10 quick bites in Vancouver

6. La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop

Carnitas tacos with pickled red onions at La Taqueria Pinche in Vancouver — Carnitas tacos with pickled red onions at La Taqueria Pinche

Tacos at La Taqueria Pinche in Vancouver — Tacos at La Taqueria Pinche: al pastor, tinga de pollo, pollo con mole, de cachete, carnitas

Best tacos in town is the word I heard about La Taqueria Pinche, and, while I haven’t had any other tacos in Vancouver, the accolades seem to check out. The carnitas with pickled red onions and al pastor with pineapple win for most photogenic, and I’ll give the carnitas and the braised beef cheeks (de cachete) my best in show.

7. Rain or Shine Ice Cream

The Blueberry Balsamic at Rain or Shine Ice Cream in Vancouver — The Blueberry Balsamic at Rain or Shine Ice Cream

Rain or Shine Ice Cream shines with its array of interesting flavors. This scoop of Blueberry Balsamic definitely hit the spot for me.

8. Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle

Champion braised beef with noodle in tomato soup at Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle in Vancouver — Champion braised beef with noodle in tomato soup

Marinated beef wrap at Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle in Vancouver — Marinated beef wrap

The Richmond neighborhood of Vancouver is known as a hub for authentic, top-notch Asian cuisine. Among its more popular eateries is Chef Hung’s, whose namesake has won awards in Taiwan for his beef noodle soup (a quintessential Taiwanese dish).

Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle on TripAdvisor | Yelp | Foursquare | Official website

9. Aberdeen Centre Food Court in Richmond

Hainanese chicken rice at the Aberdeen Centre in Vancouver — Hainanese chicken rice

Fried chicken wings at Wo Fung Dessert in the Aberdeen Centre Vancouver — Fried chicken wings at Wo Fung Dessert

Richmond replicates my favorite thing about Asia—their awesome, I-don’t-have-to-go-anywhere-else-ever mall food courts. The Aberdeen Centre Food Court has a strong selection of your favorite Asian dishes. Hainanese chicken rice is my jam, and the deep fried chicken wings at Wo Fung Dessert are a must-try, even if they’re not a dessert at all.

10. The Crystal Mall Food Court in Burnaby

The Crystal Mall in Burnaby has another food court that specializes in Asian cuisines. A bit older and less airy than Aberdeen Centre, it’s not one I would necessarily visit unless I was in the area. Nevertheless, it was fun to dispatch everyone in my group to different food stalls and see the impressive collection of dumplings and noodles we assembled.

The Crystal Mall Food Court on | Yelp | Foursquare | Official website