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 12 – June 5, 2016.
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 10 Taco dishes in this challenge, listed in no particular order other than when they were received by us.
The Pressure Box
Pacific North West Tacos
Pacific North West Tacos
Price: $12
Description: aka salmon and bannock tacos with salt curred/cold smoked Ocean wise Keta Salmon, whipped citrus cream cheese, pea shoots, pickled onions.
Created by: Chef Scott Lesko
Offered: Tuesday to Thursday lunch; Friday/Saturday nights.
The Pressure Box Food Truck
Location: For the exact location daily click here
Tuesday to Friday lunch at Georgia and Burrard and Saturday nights at 33 acres brewery. 5th and Quebec Wednesday lunch , 33 acres Wednesday lunch.
Web: http://thepressurebox.ca/
Twitter: @ThePressurebox
Instagram: thepressurebox
Darby’s Public House
Albacore Tuna Taco
Albacore Tuna Taco
Price: $9.95
Description: with cucumber cilantro slaw, spicy ginger mayo
Created by: Chef A.J. Jackson
Offered: 11am-midnight everyday
Darby’s Public House
2001 Macdonald St, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 731-0617
Twitter: @darbys_in_kits
Instagram: Darbys_in_Kits
Molli Café
Beef tongue with almond sauce
Price: $3 (for 1 taco)
Description: It is a simple taco but complex in flavors, since we used traditional Mexican techniques to elaborate the sauce. The tender and lean beef tongue blends really nice with the nutty and lightly spice of the sauce. We found that it was a good way to mix tradition with an odd part ingredient.
Created by: Chefs Berenice Balbuena & Rafael Flores
Offered: Monday to Saturday from noon to 7pm
Molli Café
1225 Burrard Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-336-6554
Web: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Molli-Cafe/1433190433617382
Twitter: @MolliCafe
Instagram: molli_cafe
El Camino’s
Chorizo Taco
Chorizo Taco
Price: $7
Description: Two Rivers ground chorizo with a blend of traditional Mexican spices on a 4-inch corn tortilla with smoked provolone.
Created by: Chef Jason Carr
Offered: Dinner
El Camino’s
3250 Main Street, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 875-6246
Twitter @El_Caminos
Instagram: elcaminos
Las Tortas
The Abu Yosuf Fish Taco
The Abu Yosuf Fish Taco
Price: $13
Description: As the Sharwarma: is the Taco al pastor’s culinary ancestor, I decided to make a fusion mix of traditional Lebanese and Mexican flavours. Red Snapper marinated in a mix of zattar, sumac spices & pomegranate molasses, panfried & served on top of fresh spinach, red & green cabbage, chipotle infused tajine, and crowned with fattoush pico de gallo & fresh avocado.
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
El Santo
Taco de Borrego en Mole Ahumado
Taco de Borrego en Mole Ahumado
Price: $6 (for one taco)
Description: Mole rubbed, smoked lamb neck with Jalapeno and mint salsa and Chile spiced candied pecans
Created by: Chef Shane King
Offered: Lunch and Dinner
El Santo
680 Columbia Street, New Westminster
Tel:(604) 727-8176
Web: http://elsanto.ca/
Twitter @el_santonewwest
Instagram: elsantonewwest
Gringo
Austin Taco
Austin Taco
Price: $2.75 for one or 3 for $8
Description: made with Dixie’s smoked brisket, creamy slaw and crispy fried onions.
Created by: Christina Cottell
Offered: All the time
Gringo Gastown
27 Blood Alley Square, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 721-0607
Web: http://www.gringogastown.com/
Twitter @GringoYVR
Instagram: gringoyvr
Los Cuervos Taqueria
Tamarind Glazed Pork Belly
Tamarind Glazed Pork Belly
Price: $4.25
Description: Tamarind glazed pork belly with lightly pickled cabbage and chicharrón.
Created by: Chef Gilles_L´Heureux
Offered: All the time.
Los Cuervos Taqueria
603 Kingsway, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 558-1518
Web: http://www.loscuervos.ca/
Twitter @LosCuervosTacos
Instagram: loscuervostaqueria
Feastro Taco Truck
Bourbon Smoked Chicken
Bourbon Smoked Chicken
Price: $6.50
Description: served over Jicama tomatillo slaw, spiced red onion jam, mango black bean salsa, house pickled jalapeno, and a sweet Southern drizzle.
Created by: Paul Fenton
Offered: All the time
Feastro Taco Truck
Location: Howe & Robson
Tel: 604-868-9339
Twitter @coastfeastro
Instagram: feastrofoodtruck
Little Mexico Cantina
Taco Canauhtl
Taco Canauhtl
Price: $10
Description: Duck Confit (Carnitas) mashed comate, toasted seasoned pecans, on a handmade guajillo chile tortilla “a la Potosina” from the region of San Luis Potosi presented with a Pitaya brunoise dusted with jamaica (Habisus) flower petals, served with a black bean mousse and avocado mousse topped with a piloncillo chipotle sauce and a sprig of organic thyme.
Created by: Chef Roberto Lopez Lara
Offered: Available for Dinner only.
Little Mexico Cantina
3131 Chatham St #150, Richmond
Tel: (604) 272-5123
Web: http://www.littlemexicocantina.com/
Twitter: @LMCSteveston
Instagram: lmcsteveston
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 here.
Our Media judges for this challenge are:
Jennifer Thomson
Traffic reporter on CKNW and AM730
Twitter: @jtradiogal
Louisa Chan
Writer and Editor of L for Life as well as Ming Pao
Twitter: @L_FOR_LIFE
Aaron Alexander
Writer and Creator of BC BuzZ….Plus a film fanatic, music lover & lover of the arts!
Twitter: @aaronmalexander