likebyregina Merry Christmas to you all! Although there aren’t many shops open in Vancouver today, you can plan ahead for the remaining days of December to enjoy the last bit of the holiday. This year, Aurora Vancouver expanded and moved its location from Carrall Street to the PNE. In addition to the traditional holiday lights, there are over 20 food trucks available in Aurora. A few days ago, I was invited to a food truck tour to feature 7 of them.
Cannoli King
Cannoli King specializes in an authentic Italian dessert, cannoli. The crispy shell is filled with flavoured ricotta or custard. For Christmas, Cannoli King features three holiday edition flavours, Eggnog, Gingerbread, and Cranberry Orange Pecan. I am not a big fan of eggnog and gingerbread, but I love the Cranberry Orange Pecan. The ricotta filling is creamy and slightly tart, with a good crunch from the pecan. I recommend getting the mini flight, which includes three mini cannolis of your choice. It gives you more varieties with an affordable price.
Cartems Donuts
Did you know Cartems Donuts has a food truck? I am surprised to see one at Aurora, which it sells some of the best sellers, along with two Aurora-limited flavors. Dulce Honeycomb and Haskap Berry Shortbread. I was first attracted to the Dulce Honeycomb, as it is something I don’t normally see in a donut shop. It has a lovely crunch from the honeycomb, and it is an interesting combination. However, I found it heavy and sweet after the first few bites. Instead, Haskap Berry Shortbread tastes a hint of sourness from the berry glaze, which I love it so much.
Green Coast Coffee
Almost everything is made in house at Green Coast Coffee. It is lovely to see a food truck that sells a wide selection of hot beverages, including fresh-pressed apple cider, hot chocolate, and coffee. The owners also take care of customers with lactose, and they made the flavoured mylk in house, such as macadamia and hazelnut mylk. I tried the Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate, using the fresh hazelnut mylk. It is vegan, and I love the concept behind this café. However, I would probably add a shot of espresso next time as it is too sweet for me.
Shameless Buns
To make it extra festive, Shameless Buns launches a Aurora Christmas menu, which I am curious about the dessert the most – A Very “Pinoy” Christmas. It is a Buko Pandan French Toast, with Nutella and condensed milk. I am not sure what the buko pandan whip trees are, but the red coconut jelly definitely sounds interesting. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to try it, instead I got the Adobo Fries which I have tried before at the xxxxxxxx festival.
Meat & Bread
It has been so long since I last tried Meat & Bread, and it is nice to get my hands dirty for them again! They were featuring the Hot Turkey Sandwich. It has a generous amount of turkey, pairing with yam purée, winter slaw, and cranberry spread. It is delightful and heartwarming. The bun is slightly crunchy, and the flavor is light, which is perfect after all those flavorful foods. I highly recommend getting it, as the price is reasonable, and the sandwich is definitely filling.
The Praguery
Our last stop ends at the Praguery, which features chimney cakes. You can choose among the cinnamon, almond, or coconut chimney cakes. The Christmas Edition is covered with white chocolate and sprinkles on one side. You can even ask to spread a thin layer of Nutella or other toppings inside the chimney cake. The chimney cake has a hint of orange flavor, which I don’t think it pairs well with the cinnamon one.
Overall Impression
If you haven’t been to Aurora Vancouver, you still have chance to visit and explore. It is huge with many attractions within the PNE. However, I found it more expensive than other similar holiday attractions in Vancouver. You would have to pay for rides, in addition to food and drinks. One of the things I enjoyed is the wide selection of food trucks in Aurora Vancouver. After trying a few of them, I highly recommend getting the Hot Turkey sandwich from Meat & Bread, as well as the Haskap Berry Shortbread donut from Cartems Donuts.
Taste : N/A • Service: N/A • Ambiance: 4/5 • Quality-Price: 3.5/5
