Take me to the Streets

Various Food Trucks/Cart
Street Food
All over Downtown Vancouver

Coming back to Vancouver from a 5-month travelling spree, I was surprised to see a ton of food carts that seemed to have quickly appeared on the streets of downtown Vancouver. It was a refreshing change to the city's food scene as street food has always been my favourite chow to try. I believe that if you really wanna get to know a place, its streets will reveal to you what it's all about. The people, the buildings, the food... take a stroll wherever you're at and take a look around and it will definitely tell you a story.

Vancouver in the recent past was pretty lame with its street food scene. There was nothing else other than hotdogs, well, there were hotdogs and Japadog, a Japanese inspired hotdog stand selling kurobuta sausages topped with Japanese food bits and condiments such as nori, wasabi mayo and bonito flakes. It was very unique and delicious but after awhile you will be looking for fresh flavours and new taste. Thankfully, soon after the Japadog craze died down, various food carts offering comfort food and fusion cuisine were mushrooming in every corner of the city's downtown core.

I was very excited to embark in a food cart adventure and started a mission to try out all of the Vancouver food cart's fare and this is what I got so far:

MOM'S GRILLED CHEESE TRUCK (as pictured above)
Serves: Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Location: Corner of Howe Street and West Georgia, Downtown Vancouver
Ordered: A sourdough cheddar sandwich with a scoop of chilli and a shot of the roasted tomato soup
Verdict: If this food doesn't comfort you, you're in definite trouble. Dangerously gooey and delectable. The butter may have clogged my arteries but was worth the treat. Extra chips were an added bonus and the roasted tomato soup was warming and tasty. Can't eat it everyday though because of it's richness but will surely come back for my cheese fix.

LA BRASSIERE STREET
Serves: Brass Chicken Sandwich—Beer brined rotisserie chicken in gravy, on a buttermilk bun, topped with crispy onions
Location: Corner of West Georgia and Granville Street, Downtown, Vancouver
Ordered: Chicken Sandwich, of course!
Verdict: Huge sandwich of warm gravy, crunchy onions and slices (they surely didn't scrimp on the meat) of that flavourful roasted chicken, what more can you ask for. A definite winner!

OSA TAKO HERO
Serves: Takoyaki - yummy Japanese balls made with pancake-like, savoury batter and filled with bits of octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger and green onion
Location: Howe and W. Pender, Downtown Vancouver
Ordered: Para Para Sakana - Takoyaki topped with bonito flakes, Japanese mayo and sweet takoyaki sauce
Verdict: Warm, gooey-on-the-inside Takoyaki always makes me smile. Authentic and delicious and although this won't fill you up for lunch, it's always good for a nice, tasty snack.

COMA FOOD
Serves: Mexican, Korean and American Fusion
Location: Various places in Downtown Vancouver, found them on Burrard and Pender
Ordered: Korean style BBQ Burrito
Verdict: Filling and oozing with appetizing Korean flavours. Will have to come back and try the Homemade Kimchi Quesadilla and maybe the rest of their menu. Everything looks good! And an added bonus, small bowls of Miso soup spiced with Korean seasoning is handed out to customers while waiting for their orders.

THE KABOOM BOX
Serves: Local/Canadian Cuisine (e.g. sandwiches made with salmon or venison, poutine)
Location: Robson and Granville, Downtown Vancouver
Ordered: Fried Oyster Po'Boy Sandwich
Verdict: Good but too mayo-ey for my taste and it's coming from a person who dunks her french fries in mayo! Wishing to have gotten the Hot Smoked Salmon Sandwich instead... well, next time!

MANGAL KISS
Serves: Mid Eastern shish kabob served in Iranian flatbread called taftoon with salatim (vegetables in English) and traditional sauces
Location: West Georgia and Hornby, Downtown Vancouver
Ordered: Beef Shish Kabob
Verdict: Unique flavours and interesting taste although a few more pieces of meat could have made it better but the since the vegetables are seasoned and tasty, all is forgiven. Will come back and try the chicken kabob, soup and limonata.

RE-UP BBQ
Serves: Pulled Pork and Beef Brisket Sandwiches
Location: Hornby and Georgia, Downtown Vancouver
Ordered: Pulled Pork Sandwich
Verdict: Good value for your money since the meat was falling off the bun although I personally think that the pork needed a little bit more bbq sauce.

FRESH, LOCAL, WILD
Serves: Local, Sustainable Food - mainly Fish and Chips and Sandwiches
Location: Hastings and Burrard
Ordered: Seared Tuna Albacore Sandwich with Jalapeño Havarti Cheese
Verdict: Fresh indeed! Delicious, just a little bit pricey but was still filling. Love the patio and FYI, their food truck is green as well! The used oil for frying fuels its generator -- how cool is that?

