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 11 – June 4, 2017.
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.
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 8 Taco dishes in this challenge, listed in no particular order other than when they were received by us.
The Pawn Shop YVR
El Cubano Tacos
El Cubano Tacos
Price: $9.95
Description: caramelized cheese tortilla, shredded lettuce, house made carnitas, grainy dijon aioli, cucumber salsa, crispy fried onions, topped with a dill pickle
Created by: Nico Riekert & Joe Lauriente
Offered: 7 days a week, 11am – 1am
The Pawn Shop YVR
1117 Granville Street, Vancouver
Web: http://thepawnshopyvr.com
Twitter: @PawnShopYVR
Instagram: ThePawnShop YVR
Mandalay Burmese Kitchen
Burmese Fish Taco
Burmese Fish Taco
Price: $6 or 3 for $16
Description: We have taken a west coast staple and incorporated traditional Burmese flavours to bring the taste of Myanmar to the streets of Vancouver through its most beloved handheld, the TACO! Our spin on a classic west coast favourite!
Ingredients: Tempura line caught BC cod, tamarind – lime mayo, shredded cabbage, fresh tomato salsa, signature house made crispy shrimp relish ( Burmese Balachaung ) ,pea shoot, cilantro, lime.
Created by Andrew Ibberson, Executive Chef, Mandalay Burmese Kitchen
Offered: all the time
Mandalay Burmese Kitchen
Location to be advised
Web: https://www.mandalayburmesekitchen.com/
Twitter: @mandalaykitchen
Instagram: @mandalayburmesekitchen
Little Mexico Cantina
TACO TIKIN XIC
Taco Tikin Xic
Price: $10
Description: Grilled Halibut marinated in adobo de achiote, topped with orange dressed slaw, Black Beans, Salsa Xni Pec (pickled habanero and red onions) finished with Plátano Macho Frito (fried green plantain) served to you on a hand made Huitlacoche tortilla. Taco from the “Yucatan Peninsula”.
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
Patron Tacos & Cantina
Passion Taco
Passion Taco
Price: $9.85
Description: Tender rib eye steak, freshly cut strawberries sautéed with caramelized onions and thin slices of jalapeño. A truly delicious mix of flavours.
Created by:Chef: Elena Sanchez
Offered: Lunch and dinner daily
Patron Tacos & Cantina
265 Robson Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-558-3368
Twitter: @patrontc
Instagram: @patrontc
Holi Masala Food Truck
Fish Pakora Tacos
Fish Pakora Tacos
Price: $11
Description: We use cod, toss it in our masalas, top it with chutneys, mango aioli, masala coleslaw and cilantro. Dairy-free.
Created by: Rajan and Navraj
Offered: all the time
Holi Masala Food Truck
Seymour & Georgia
Web: http://www.holimasala.com/
Twitter: @HoliMasala
Instagram: @holimasala
Saj & Co.
Mediterranean Waves
Mediterranean Waves
Price: $15
Created by: Chef Malek Anouti
Description: 3 kinds of hand-made taco, freshly baked on the saj. lots of mediterranean colors and flavours including halloumi cheese, zaatar, orange, mollasses and much more
Offered: 12pm-3pm and 6.30pm-8.30pm daily
Saj & Co.
813 Davie Street, Vancouver
Web: http://sajandco.ca/
Twitter: @Sajnco
Instagram: @sajandco
Hugo’s Tacos & Churros
Taco Vegano de Nopales con Crema
Taco Vegano de Nopales con Crema
Price: $5.50
Description: Our taco features all vegan ingredients: Grilled nopales (cactus) with vegan chorizo, cashew crema, lemon-pickled onions and cilantro.
Created by: Dan Garcia
Offered: All the time
Hugo’s Tacos & Churros
7899 Templeton Station Rd, Richmond
Twitter: @Hugoschurros
Instagram: hugoschurros
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:
Mary Sheridan
Food Blogger for her own Vancouver Bits and Bites Blog
Twitter: @MaryinVancity
Instagram @MaryinVancity
Hanson Do
Blogger for his own Nosh and Nibble blog
Twitter: @hansondee
Instagram @noshandnibble
Zahra Alani
Co-host of CKNW.com Food Glorious Food
Twitter: @ZahraAlani
Instagram @zahra.alani