Schema Magazine

Photo courtesy of vancitybuzz.com

It finally feels like summer in Vancouver, and the downtown streets are packed with people soaking up the sun. But when lunchtime rolls around, don't succumb to the sea of hot dog carts; there are actually tons of ethnic street food options that are a lot more interesting than an undercooked sausage encased in Wonderbread.

Back in April, in a campaign to liven up Vancouver's street food scene, the City of Vancouver approved licenses for 12 offbeat carts to operate downtown. It was a picky process, too; the city considered dozens of applications, created a shortlist of 25 and narrowed it down to the 12 best options.

Here are Schema's top five ethnic food carts to visit in Vancouver:

JAPADOG (Burrard and Smithe St.)

Photo courtesy of boredinvancouver.com

It looks like a hotdog, it feels like a hotdog, it tastes like sushi? There's no way to avoid mentioning this hugely popular fusion food cart. Their unconventional hotdogs are topped with everything from seaweed flakes to miso suace to kimchi. Choose from a long menu and from four different locations throughout the downtown core.

SOHO ROAD NAAN KEBAB (Howe and Smithe St.)

Photo courtesy of thevancouversun.com

Fresh, authentic naan wrapped around butter chicken, tandoori or spicy vegetables. Also check out their chai tea.

LE TIGRE (Thurlow and Alberni St.)

Photo courtesy of thevancouversun.com

This cart offers Chinese dim sum with a street food twist. And you can eat ethically too: Le Tigre only uses local, seasonal ingredients, organic meat and sustainable seafood. The BBQ beef in puff pastry is especially good.

RIMFOODBAHT (Hamilton and Robson St.)

Photo courtesy of thevancouversun.com

This cart's name is taken from the Thai word for street food. Choose from an ever-changing menu of curries served with jasmine or brown rice. You can also get fresh coconut milk or thai iced tea to drink.

GUANACO TRUCK (Seymour and W. Georgia St.)

Photo courtesy of vancitybuzz.com

Guanaco Truck specializes in Salvadoran pupusas (thick corn tortillas stuffed with meat, cheese and vegetables). The brightly coloured truck and salsa music set a festive tone. But the real draw is their fried plantains: hot, crispy and a definite step up from boring old french fries.