TACOFINO
Serves: Canadian Mexican Fusion
Location: Various Downtown Location (they have two trucks), found them on Burrard and Dunsmuir
Ordered: Fish Burrito filled with tempura battered ling cod, chipotle mayo, cabbage, salsa, refried beans and rice
Verdict: Huge serving and fresh flavours although it could use a few more cod pieces.

BADA BING
Serves: Steak sandwiches and Fries
Location: Burrard and West Georgia, Downtown Vancouver
Ordered: Animal Fries - Fries topped with Bada Bing's special sauce, sautéed onions and cheese
Verdict: Processed cheese and too-rich, mayo-ey sauce, not a big fan but will give them a chance and try their sandwich.

ROAMING RED DRAGON
Serves: Pan-Asian Cuisine
Location: Robson and Burard, Downtown Vancouver
Ordered: Chinese Fried Rice Balls, Korean Shortrib taco, Pork Belly Sliders and the Pear and Mint Iced Tea
Verdict: Kinda expensive for the serving size and was not anything spectacular. Especially like the Chinese Fried Rice Balls and the Iced Tea, will come back for that, not for lunch though but for a snack, it is after all snack size.

SLINGERS
Serves: Italian Sandwiches (Parmigaina Sandwiches are the house -- err, truck's special)
Location: West Pender and Burrard, Downtown Vancouver
Ordered: Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwich
Verdict: Eggplant was lightly fried and tasty and the combination of the sautéed onions and mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce was good but not stand-out. Sandwich was filling as well.

FEASTRO
Serves: Seafood (e.g. Seafood pot pie, prawn and prosciutto taco )
Location: Thurlow and West Cordova, Downtown Vancouver
Ordered: Halibut taco - Crispy chickpea battered fresh halibut, tomato/anise chutney, shaved green cabbage, tikka masala yoghurt
Verdict: Size perfect for my tummy, might be too small for bigger eaters but flavours are fresh and delicous. You can tell that they didn't use plain flour because the halibut was quite tasty. Definitely gourmet on wheels.

And what does the street food scene say about Vancouver? It's a culturally diverse city that's health conscious and constantly reinventing itself.

Knuckle me more

Oktoberfest
German Delicacies
Theresienwiese, Munich
Bavaria, Germany

Oktoberfest is a place to get one-litre mugs of beer or popularly known as steins for the purpose of getting drunk the German way. It is a festive fair built with rides, games, entertainment and massive beer halls for everyone's enjoyment. You can even find Oktoberfest attendees in cutsie costumes as they take part in the merry drunken making. It is definitely something everyone should experience and shouldn't be missed when in Germany.

Oktoberfest is also a good place to sample the well-known German delicacies such as the pork knuckles, pretzels, wieners, gingerbread hearts and spiced or candied nuts. The food is Germany's version of the pub grub and since the Germans pride themselves of their local brews, Oktoberfest's chow is the perfect beer match. Roasted pork knuckle is the most popular in this 16-day festival. Seasoned, fall-of-the bone meat topped with the crunchy pork crackling, it's hard to say no to this artery-clogging treat, unless of course you swore off meat. Spiced or candied nuts are a fast, easy snack and with all the variety of flavours, it will take you awhile to pick one. Humongous pretzels are also served everywhere and is good for a night of heavy drinking to soak up the alcohol. Although the pretzels are not really the most tasty treat you can get from the fair but they're still good. If you haven't had enough to eat, taking a whiff of the yummy, sizzling sausage aroma will surely make you head to the nearest bratwurst vendor and they are good as they smell. Also, you can have those colourful gingerbread hearts or Lebkuchenherzen to cure sweet cravings although they look too cute to eat and personally, I think that their sole purpose is for decoration and to give away for souvenirs, eating these pretty cookies is just secondary.

The are so many other food to try at the Oktoberfest, after all, what's drinking without some grub? The Germans definitely created this event not just to enjoy their favourite beverage but to indulge in their culture and great food as well.

Turkish Delight

Ozler Restaurant
Turkish Cuisine
Ebusuud Cad.
Istanbul, Turkey

Donair or shawarma is one of the most popular Turkish chow and can be found in every nook and cranny of Istanbul. Although this is also popular around the globe and has been frequently revised to suit a country's palate, Turkey offers one of the best, thanks to their kebap. The kebab or kebap in Turkish is the filling of this delicious sandwich-like meal which is basically the meat of your choice, spiced and grilled to perfection. Lamb is the original meat and one of the most popular but the kebap also has chicken, beef and pork variations. Having the kebap in Turkey is like seeing the Eiffel tower in France, you just have to do it and it won't be a hard task, all you have to do is to pick a place.

