The Vancouver Foodster 4th Taco Challenge was a huge success featuring taco creations from restaurants around Vancouver and Richmond. Each restaurant featured their taco creation from May 11 – June 4, 2017. Our media judging panel determined the ultimate winners of the challenge, and this was quite the task as each judge who tasted each creation with a rigorous process based on taste, originality/uniqueness and presentation/appearance.
Our Media judges for this challenge were: Mary Sheridan, Hanson Do, and Zahra Alani.
The Winners are:
1st Place: Little Mexico Cantina
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: 2lmcsteveston
Chef Roberto Lopez Lara and Carol Janeczko
2nd Place:
Saj & Co.
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
Chef Malek Anouti
3rd Place: (tie):
The Pawn Shop YVR
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
Nico Riekert & Joe Lauriente
3rd Place: (tie):
Patron Tacos & Cantina
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
In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Taco dishes were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place People’s Choice:
Little Mexico Cantina
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
2nd Place People’s Choice:
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
3rd Place People’s Choice:
Mandalay Burmese Kitchen
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
Thank you to all the chefs, restaurants that accepted my invitation and featured their tacos on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge.
I encourage you to visit the winning restaurants to try their Taco creations! See all the Taco entries here.
By: Richard Wolak
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