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We’re playing matchmaker and combining takeout dishes from various Vancouver restaurants to make the tastiest food combos ever
Ordering takeout can sometimes feel like a dining cop-out – but it can actually be a chance to build the perfect meal at home. We’ve selected some of the city’s most popular dishes that are a delight on their own, but when combined with other culinary hits, magic happens. To double your pleasure, all you have to do is dial.
Both locations of La Taqueria are small, so grabbing tacos to go is a good idea. If you’re at the Cambie Street location, add a little green to your meal by heading around the corner to Peaceful. This northern Chinese restaurant makes green beans so tasty and crispy, you’ll forget you’re eating a vegetable. Go for an order of the Sichuan beans for a little spice – the heat from the chillies goes particularly well with the carnitas al pastor tacos (pork marinated in achiote chilli and pineapple). If you prefer flavours that are a bit milder, the fragrant garlic beans will not disappoint.
La Taqueria, 2549 Cambie Street; Peaceful Restaurant, 532 West Broadway
If you want to skip the line (but not the flavour) at local celebrity chef Vij’s eponymous restaurant, consider ordering takeout from its casual cousin/neighbour, Rangoli. The kale, jackfruit, cauliflower, and potato curry is delicious, whether you’re vegetarian or not. Swap the typical order of vegetable pakoras for a side dish that’s a little different: the avocado frites at nearby Heirloom Restaurant are a nutrient-rich alternative to French fries. Slices of just-ripe avocado are lightly dredged in cornmeal then fried before being tossed in paprika. The avocado offers a creamy, mild contrast to the curry spices, and the tangy house-made ketchup that comes with the frites adds a touch of acidity to the meal.
Rangoli, 1488 West 11th Avenue; Heirloom Restaurant, 1509 West 12th Avenue
The next time you’re picking up one of Pizzeria Farina’s delicious pies (we recommend the fully loaded spicy Finocchiona), swing by Phnom Penh Cambodian restaurant for an order of the deep-fried chicken wings to go. We already know that pizza and wings pair well – pizza delivery joints have been marketing these finger foods together for years. Plus, Phnom Penh’s chicken wings, with their fried garlic topping and tangy dipping sauce, are legendary in the city. Fennel sausage on the Finocchiona is a perfect match for the salt-and-pepper spices on the wings, and that fresh hit of lemon in the dipping sauce cuts through the creamy provolone on the pizza. This isn’t to say that this combo won’t leave you in a food coma – because it will – but it’s definitely worth it.
Pizzeria Farina, 915 Main Street; Phnom Penh, 244 East Georgia Street
The rotisserie chicken at Homer Street Cafe is one of the best in the city and can be ordered whole, halved or quartered. The dish is served with a side of peewee potatoes, roasted golden-brown with the chicken drippings. Take an already-amazing chicken dinner to a whole ’nother level and drop by the Yaletown location of the Flying Pig on your way home. The restaurant’s Brussels sprouts are the stuff of cabbage dreams – lightly fried until crisp and topped with lemon juice, shaved Parmesan and capers. While you’re at it, order a side of the bone marrow cheezy bread, which is just as decadent as it sounds. You’ll need something to mop up all of the delicious flavours on your plate.
Homer Street Cafe and Bar, 898 Homer Street; The Flying Pig, 1168 Hamilton Street
Feeling stuffed after a meal at Ask for Luigi is a given, but you’d be foolish to leave without taking dessert home. The Railtown restaurant’s olive oil cake is the star of the show here and its subtle, almost savoury flavour is the perfect pick-me-up once you’ve let your meal settle. The delicate, pale loaf is dressed simply with fresh whipped cream and thin orange slices, making it the perfect pairing for chocolate. At East Van Roasters (just a few blocks away in Gastown), single-origin drinking chocolate is made from organic, fair-trade beans. Grab one of these special hot chocolates to pair with the cake and soak in the sweetness.
Ask for Luigi, 305 Alexander Street; East Van Roasters, 319 Carrall Street