Ozler Restaurant was an easy pick to have kebap. Situated in the bustling, touristy area in Istanbul and neighbours to many hotels, bars and restaurants, their very friendly host will definitely try to lure you in and tempt you with pictures of their scrumptious menu. Ozler was right across our hotel in Istanbul and we have seen happy diners leaving after a meal so we decided to try it out for a fellow Contiki traveller's birthday dinner.

The restaurant fixed us a long table on the street (their "patio") to accommodate us and gave us a pretty good deal for our meal and as soon as we sat down, flat, toasted Turkish bread were being served to be munched on. I ordered a plate of beef kebap and waited for my dish as we enjoyed people watching and conversing with each other. I made sure not to stuff myself with the yummy bread so there will be enough room for more but when it arrived, I knew that there will be no way that I can polish my plate.

My kebap plate was piled with fries, salad, rice, pita and a huge skewer of grilled beef and it was deliciously filling. The meat was tender and every bit flavourful. They definitely didn't scrimp and gave us a meal fit for two. Thankfully, there were stray cats meowing under our table so I didn't have to waste the appetizing food and shared it with the hungry felines and just like me, our four-legged friends left Ozler Restaurant satisfied and happy.

Mexican Market Eating

San Juan De Dios Market
Mexican Cuisine
Juarez 1, San Juan de Dios
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Ph: 01 33 3614 2042

Before coming to Guadalajara, Mexico to visit my friends, I received a lot of tips on where to go and what to do and where to eat. One of those tips were to check out the biggest indoor market in Guadalajara and one of the largest in Mexico called the Mercado de San Juan de Dios. This market sells anything and everything. Fresh produce, shoes, crafts, Mexican dishes, clothing, DVDs, imported goods and knock-offs, electronics, jewelry, candy... name it, they have it. Surely, I made sure to visit this famous market and came armed with a friend who's a local and my unused and unpracticed haggling skills.

The Mercado de San Juan de Dios greeted us with numerous stalls of local fruits and many shoppers hopping from one stall to another having a taste of the vendor's fresh picks of the day. I couldn't resist taking a slice from a vendor selling juicy ripe papayas sprinkled with lime juice and chilli powder. The fruit was indeed fresh and delicious but if you add the tart taste of the lime juice and the kick of the chilli powder, the papaya will tease your tongue with the added extra flavours. There was such a variety of local Mexican delicacies that will definitely spark your interest for a taste but heading to the market's second floor will even make your tummies grumble.

The second floor of Mercado San Juan de Dios was studded with small restaurants and food stalls serving tacos, tortas, quesadillas... I would think they pretty much served all the Mexican dishes known to man. One of the friends that I visited mentioned for me to try the pozole soup made with pork and white corn. I was cruising the second floor and reading the menus of the small restaurants as the servers tried to lure me in, I noticed the pozole soup being served almost everywhere. My friend who accompanied me to the market wasn't exactly excited that I was planning to try the pozole since we all heard horror stories of tourists having to sit on the porcelain throne more often than they wanted after eating in Mexico. Hoping that my Filipino (but actually now Canadian) stomach of steel won't let me down, I sat down at one of the restaurants and ordered the pozole.

The pozole was served in humble dinnerware with tostadas, lime and chillies. I love condiments so I took joy in squeezing the lime wedge and crushing some chillies into my soup and once this was done, I took a spoonful for a taste and it was delicious. The pork meat was tender and tasty, the white corn kernels had a harder texture and had a distinct taste that was different from your regular yellow corn and the soup was flavourful thanks to all the Mexican spices that was tossed into the broth. The tostada was well-suited with the pozole and even gave this dish a nice crunch. I have to say eating the pozole at the San Juan de Dios Market was a nice experience and fortunately, my stomach was able to handle it because there were definitely no regrets there only fond memories of the bustling market and satisfying pozole taste.

Beauty and the Cheese

Chalet de Gruyeres
Fondue and Swiss Cuisine
Rue de Bourg
CH-1663 Gruyères, Switzerland
Ph: +41 (0)26 921 21 54

A visit to Switzerland is never complete without trying some authentic Swiss cheese fondue and if you want to go for a complete treat, head out to the little town of Gruyeres. Gruyeres is known to be the birth place of obviously, the gruyere cheese (you can't get anymore authentic than that!) and I can assure you that the cheese will not be the only thing that will make you set foot in this charming little town because as soon as you enter its grounds, you will feel like you walked in the set of Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Fountains with flower petals, quaint buildings and a castle make Gruyeres a sight to see but ogling at the scenery and soaking in its charm will surely make any tourist hungry so head to Chalet de Gruyeres for a cheese fondue to complete the experience.

