TacoFino Cantina, Tofino - Fish Tacos to rule all tacos

We heard about the Tacofino Cantina while doing some research of what to do and where to eat in Tofino, Vancouver Island. The quirky taco selling van rated high on everyone's must do list, so who were we to pass up on the opportunity to try some of the local fare that everyone was raving about?

It's not the easiest place to find, being tucked away at the back of a lot behind a bunch of surf shops. Luckily it has made its way onto the maps issued at the Tourist Information centre, so this was a major help! The Cantina is an old school bus that has been converted into a fast food style kitchen. You go up to the drivers window to order your food and then sit down on one of the park benches to wait for your name to be yelled out. In the time we were there, a steady stream of people came and left and we get the feeling that this place is buzzing all day long.

The menu isn't extensive - they serve Burritos, Tacos and Gringas - all available with a variety of different fillings. This appeals to me. They aren't trying to cook every dish known to man, but stick to what they are good at and perfect it over time. We ordered from across the menu and decided on a Pork Burrito, two fish Tacos (their specialty) and a black bean Gringa. We sat and waited with anticipation.

 First, the burrito. It was a 12 inch flour tortilla filled with refried black beans, seasoned basmati rice, shredded cabbage, sour cream and soft, deliciously seasoned pulled pork. The tortilla was a little undercooked for my liking which gave it a bit of a wet, slippery texture. It was, however, packed to the gills with delicious ingredients and was certainly a filling, tasty meal (and at $10 a pop, you would want it to be filling).

The Gringa wasn't anything I can really rave about. It was nice, but not incredible. It was a 6 inch tortilla filled with cheese, vegetables and black beans and then grilled. It tasted very similar to a pizza actually. 

The Gringa

The definite winner of the meal was the fish taco. It has redefined a taco for me. No longer will my mental image of a taco be the hard shell corn taco filled with beef and salad - i shall forever more think of this fish taco. It was a 6 inch flour tortilla  that had been lightly toasted and then filled with tempura battered cod, chopotle mayo, shredded cabbage and salsa. The combination of the battered fish and the fresh zesty salsa was incredible and we devoured the tacos way too quickly. Not the best overall meal we have had in Canada, but the fish taco by itself would be one of the best dishes we have had.

Fish Tacos. Splendiforabulous.

RECOMMENDED

This place is not cheap considering you are ordering out of a converted school bus. However, it is quirky, interesting and fresh food which leaves you with a nice warm belly and a feeling that for a brief moment in time, all is well in the world. Recommended if you ever get the chance to make it to this beautiful part of Vancouver Island.



The bill (for 2):
1 x Pork Burrito - CA$10
2 x Fish Tacos -CA$9
1 x Black Bean Gringas  - CA$4.50
TOTAL: CA$23.50 (Approx. US$22)

Restaurant address: 1184 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino, British Columbia, Canada

for exact locations of all reviewed restaurants, take a look at our map.

Dunn's, Vancouver - Not Quite A Deli

When I think of deli sandwiches, I picture a pile of bright pink slices of meat stuffed between two rustic slices of bread. That mental image must have been planted in my head by the movies I've watched usually involving old men sitting around in delis, since I had never actually tried one of these things myself until my recent visit to Dunn's in Vancouver.

The inside of Dunn's looked like it was entirely furnished and decorated by an upscale department store like David Jones. It was classy enough, but everything looked shiny, and of an identical age. It had a slightly plastic feel which was well out of line with how I pictured any deli sandwich shop to look. At least it was clean, and there were plenty of spare seats.

Sadly there were no weathered old characters at Dunn's when I was there. They probably don't go to Dunn's anymore since it went non smoking. Undeterred, I ordered the classic six ounce version of the Montreal Smoked Meat Deli Sandwich. The concept of protein-heavy smoked meat sammy's originated in Montreal, over on the other side of Canada, but I wanted one now.

