The Vancouver Foodster 11th Annual Taco Challenge was a success featuring taco creations from restaurants around Vancouver. Each restaurant and food truck featured their taco creation from May 1-26, 2024. 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.
The Winners are:
1st Place:
{106 points}
Vancouver Aquarium
FIN-tastic taco
Price: $18 (includes the 3 tacos)
Created by: Executive Chef David Lee
Description: Be dazzled by the west coast inspired flavours of the Vancouver Aquarium’s taco. This FIN-tastic taco combines Tempura Pacific Cod, crispy pickled ginger, spicy slaw and a warm flour tortilla for a flavour delight.
Available: Daily all the time
Vancouver Aquarium Courtyard Cafe
845 Avison Way, Vancouver
Tel:(778) 655-9554
Instagram @vanaqua
2nd Place:
(102 points)
Geo Cider
Stuffed Poblano Taco
Price: $19.95 (2 tacos); or 1/2 order $12
Created by: Chef Carlos A. Martinez
Description:Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with our YVR Taco Challenge dish – a battered poblano pepper stuffed with creamy melting cheese and served on a mouthwatering corn tortilla, with a bed of perfectly cooked rice. And that’s not all – we top it off with a deliciously mild morita chile salsa, crumbled feta cheese, red onions, cilantro, and toasted sunflower seeds for an extra crunch that’ll leave you craving for more! But wait, there’s more! You can enjoy our taco duet with refried Mexican beans on the side, topped with warm, fresh corn tortilla chips. Come and indulge in this sensational culinary delight today!
Make sure to pair this dream taco with Geo cider tequila lime apple cider.
Ingredients: corn tortilla, rice, (poblano pepper, cheese, egg, wheat flour), red sauce (tomato, garlic, onion, morita pepper, chipotle pepper, guajillo pepper) feta cheese, red onion and cilantro. Beans and tortilla chips on the side.
Offered: Open 7 days a week from 11:30 am to 8pm, weekends until 10pm
Take out and delivery available.
You can also download our app.
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/luz-tacos/id1466683490?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chownow.luztacos
Geo Cider
1201 Commercial Way #318, Squamish
Tel:(778) 733-1080
Instagram @geocider
3rd Place:
(97 points)
75 West Coast Grill
Barbacoa Street Taco Trio
Price: $21
Created by: Matt Berda
Description: Features tender, slow-cooked barbacoa on a soft corn tortilla, topped with crumbled cotija cheese, roasted red pepper, and jalapeño corn salsa. Finished with pickled red onion and tomatillo salsa verde, this taco offers a vibrant combination of flavours and textures.
Ingredients: Corn, cotija cheese, roasted red pepper, jalapeno corn salsa, pickled red onion, tomatillo salsa Verde.
Offered: daily from 11am – 10pm
Available: dine-in only
75 West Coast Grill
7571 Westminster Hwy, Richmond
Tel: (604) 232-2804
Web: https://75west.ca/
Instagram @75westyvr
In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Taco Creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place People’s Choice:
Vancouver Aquarium
FIN-tastic taco
Price: $18 (includes the 3 tacos)
Created by: Executive Chef David Lee
Description: Be dazzled by the west coast inspired flavours of the Vancouver Aquarium’s taco. This FIN-tastic taco combines Tempura Pacific Cod, crispy pickled ginger, spicy slaw and a warm flour tortilla for a flavour delight.
Available: Daily all the time
Vancouver Aquarium Courtyard Cafe
845 Avison Way, Vancouver
Tel:(778) 655-9554
Instagram @vanaqua
2nd Place People’s Choice:
Geo Cider
Stuffed Poblano Taco
Price: $19.95 (2 tacos); or 1/2 order $12
Created by: Chef Carlos A. Martinez
Description:Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with our YVR Taco Challenge dish – a battered poblano pepper stuffed with creamy melting cheese and served on a mouthwatering corn tortilla, with a bed of perfectly cooked rice. And that’s not all – we top it off with a deliciously mild morita chile salsa, crumbled feta cheese, red onions, cilantro, and toasted sunflower seeds for an extra crunch that’ll leave you craving for more! But wait, there’s more! You can enjoy our taco duet with refried Mexican beans on the side, topped with warm, fresh corn tortilla chips. Come and indulge in this sensational culinary delight today!
Make sure to pair this dream taco with Geo cider tequila lime apple cider.
Ingredients: corn tortilla, rice, (poblano pepper, cheese, egg, wheat flour), red sauce (tomato, garlic, onion, morita pepper, chipotle pepper, guajillo pepper) feta cheese, red onion and cilantro. Beans and tortilla chips on the side.
Offered: Open 7 days a week from 11:30 am to 8pm, weekends until 10pm
Take out and delivery available.
You can also download our app.
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/luz-tacos/id1466683490?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chownow.luztacos
Geo Cider
1201 Commercial Way #318, Squamish
Tel:(778) 733-1080
Instagram @geocider
3rd Place People’s Choice:
75 West Coast Grill
Barbacoa Street Taco Trio
Price: $21
Created by: Matt Berda
Description: Features tender, slow-cooked barbacoa on a soft corn tortilla, topped with crumbled cotija cheese, roasted red pepper, and jalapeño corn salsa. Finished with pickled red onion and tomatillo salsa verde, this taco offers a vibrant combination of flavours and textures.
Ingredients: Corn, cotija cheese, roasted red pepper, jalapeno corn salsa, pickled red onion, tomatillo salsa Verde.
Offered: daily from 11am – 10pm
Available: dine-in only
75 West Coast Grill
7571 Westminster Hwy, Richmond
Tel: (604) 232-2804
Web: https://75west.ca/
Instagram @75westyvr
Each media judge scored each creation with a maximum of 40 points as follows: Overall Taste 20 points, Originality and Uniqueness 10 points, Presentation and Appearance 10 points. The highest number of points a challenge creation could have been awarded is 120 points.
Our Media judges for this challenge were: Jay Minter, Maggi Mei and Ray Lee
Thank you to all the restaurants and food trucks that accepted my invitation and featured the Taco Challenge creations 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 Challenge Entries Here.
By: Richard Wolak