You will definitely not miss Chalet de Gruyeres, it is that pretty Swiss chalet that will greet you on the way up to the castle. Looking through the windows, the restaurant is as cozy and aesthetically appealing on the inside as it is on the outside. Adorned with cowbells and almost everything you can find on a Swiss farm, the restaurant's space makes for a great dining experience but considering the warm, sunny, Swiss weather we opted to sit under an apple tree and have the gruyere fondue at Chalet de Gruyeres outdoor seating.

Upon entering, we were immediately greeted and ushered to a table. We ordered a fondue with dried meat and a bottle of rose wine. We enjoyed savouring the sights and watching the bustle of the town as we sat and waited for our food. When it arrived, the cheese was warm and bubbling, it was served with pearl onions, cornichons, potatoes, sourdough bread, butter and dried meat. One by one we poked the dippers in the gooey cheese and the taste was deliciously dangerous. I especially loved the combination of the salty cornichons and the buttery, sharp taste of the cheese. We actually thought that we would have to order another dish but good thing we waited and let the food settle down because we were very satisfied. Although they should have added more meat to the fondue feast since there's just an overabundance of bread and potatoes. Overall, Chalet de Gruyeres is a great way to top your Swiss experience.

Cava Cava!

La Champagneria (Can Paixano)
Cava Bar and Bocadillos
Reina Cristina 7, Barcelona, Spain
ph: 93 310 08 39

One of the best dining experiences I've had abroad was standing in a packed bar like sardines with a dozen or so cured pig legs or jamon dangling above our heads and sparkling wine or cava spilling on us as the bartenders hand out the customers' bubbly drink. La Champagneria or in Catalan, Can Paixano will not offer you a nice place to sit or give you personalized service but it surely is a great place for good food, fun ambiance and inexpensive drinks. Located in the streets of Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain, La Champagneria looks like a hidden gem as it is the only bustling place on the a pretty quiet street.

My sister who's been living in Barcelona for a few months, was raving about this local hot spot and so I was excited to have a sip of the One-Euro cava and taste the sandwiches or bocadillos that populate every food stalls of Spain. Upon entering, the friendly crowd almost pouring out of the bar and happily munching on their bocadillo made room for us as we found a spot for two by the bar. We ordered two cavas and opted for a plate of chorizo and manchego cheese. We steered away from carbs since we left my sister's apartment with almost full tummies but their bocadillo menu will definitely tempt you (we came back almost immediately after my first visit to try their foie gras and pork lomo bocadillo). Jamon serrano, Spanish cheeses, pork lomo, pimientos and other local specialities make up the filling of their bacadillos and all for under four Euros, it is clearly a good deal.

Cavas were pouring very quickly and being passed on to eager drinkers and as we enjoyed the small nibbles of their delicious, authentic chorizo and cheese.The sparkling wine is also getting to our heads as we soaked in the warm ambiance. We were already mingling with the elderly men standing beside us by the bar offering us more food and teaching us Catalan. La Champagneria just has this lingering great vibes with good conversations in the air and the aroma of Spanish delicacies. A place worth visiting when you have the opportunity to come to Barcelona and a good pit stop before heading to the beach. La Champagneria is an experience on its own, good Spanish hospitality plus yummy grub that won't put a dent on your wallet.

Old Mother Hubbard, Went to Ireland

Mother Hubbard's
Brunch
Market Street
Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland
ph: (021) 4772440

One thing that the Irish loves is their good ol' traditional breakfast. Made not just to fill you up but to cure bad hangovers as well and since hangover food cures mostly consists of grease and carbs, the Irish brekkie is not shy of grease but don't let that turn you off because it is every bit delicious.

Coming to Ireland, I made sure to enjoy the authentic Irish pubs and although I couldn't keep up the Irish on the drinking part, I downed a few Guiness pints myself (incredible with a dash of black currant syrup), so I woke up with a hangover and craving heavy, greasy food the next day. I was staying with my awesome Irish friend and tour guide in a town of Kinsale in County Cork, she then took me to the very popular Mother Hubbard's where the locals flock for a meal of toasts, eggs and yummy pork products.

Open until 3pm to accomodate late risers and party goers, Mother Hubbard's serves home cooked breakfast that will fill you up for the day. As we walked in the door, I immediately felt as if I was transported to the world of nursery rhyme. Daintily decorated with shabby chic cupboards, pretty teapots and china and blue and white gingham tablecloths, this cozy restaurant will quickly make you feel at home.

We ordered at the counter and picked a table. We had to twiddle our thumbs for a bit for our breakfast to arrive but when it did, a feast of toasts, sausages, black and white pudding, eggs, bacon, ham and a cup of black tea were soon being consumed by me and I have to say, it surely hit the spot. The black and white pudding were very flavourful and the sausages were sizzling and deliciously spiced. I was definitely full and satisfied and although it didn't cure my headache, I still left with a smile on a my face.