I had promised a follow-up post with some advice on cheap eats and street food, but it looks like some of my fellow Vancouverites have beaten me to it with some great responses to the "Where to Eat in Vancouver" post. So instead, I've summarized their responses and added a few of my own recommendations.
Street Food
Thanks to a new initiative from the city of Vancouver, the downtown core is slowly being taken over by street food vendors. Here are a few favorites:
Roaming Dragon
Focusing on pan-Asian cuisine, this cart has quickly gained a strong following and praises (voted Best Food Cart by Vancouver magazine). Don't miss their delicious pork buns.
JapaDog
In 2007, Anthony Bourdain featured this unique food cart on his show and since then, JapaDogs has become a culinary landmark spot. Enjoy this Japanese-Canadian take on the hot dog: kurobuta dogs drizzled with terimayo and sprinkled with shredded seaweed.
The Kaboom Box
The Kaboom Box specializes in local ingredients and brings top-notch culinary delights to the masses. My favorite is the oyster po'boy but don't miss their BC version of poutine (with mushroom gravy).
Cartel Tacos
Korean-Mexican fusion tacos—it doesn't get more local than this! The sweet and spicy Mexican and Korean flavors mix deliciously together in this fast food treat.
Locate all the following options in this handy map and iPhone app. For more local favorites, check out Vancouver magazine's list of top eats, including write-ups on the ones listed above.
Other Cheap Eats
Fritz
If you have not yet tried the Canadian delicacy poutine, Fritz is the place to go. The menu consists exclusively of fries with flavors and toppings to satisfy any taste bud.
Giovane
Kitty-corner to the Vancouver Convention Centre and inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim, this is a great place to grab coffee and a pastry on the way to your morning session. At the end of the day, sneak into the hotel lounge for a cocktail or grab a seat at the oyster bar for a local snack.
Sciue
Just a couple of blocks away from the conference, Sciue serves delicious Italian-style pizzas, paninis, and great Americanos! Juda's Goat A delicious Spanish-inspired tapas bar in Gastown's Blood Alley. It's a great place to sit down with colleagues at the end of the day for a good chat over pintxos and a glass of wine.
As this is the last post prior to the conference, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish you, on behalf of the NAFSA Local Arrangements Committee and myself, a wonderful time at NAFSA's 2011 Annual Conference & Expo. May you find the sessions inspiring, the conversations with colleagues enriching, and the new connections long-lasting. It is not often that we have the luxury to take pause and reflect on our practice and purpose as international educators. We hope that you make the best of this opportunity and in the midst of this, that you enjoy our city as much as we will enjoy having you.
Happy NAFSA!
Carol Zachs is the Local Arrangements Committee (LAT) communications chair for NAFSA’s 2011 Annual Conference & Expo. After completing an internship in 2000-01 at the University of Aarhus’ International Secretariat in Denmark, Carol has worked in the field of international education ever since. Currently, she serves as the manager of study and research abroad at the University of British Columbia, where she is also completing graduate work in education. Originally from Mexico City, Carol has been a Vancouver resident for the past 24 years. Carol looks forward to showcasing what Vancouver has to offer to all of the conference attendees.