hornby Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604-689-8862

Web: http://www.copperchimney.ca/

Twitter: @CopperChimney_1

Instagram: n/a

 

Poncho’s Mexican Restaurant

Chicken Alambre Tacos

Price: $12.95

Description: Chicken alambre is a dish that was created in the taco place you find everywhere in Mexico. It is sliced chicken breast with our home mix spices, bacon, bell peppers and onions. Topped with melted cheese served in to a three 6″ corn tortillas, topped with our roasted spicy tomatillo sauce, topped with cilantro and red onions, and a wedge of lime.

Created by: Chef Kaeta Vazquez

Offered: Daily 4pm – 11pm

Poncho’s Mexican Restaurant

827 Denman Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604-683-7236

Web: http://www.ponchosvancouver.com/

Twitter: @PonchosMexican

Instagram: n/a

 

Make sure you pick up one of the Taco Challenge postcards available at each of the participating restaurants. Remember to Vote for your favourites daily, all the voting details are at https://vancouverfoodster.com/taco-challenge/

Our Media judges for this challenge are:

 

Sean Neild

Food Blogger and Photographer. Food Writer for the Eat St. blog on Foodnetwork.ca  and his own flavortownadventures.com

Twitter: @YVRBCbro

 

Mary Sheridan

Food Blogger for her own Vancouver Bits and Bites Blog http://maryinvancity.com/

Twitter: @MaryinVancity

 

Corey Basso

Executive Producer of Whitecaps FC Broadcasts | Announcer | Reporter

Bell Media | 94.5 Virgin Radio | 103.5 QMFM | TSN 1040 | TSN 1410

Twitter: @CDBasso

 

Sonia Beeksma

Weather/Traffic Anchor, Community Calendar Host, Feature Stories Reporter @globalbc

Twitter: @SoniaBeeksma