And before long, it was delivered to my table, looking like it was chopped in half with an axe, judging from the gaping sandwich in front of me. The halves were splayed open, revealing the layers and layers of cured, smoked then steamed beef brisket, dribbling juices all glistening and warm.

The rye bread was fresh enough, but it looked very small and mass produced; once again not quite fitting within the concept of a true deli sandwich. Luckily the meat was superb. At least ten layers of meat all heaped together, with a small smear of mustard on the bread being the only other flavour imposed on the sandwich. Half a dill pickle was slumped over the side of the plate, and there were a couple of the standard sauces on the table as well, just in case anyone wanted to smother the delicate flavour of the meat.

Thanks to the softness of the meat and the freshness of the bread, the whole thing was just a little too easy to gobble down, and it was all over in a matter of seconds. I wouldn't say that the sandwich was small, but I would have expected a bit more for almost ten bucks. It wasn't as filling as you might think either, and I could have easily ordered another one, if only I hadn't been acutely aware of how that would affect the cost of my lunch.

AVERAGE

Dunn's offer larger versions of their sandwiches, with eight ounces of meat instead of six, as well as combo deals that come with salad and fries, but those start to get very expensive. I enjoyed my brief visit to Dunn's, and my time spent sampling their best known sandwich, but I won't be going back. The atmosphere verges on tacky and the sandwiches reflect that vibe as well. On top of that it just isn't good enough value to justify a repeat visit. I've been there now, I've ticked it off my list. Now I just have to wait until Montreal before giving this style of cuisine another shot.

The bill (for 1):
1 x 6oz Montreal Smoked Meat Deli Sandwich - CA$9.50
1 x Lager - CA$5.50
TOTAL: CA$15 (before tax) (Approx. US$14.50)

Restaurant address: Dunn's Famous BC, 827 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 5J3, Canada
Website: dunnsfamousbc.com

for exact locations of all reviewed restaurants, take a look at our map.

Da-De-O, Edmonton - 50's Style Cajun Dining

You wouldn't know it from the inconspicuously narrow shop front, but open the door to Da-De-O New Orleans Restaurant & Bar, and an interesting world awaits you. From the black & white chequered tiled floor to the red pleather couch booths, this place oozes old-school charm. The care and love that has been spilled into this place is obvious from the meticulous interior decorating that instantly makes you feel welcome, like you have arrived in a happy fantasy land that you never want to leave. But just like you don't go to IKEA for the great food, we weren't here for the furniture. So how was the food??

This place just stretches back for a mile

The menu was quite extensive, offering a wide range of southern fare. You could even order oysters cooked in a variety of methods should the seafood cravings kick in. However, we came to Da-De-O to try their famed Po'Boys. What is a Po'Boy? Good question, because we ordered two of them with little knowledge of what we were getting ourselves into. Basically, they are a chunky sub sandwich served with coleslaw. But not just any ordinary ham and cheese on bread kind of sandwich. These are sandwiches that take pity on the old ham & cheese and arrogantly scoff in the direction of the tuna melt. These are big sandwiches with attitude.

While we were intrigued by the oyster Po'Boy and tempted by the blackened catfish option, we opted for the Philly steak Po'Boy and the pulled BBQ pork Po'Boy. They come with salad, but for an extra $1 you can substitute the salad for their sweet potato fries. Bring on the fries!

Skip it.

Before our meals arrived, we were served with a complimentary appetiser - I would call it a scone, but I think they are known in Canada as "Biscuits". Same same, just different name. They were accompanied by a small tub of jalapeno jelly, which had a dominant vinegar flavour at first with a sugary finish. It was odd to look at and weird to taste. After the first confused bite, we politely pushed it away and waited for the main attraction to arrive.

The Po'Boys arrived shortly after and were impressive in their size, but not particularly overwhelming otherwise. Not to say they weren't nice - the Philly Steak one in particular could have passed for a really great pizza if you closed your eyes. The steak was moist and the cheese was generous. The pulled BBQ pork was a little heavy on the mustard which disguised any true meat flavour. Basically, they were just great sandwiches which had a little flare to them. The sweet potato fries however were awesome! They had been lightly battered and coated in plenty of spices which gave them a fantastic crunch on the outside but they were still soft and moist on the inside. So much better than ordinary fries.

