Tacofino

Address: Variable — usually behind the Save On Foods Memorial Arena at lunchtimes
Website: http://tacofino.com/
Price: $5-10
Notes: An import taco truck with a simple but satisfying menu

I had heard the legend of the Tacofino truck long before it rolled into town. People spoke in hushed tones of their tacos, and asked if I had been to visit them in Vancouver (that answer to which is always, for any Vancouver restaurant: no, I have not). Truth be told, I did attempt to seek them out one day when I had a spare hour to kill in between a meeting and when I had to catch the ferry home, but quickly realized they were more than an hour away no matter how I sliced it. I hadn't realized that they actually originated in Tofino before spreading into the big city. 

Thankfully, they (eventually) came to me, joining the ranks of the taco-centric street food trend that hit our food scene this summer. They have their menu down to a fine art, with a simple but delicious set of base ingredients that make up a variety of tacos and burritos main fillings. What really makes the flavours is that they use cuts of meat with more flavour and pay attention to their seasonings. 

The truck was able to find permanent space behind the Save On Foods Memorial Arena, where it can be found during weekday lunch times and early afternoons. They did have a space in one of the Robbins parking lots during the evening (in fact they were the only truck in any Robbins lot!) but I see from their recent posts that that spot has been "snagged" (what that means remains unclear!). 

Food:
August 20, 2013

Tacos

It was really this visit where I realized that all of their dishes are the same, just with different 'proteins' (or vegetables). I ordered the two tacos ($5 each), the deep-fried fish and the tempura yam. They are pretty famous for their baja-style tacos, featuring local and sustainable ling cod. They are topped with spicy may, cabbage and spicy salsa that is fresh and fantastic. Again, I couldn't decide which I liked better. The fish was crunchy and well-battered. The tempura yam was also very well prepped and super crunchy.

August 1, 2013

Pork Burrito

This was an excellent pork burrito. The meat tasted slow cooked, and was very savoury. The additions to the rice were quite nice. A little bit of spice to the mayo added a nice kick, and the vegetables and salsa also had nice, and distinct, flavours to them and the little bit of sour cream just added a touch of rich, creaminess. 

Chicken Burrito

This is essentially the same base burrito as above, but somehow it manages to taste quite different with just the addition of a different protein. I loved the crispy chicken skin is included in the burrito - it really added an extra bit of flavour and texture. I think they use chicken thighs, as opposed to chicken breasts, which make for a more flavourful and less dry meat.

Service:
August 2013
I find there's not much you can say about service at food trucks - they take your order, maybe a bit of witty banter or questions and then you hang around hungrily until you call their name. The same goes for the service at Tacofino - the only weird thing (which isn't so much service as space design flaw) it was hard to heard them if they weren't sticking their head out the little window.