Car Free Day at Main Street: Street Food Edition
Event: Car Free Day, Main Street, Vancouver
Featured Items: Steamed beef momo ($15), everything dumpling bowl with pan fried rice noodles ($11 + $5), esquites ($12)
Verdict: A mixed bag, but the perfect closer made the day worth it.
Car Free Day at Main Street is bigger this year, with more streets closed to traffic than Commercial Drive last week. We were of course there for the day, ready to explore what the street had to offer. Let me walk you through what we ate.
That Momo Spot: The Comparison
First stop was That Momo Spot, and I got their steamed beef momo hoping to finally compare it with BC Momo Restaurant on Seymour. The momo is beefy with juices inside, but there's not much flavour beyond that. Now I understand why my colleagues insist that BC Momo has the best, because this is not even close. The comparison has sealed the deal for me.
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| Steamed beef momo, juicy but lacking seasoning. |
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| A peek inside the momo. |
House of Yee: The Letdown
Our next bite came from House of Yee and their gluten-free dumplings. We ordered their everything dumpling bowl ($11) which came with one golden dumpling, one jade dumpling, two chicken dumplings, and two pork dumplings, plus pan fried rice noodles ($5 extra). The dough is noticeably thick, which I guess is the trade-off with gluten-free, but the filling is bland. There's barely any seasoning, and only the golden curry dumpling has actual flavour. We added the rice noodles because they smelled absolutely incredible while we were standing in line, but unfortunately those are bland too.
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| The everything dumpling bowl: good intentions, bland execution. |
Los Elotes: The Redemption
Thankfully the weather was friendly and gorgeous because up to this point, the food had been genuinely subpar. But then we got to our final bite from Los Elotes, and everything changed. The esquites ($12) is absolutely satisfying, a paper cup filled with tender corn kernels topped with creamy feta cheese, rich mayonnaise, and a beautiful spice blend. It's so great and comforting, the kind of street food that reminds you why you love these events in the first place. Thank goodness for such a comforting way to end Car Free Day.
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| Esquites: corn, feta, mayo, spice, and redemption in a cup. |
Sometimes Car Free Day is about the experience, the sunshine, the walk with someone you love, and the satisfaction of finding that one food vendor that gets it right. Los Elotes was that vendor for us. If you're heading to a street festival, this is the kind of simple, honest street food that reminds you why these events are special.
Have you been to Car Free Day on Main Street, or do you have a favourite street festival food vendor in Vancouver? Drop a comment, I'd love to hear about your finds!
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