The GOODS from Torafuku
Vancouver, BC | One of Vancouver’s most loved and missed food trucks, Le Tigre will be revving up a new engine and hitting the streets on October 30. The original Le Tigre truck was retired in May 2019; the new and revamped menu features a vibrant lineup of dishes full of bright and bold flavours. This mobile sister eatery to the loved Torafuku restaurant is lead by Chef Steve Kuan and Chef Jace Yun. The pair worked alongside one another in the Torafuku kitchen, Kuan as Owner and Chef and Yun as Sous Chef. The truck will be dishing up old favourites with fresh spins along with new items all priced between $7-13. Expect to see nods to Kuan’s Taiwanese heritage in the menu while Yun, who originates from South Korea, infuses a touch of Korean technique and tastes to the offerings. Each dish the duo serves up is a multisensory sequence of effects expressed with a unique combination of flavours and technique.
Le Tigre draws on various Asian flavours, presenting unique combinations, all executed using traditional techniques such as steaming, braising, deep frying and fermenting. When limited restaurant seatings and social distancing measures have rewritten lunch crowd habits, Le Tigre offers approachable cuisine on the go. “We’re serving up food featuring flavours we grew up with and love eating, available at an affordable price. We hope this model appeals to those who wish to explore new cuisines but may not be comfortable dining out or have had their income impacted by the pandemic,” shares Kuan.
The menu will include three of the much-loved and lunch-perfect Kickass Rice Bowls (Braised Beef, Crispy Chicken, Brussel Sprouts), all of which feature Le Tigre’s signature rice cooked with sake butter, ginger, garlic and dashi alongside a poached egg, herbs and pickled cabbage slaw. Some other menu highlights include: Pork Belly Salad, a fragrant salad of herbs and thinly sliced shabu-shabu style pork belly topped with chunks of crispy kickass rice; house made bao buns including the Beef Brisket Fried Bun with gochujang cabbage slaw, pickled radish, horseradish, candied peanuts; Ugly Dumpling, picturesque whole shrimp and pork dumplings on aromatic salad; and the Soy Egg, a refreshing combination of konjac noodles, soy-marinated ramen egg in a chili sauce, served cold.
The sleekly wrapped blue truck is scheduled to appear at four different locations through Tuesday-Friday, including a stop at 33 Acres Brewing Company and also the Railway neighbourhood. To celebrate the truck’s return, the first 40 customers on October 30 will be able to enjoy the Braised Beef Kickass Rice Bowl for 50% off ($6.50 discounted price) or enjoy a complimentary Sweet Passion Fruit Tea.
The truck’s services will be available for private events; booking enquiries can be made by contacting [email protected]. The full menu offerings and truck schedule updates can be viewed on the website here.
Truck Launch Schedule:
Tuesday: Broadway & Ash | 11:30am-2:00pm
Wednesday: Railway & Jackson | 11:30am-2:00pm
Thursday: Granville & 10th | 11:30am-2:00pm
Friday: 33 Acres Brewery | 11:30am-2:00pm
ABOUT TORAFUKU | Meaning “lucky tiger” in Japanese, Torafuku is nestled on the border of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown at 958 Main Street, offering elevated Asian cuisine by Le Tigre food truck owner Steve Kuan. Designed for sharing, the casual and inventive menu explores the borders of pan-Asian food with classical French and Italian influences. Dishes are playful in spirit and serious in execution, delivering vibrant interpretations of flavours traditionally found in Japanese, Taiwanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cuisine. Every plate features seasonal ingredients sourced straight from local farmers. For more information, please visit torafuku.ca.