Inside Vancouver

Signs of Summer: Vancouver Chinatown Night Market Launches Friday, May 17

by Taraneh in Events on May 15, 2013

chinatownnightmarket

The Vancouver Chinatown Night Market revamp is one of the most anticipated events on the 2013 Vancouver calendar. As you’ve probably heard from the buzz around town, Vancouver creative Ken Tsui and Bao Bei owner Tannis Ling have teamed up with the Vancouver Chinatown Merchant’s Association to revitalize the beloved 18-year-old market that takes place every summer, attracting 100,000 visitors to Keefer Street between Main and Columbia.

The grand opening is scheduled for June 1; the Vancouver Chinatown Night Market soft opening takes place this Friday, May 17. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to wait any longer to check out the new program.

What’s different about Vancouver Chinatown Night Market 2013? The organisers have worked hard to curate something distinctly Vancouver. While there’s no denying the super-size appeal of Vancouver’s younger summer night markets (Richmond Night Market and the International Summer Night Market) Vancouver Chinatown Night Market is going for a more original community flavour. Expect a heady mix of old-meets-new including elements from traditional Chinatown markets, along with fresh vendors, an outside-of-the-box entertainment schedule, food trucks and more.

On the shopping front, Chinese artisan trinkets and assorted cheap knick knacks will appear along side stalls purveying vintage goods, records, artsy books/mags and other eclectic offerings. On the entertainment front, there’s Chinatown-themed storytelling via Rain City Chronicles, Mahjong Socials, Street Fighter II showdowns, ping pong, hip hop karaoke, Chinese opera, outdoor movies and a Night Vision Chinatown photography show. On the food front, the market will feature a regular food cart pod with Roaming Dragon, Vij’s Railway, Le Tigre, Tacofino, and Mogu. Beo Bei is organizing a Dumpling Cook Off.

Get the full Vancouver Chinatown Night Market schedule and vendor list after the jump. Continue reading:
Signs of Summer: Vancouver Chinatown Night Market Launches Friday, May 17

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15 New Food Trucks & A Food Truck Pod Are Hitting Vancouver Streets May 2013

by Taraneh in Food & Drink on May 3, 2013

Belgian waffle. Photo credit: Nenyaki

Vancouver food trucks were recently ranked third best in North America by Travel + Escape. With 15 newly announced Vancouver food trucks set to begin serving the public this month, we’re on our way to number one.

The City of Vancouver has put a lot of thought into planning its street food program since the 2010 launch. As a result of careful permit regulation, food truck expansion has been slow compared to the burgeoning food truck scenes in Portland and Austin.

But the fleet of 15 new Vancouver food trucks (specializing in street eats such as crunchy-outside, pillowy-inside Belgian waffles, extreme mac and cheese, Aussie hand pies, Filipino fusion, innovative salads, specialty coffee, gluten-free snacks, Kosher Israeli and slow-cooked comfort food) may prove that slow and steady wins the race.

Who are the 15 new Vancouver food truck vendors? Where will the new food trucks be located? Get your hands on the full list after the jump:

Continue reading:
15 New Food Trucks & A Food Truck Pod Are Hitting Vancouver Streets May 2013

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Vancouver Ranked Third Best Street Food City in North America

by Taraneh in Food & Drink on April 29, 2013

Photo credit: T. Jerven

The Vancouver street food scene gets better each season and the world is taking notice. Vancouver’s food trucks were recently ranked third in Travel + Escape’s list of “Top 5 North American Cities for Trailer Food.” As one might expect, Portland, which has just about everyone beat with their fleet of 700 food trucks, ranked first. Austin, Texas came in second–again, not a shocker. I make bi-annual pilgrimages down there for good music and cheap, creative eats.

Interestingly, NYC and Toronto, which you might expect to be more competitive than Vancouver, came in fourth and fifth, respectively.

T+E author Shelley Seale mentioned Vancouver’s “nutritious and diverse” offerings. These descriptors are two of the requirements listed on the City of Vancouver’s street food vending page. While they may seem a bit tame, they set Vancouver apart. Fresh, inventive fusion cuisine is more important than grease in Vancouver street fare.

Vancouver currently has 103 licensed food trucks. Another 15 food trucks are in the works for spring 2013. The city plans to put the newcomers in pods like Portland’s outside the downtown core. The locations are TBD. Continue reading:
Vancouver Ranked Third Best Street Food City in North America

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New Cookbook By Food Network’s Eat St. Showcases Awesome Recipes From Vancouver Food Trucks

by Taraneh in Food & Drink on April 17, 2013

Photo courtesy of Eat St.

The food truck revolution began in 2008 with pioneers such as L.A.’s Kogi BBQ, the little Korean taco truck that could. As of spring 2013, the food truck movement has swept North America. In Vancouver, we’ve got 99 food truck vendors serving tasty fare on city streets.

I recently sat down with James Cunningham, magnetic funnyman and host of Food Network Canada’s popular Eat St. show, to talk about Vancouver food trucks. The host was in town to launch his new book Eat Street, featuring recipes from the “tastiest, messiest, and most irresistible” trucks.” Hundreds of North American food trucks submitted recipes. The best of the best made it into Penguin’s test kitchen. Only 125 made the final cut.

Many Vancouver food trucks made it into the new cookbook. Find out which ones after the jump. Continue reading:
New Cookbook By Food Network’s Eat St. Showcases Awesome Recipes From Vancouver Food Trucks

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Get Gooey Over National Grilled Cheese Day In Vancouver Restaurants, April 12

by Taraneh in Food & Drink on April 11, 2013

Vegan grilled cheese at Mom’s Grilled Cheese Food Truck. Photo credit: veganheathern

National Grilled Cheese Day — Friday, April 12 — is another made up food holiday. It’s also a prime opportunity to try variations on a classic childhood menu staple at Vancouver restaurants and food trucks.

For many, grilled cheese is the first “recipe” you attempt after moving out of your parents’ house. But making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich isn’t as easy as it seems. The butter to bread ratio and pan heat have to be just right in order to get a perfectly crispy outside and gooey (not gloppy) interior. I hear it’s possible to make grilled cheese with an iron, or on the radiator in the slammer. Regardless, I respect the genre enough to let a pro knock my socks off with the perfect sandwich.

Many Vancouver restaurants have conducted R&D to improve on the basic bread-butter-cheese theme. Here are some of Vancouver’s best restaurants (and food trucks) for grilled cheese. Have one to add? Help out by commenting below.