La Taqueria

2549 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z
(604) 568-4406
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Yo quierro La Taqueria, a bustling pinche taco shop specializing in authentic Mexican tacos. Their website boasts of using organic and sustainable products, their two Vancouver locations have line ups out the door, and their menu lets you mix and match your favourites. What isn’t to love?

For $9.50 you get four tacos of your choice, a good deal but still a little on the pricier side. The tacos are small in appearance however filling; if it’s a big Mexican meal you’re craving you will need more than 4, and that’s where it can get expensive… I do wish there was a little more filling, it was just enough to satiate my appetite and then I was done and onto the next one. Heres what I tried:

Al Pastor: Pork marinated in achiote chili with pineapple.

Hands down our favourite. The pork had a smokey char-grilled taste and the pineapples complimented the flavours perfectly.

Al Pastor

Pascado: Grilled seasonal fish with pico de gallo.

No photo, I ate it too fast!

My second favourite because the fish was tender, fresh and the pico de gallo was delicious. A squirt of lime brought out all the flavours.

Carnitas: Pork confit with pickled red onion

This had a subtle pork flavour, but was not as memorable as the Al Pastor. It was visually appealing but lacked a defined flavour.

Carnitas

Beef Fajita: Skirt steak with onions, peppers and cheese.

This was tasty, but didn’t wow me like the other tacos did; something for the less adventurous palate. I added the salsa verde and lime for a little more zest. 

(in the photo below, the Pascado is third from left, the beef Fajita fourth)

 All tacos come garnished with cilantro and a lime.

I will definitely return to La Taqueria, I loved the ambiance (minus the long line/wait) and I would like to explore their menu further.

Gorilla Food

Everyday from 11am-8pm
gorillafood@gmail.com
604 684 3663
101-436 Richards St.
Vancouver, BC
V6B 2Z4
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Gorilla Foods is one of those restaurants that believes in the product they’re selling. As all of the food is uncooked, the quality and range of ingredients stands out and defines their innovative cuisine.

When I first heard about this organic/vegan/raw food mecca I was skeptical: sure it sounded cool, but did the food taste good?  I was immediately impressed with the extensive menu offering appetizers and entrées including pizzas, soups, burgers, and pastas (made with a Gorilla Food twist). The open kitchen concept allows you to watch the food assembly, something far more interesting than watching any line cook grill a steak. I was amazed at how their food was prepared and surprised by the versatility of nuts and dates in vegan/raw cuisine.

It was recomended I try the Jungle Coleslaw, “a top ranking cole-salad dressed in a smooth sweet avocado dressing”.

Jungle Coleslaw

It doesn’t seem like a lot of food however it was filling and I left feeling full but not bloated. The dressing had a great flavour profile that exceeded my expectations; it was creamy without being rich, had a sweet element and the sesame seeds added texture.

I followed this up with an Avocado Lime Pie. This was to die for.

Avocado Lime Pie

Avocados when exposed to air turn a darker green/brown, but once I dug into the slice a luscious green interior revealed itself. The lime was tangy and fragrant while the avocado provided a rich creamy consistency.

The “crust” contains brazil nuts, dates and is dusted with coconut and my mouth is actually watering just trying to remember everything about it.

If you’ve got a hankering for something healthy, organic, adventurous and affordable check out Gorilla Food. A well deserved 4 out of 5 stars.

Lucy’s Eastside Diner

Lucy’s Eastside Diner is a 24 hour restaurant serving up 1950′s inspired diner dishes. The place is cute and definitely a fun experience day or night, however it’s very hit or miss. Some of our meals came out spot on while others were blah to downright bad. I gave Lucy’s 3 generous stars out of 5.

*** Upon revisiting Lucy’s months later, I  beg people not to get their hopes up. It looks like a great dive, but unfortunately the food is  bland, bland, bland and overpriced. I revoke my “generous 3 stars” and demote Lucy’s to a 2 out of 5 ****

First we went for brunch. FYI,  Lucy’s  serves breakfast all day and night.

Pulled Pork Eggs Benny

The Pulled Pork Benny was dense and delicious. I hate to leave food on my plate but this Benny got the best of me. After eating one I was stuffed. What I liked best was the  hollandaise sauce, it was tangy and tasted home-made. After just having tried the Pulled Pork at the Five Point, I had high expectations. The dish as a whole was good but the pulled pork on it’s own was boring, dry and had no sauce! I remedied it by adding ketchup and a bit of hollandaise and egg… still, I want my food perfect when it arrives.

Fried Chicken Sandwich

The Fried Chicken Sandwich was a hit with my comrade: the chicken was moist, the bread fresh and the hash browns were the best we’d had in a while. Perfect golden brown, lightly seasoned, and not dried out inside.

I stopped by at 11pm for a late dinner: the classic Cheeseburger and Fries.

Shoestring french fries were greasy and nothing to brag about. The hamburger however was delicious, it was like a backyard bbq hamburger, nothing fancy just a good burger. Not the best pic but you get the point.

** When I returned to Lucy’s I ordered a Cheeseburger with bacon. The bacon was so overcook it actually cut my mouth – I hate when restaurants cook the S*&# out of bacon, leaving it hard to chew and tasteless. The meat was not seasoned either. The “Fry Sauce” is so bland you need to eat a whole mouth full to get any flavour, very disappointing. Again, Lucy’s is very HIT OR MISS**

We also tried the Pulled Pork Mac’N Cheese sandwich, sounds great on paper but was a real disappointment.

First and foremost, it looks disgusting. I could justify eating all those carbs if the macaroni was cheesy and flavourful however it was beyond bland, the bun was lame-old-white bread ( and very chewy), and the pulled pork was dry and tasteless. I do not recommend this dish, to anyone, ever.

The Winner Winner Chicken Dinner also sounded great on the menu and was visually very appetizing however, its looks were deceiving.

Not so Winner Chicken Dinner

The problem was the veggies tasted frozen, and the mashed potatoes lacked that quintessential thick creamy warm mashed potatoey goodness. I didn’t like the seasoning on the potatoes at all, it tasted watered down. The chicken was moist on the inside however the outside overdone. The gravy was O.K.

Stumble into Lucy’s on your way home from the bar for a late night snack or for a milk shake on a hot afternoon but don’t expect too much.

Lucy’s Eastside Diner
2708 Main Street, East Vancouver B.C.
Phone (604) 568 1550
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Spinach and Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce

 

Sautee tofu with garlic and shallots until tofu is crisp around the edges. Toss in coarsely chopped spinach and let wilt for 30 seconds to a minute. Pour in spicy peanut sauce (peanuts, coconut milk, chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice). Simmer until spinach and tofu are liberally covered in sauce. Serve garnished with sesame seeds.