Tacos! Vanfoodster's Best Taco Challenge Highlights!

First of all, let it be agreed that every taco is special! Almost the perfect food with limitless varieties based on whatever you have and a few tortillas. Of course, some are more special than others depending on the effort and quality of product involved and some tacos have had extraordinary effort invested in them. Such is the case with El Pulpo from Little Mexico Cantina in Steveston.

LMC is already one of our favorites for Mexican eats in Metro Vancouver. You can read about a previous experience that we had here.  https://www.yeswereeatingagain.com/2021/03/little-mexico-cantina-national-chowder.html. 

The El Pulpo starts with octopus which is no small challenge. It can become quite tough and chewy if not correctly cooked. A long slow braise is what has been used here to amazing results. The generous amount of octopus was tender and mildly flavoured with smoked paprika. As a perfect foil was the salty and rich, slightly fermented and smokey chorizo. It is a marriage made in heaven. Add chipotle mayo, corn salsa, pickled onion and cilantro and you have an almost perfect taco. You owe it to yourself to make your way to Steveston to try this taco at Little Mexico Cantina. It is number one on our list for the Taco Challenge (to be fair, we have not yet tried what Lucha Libre has to offer).              We were also fair impressed by the entry from Baja's Foods on Industrial Avenue in Vancouver.

The BF challenge entry is the Surf and Turf Taco Duo (one taco is good but two are better). 'Surf' starts with a pretty good chunk of crispy deep-fried red snapper. The accompaniments include slaw, mango pico de gallo, red onion and cucumber pickle, red chile Morita orange coulis and avocado crema. First of all wow and secondly, the result is greater than the sum of its parts!

The 'turf' starts with a dry rub braised pork belly with roasted tomatillo verde puree. And what can't be made better with chicharron, cilantro, pickles and coulis as per the 'surf.' A truly dynamic duo and another taco treat that you need to make time for before the end of the Taco Challenge this weekend.

Stay tuned for our last tasting when we track down Lucha Libre Food Truck.