We had just enough room for dessert so we ordered a slice of the pecan pie with ice cream. Even though the crust of the pie was a little thick, the filling was a perfect balance of sweetness and richness that was well accompanied by the ice cream. There were certainly no crumbs left on our plate by the end of it.

Pecan Pie & Ice Cream. Hard to screw that up, really.

Boring on the outside.

RECOMMENDED

Da-De-O scrapes in as a recommended on the basis of originality, good value and a great atmosphere. The Po'Boys were not the awe inspiring meal that we had hoped for, but the sweet potato fries took up some of the slack and the pie left our desert stomachs happy and satisfied. It is a good option for a relatively cheap meal out that's fast, but doesn't taste like fast food.





The bill (for 2):
1 x Philly Cheese Steak Po'Boy with Sweet Potato Fries - CA$10.00
1 x Pulled BBQ Pork Po'Boy with Sweet Potato Fries - CA$10.00
1 x Slice of Pecan Pie - CA$6.00
TOTAL: CA$26.00 (Approx. US$25.50)

Note: All Po'Boy sandwiches are only $9 on Mondays and Tuesdays ($1 extra for sweet potato fries). They are usually a couple of bucks more.

Restaurant address: 10548 Whyte Avenue, Edmonton, T6E 2A4, Canada
Website: http://www.dadeo.ca/

for exact locations of all reviewed restaurants, take a look at our map.

Fat Frank's, Edmonton - Must Love Dogs

Hotdogs. Uniformly shaped, pink, rubbery tubes of meat and meat-by-product, ironically containing every animal except dog; and served on a lot of streetcorners here in Canada. This review was inevitable.

Fat Franks is a chain of 'dog vendors which usually operate from your standard sidewalk hotdog carts. We found one run inside a proper little shack on the side of the road, looking clean and smelling smokey. It would do just fine.

Before extras. Like a blank canvas.

The chain is best known for it's Honey Ham Smokie, so we ordered one of those, as well as a chili cheese dog. A fellow customer explained to me that a smokie is a sausage of higher quality, both in terms of spices and meats used. High quality hotdog eh? Sounded like an oximoron to me.

The most interesting thing about the hotdog culture is the vast array of condiments that you are encouraged to use to dress up your otherwise dry dog, which allows for endless variations of flavour. My pet sandwich smothered with raw onion, cucumber relish, sauerkraut and curried mustard. No surprise that after all that I couldn't make out the honey ham flavour at all. It was just a big, messy hotdog. Did I say messy? I mean it was an astronomical, apocolyptic dreadnaught of destruction. Imagine the Exxon Valdez spill if it was filled with curried mustard. Oh, and it was blowing a gale at the time. And there were no seats. Got the picture? I probably should have skipped the part where I tried to eat the thing, and just smeared it all over my shirt and trousers, just to save time.

Our end result.

The chili dog had the added benefit of extra richness thanks to the meat, with the drawbacks being the awful liquid cheese sauce dripping all over it, and the fact that this hotdog had become something closer to a soup once even more condiments were committed to the concoction.

Beer mustard. What a great idea.

AVERAGE

The flavour of each dog was dominated by whatever condiments were plopped on top, so my advice would be to get whatever the most basic, cheap hotdog is available, and then dress it up with a kilo of extras. There was no major difference between the smokie / regular dog in my opinion. Ill happily try another smokie at another vendor, in another town, but as far as Fat Franks go, Ill stick to the basics.



The bill (for 2):
1 x Honey Ham Smokie -CA$5.25
1 x Chili Cheese Dog - CA$5.70
TOTAL: CA$10.95 (Approx. US$10.50)

Restaurant address: Whyte Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

for exact locations of all reviewed restaurants, take a look at our map.