Let's be honest - when someone says they LOVE Vancouver food, it's usually followed by a sushi, hot pot, dim sum, or ramen recommendation. Of course they are delicious; but what really sets the city apart are the unique and mouthwatering eats from all sorts of cultures.
I've been on a (very difficult, I know...) mission to eat my way through foods that I haven't had before while I'm in Vancouver, so here are three such dishes that made an impression on me!
Kywteiw Moo Toon
I entered Thai Basil restaurant after seeing that they served $12 Pad Thai, but couldn't resist ordering this unpronounceable soup when I saw it labelled *New dish!* on a little blackboard hanging on the wall. It looked so good when it arrived that I was already smiling before tasting it.
"Kwyteiw" refers to the vermicelli noodles in the soup, and "Moo Toon" to the stewed pork skirts. The soup also comes with pork balls, bean sprouts, gailan (Chinese broccoli), and a chili vinegar on the side.
The aroma was mainly dominated by hot pork broth flavoured with Chinese five-spice. I was worried the spice blend would be overpowering, but it was used in a complementary way. The pork skirt was delicious - a bit chewy, as pork skirt tends to be, but in a satisfying way (and not too tough). For a softer bite, the pork balls were also yummy.
Overall, Kywteiw Moo Toon was hearty, fresh, complex, and tasty all rolled into one...not to mention that it was only $13!
Japadog
If you watch Food Network shows, read food news, or have even seen the show Psych, you might know about this Vancouver staple which specializes in wacky Japanese-inspired hotdogs.
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| One of my first stops in the city |
With nine shops and stalls across Vancouver serving special hotdog meats and topping combinations like bonito flakes, avocado, and fried cabbage, I was surprised to find out that some of my Vancouver native coworkers had never heard of Japadog before.
It was hard to choose, but I decided to try the Yakisoba flavour which has an "Arabiki" (coarsely ground) pork sausage topped with fried noodles, red pickled ginger, and seaweed.
It was definitely miam miam (how could it not be?), and though not mindblowing, had some special aspects: the sausage was very snappy and had a nice smoky flavour. The pickled ginger really helped with the heaviness of fried noodles on top of a hot dog.
Is it a great deal? At $8 and with Costco's huge hotdogs nearby, not really, but it's also not a bad price for how iconic and interesting it is. I'm looking forward to trying a couple more flavours before I go.
Dosa
A dosa is an Indian crepe made from fermented batter, and as a dish it's usually filled with meat and potatoes, and served with chutney. Though dosas exist in Calgary, I'd never tried them before and they're certainly not as widespread as in Vancouver, where you can get many varieties from House of Dosas for $5.99 on Mondays.
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| Dosa, sambal, tomato chutney, and coconut chutney |
The crepe itself is good and really interesting, you can taste the fermentation (it's a bit tangy) and it has a nice half-crispy, half-soft texture. The fillings are generous and miam miam miam, my favourites being lamb chettinad and butter chicken (unfortunately my hands were too full to get a picture). They are slightly spicy, but that's helped by the fresh-tasting coconut and tomato chutneys.
As if that's not enough, it also comes with sambar (curry stew) made with lentils, veggies, tamarind, and tons of flavour - by far the spiciest part of the meal🌶️but worth the pain.
- Ana
P.S. I'd love to hear your own stories: what's a special food you've unexpectedly enjoyed?
They all sound and look delicious! While big city living has its challenges, food Scene in a big city certainly is a huge Pro.
ReplyDeleteFoooood! Is there anything it can't do?
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