Stir Cheat Sheet: All the things to eat at the 2022 Vancouver Folk Music Festival

New options include lobster rolls, liquid-nitrogen ice cream, and Japanese-Hawaiian fusion food

By Gail Johnson

Mister Artisan Ice Cream.

FROM ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO to Debashish Bhattacharya to Witch Prophet, the killer lineup at the 2022 Vancouver Folk Music Festival is gloriously diverse. And while of course inspiring artists such as Allison Russell, the New Pornographers, Taj Mahal, SGaanaGwa are the main draw, it’s the overall experience that makes the Jericho Beach Park event so magical. The Artisan Market and Folk Bazaar has everything from belly dancing outfits to handwoven linen scarves to blown glass, all things crafted by local artisans. Then there is the food.

Just as much curation goes into the fest’s culinary offerings as into the musical acts. The team scrutinizes applicants’ food-safety standards, obviously, and considers at what’s on their menus. But that’s just the beginning.

“We look at things like their food philosophy and why they make the food that they make,” says Anya Keefe, the festival’s manager of food and beverage operations who trained at Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver.

The crew looks for plant-based options for vegans and vegetarians and choices that are gluten-free, lactose-free, and allergen-free for people with dietary restrictions, allergies, and intolerances. They look for a selection of affordable options and whether ingredients are local, sustainable, and organic—not that those items are required to participate, but “if it comes down to a choice between two vendors with very similar menus, we will often lean towards the one that does,” Keefe says.

“And, then, frankly, it comes down to our visceral reactions to items on the menu,” she says. “Do we have an “oh my god, this sounds so delicious—I can't wait to eat this!” type of reaction? If we do, those vendors are added to the short list.”

In creating the short list, the team strives for a balance between the number of returning vendors and that of new vendors. This year, it’s close to a 50-50 split: of this year’s 29 food vendors, 15 are returning vendors, and 14 are new. The latter includes Dos Amigos (tacos, nachos, Baja fries, and churros); Mom’s Grilled Cheese (which also offers tomato soup); Chilango Mango (everybody loves mango on a stick!), Organic Villa Catering (hello, tornado potato, with a cup of masala chai on the side).

Here’s a closer look at some of the fest’s other newcomers.

Crack On.

#1

Crack On

This Vancouver-based food truck specializes in the craft of breakfast sandwiches on grilled sourdough that focus on the “universally beloved and versatile ingredient”, the (free-range) egg.

There’s the Crack Sandwich, with Two Rivers Speciality Meats’ maple sausage, fried egg, Havarti, candied jalapeño, tomato relish, lemon, garlic, and thyme aioli. Plant in Love is a vegan variation, with hash brown, plant-based sausage, plant-based “cheddar”, pickled red onions, and tomato relish. (Gluten-free options are available.) Then there’s loaded hash browns: bacon, cheddar, pickled red onion, candied jalapeño, and gochujang aioli.

(Side note: These gourmet hand-helds would be just the thing to go with Theatre Under the Stars’ Something Rotten!)

JAPADOG.

#2

JAPADOG

Vancouver’s favourite hot-dog stand makes its folk-fest debut this year. Franks, including plant-based versions, come with savoury Japanese toppings, like veggie yakisoba (fried noodles), tonkatsu (panko-breaded deep-fried pork cutlet), menchikatsu (panko-breaded deep-fried meat cutlet), wagyu terimayo, and veggie oroshi (grated radish, green onions, and special soy sauce), to name a few.

Kyu Grill.

#3

Kyu Grill

What started as a food cart in Winnipeg in 2015 serving Japanese-Hawaiian fusion dishes has expanded its fleet of mobile units and bricks-and-mortar locations throughout Manitoba and food trucks in Vancouver and Burnaby. With a range of frites on offer (including one with roasted seaweed), it’s best known for its hero sandwiches, like braised pork-belly skewer, mango chicken, noriyaki (pork skewer with teriyaki sauce, coleslaw, nori strips, mayo, and sesame seeds).

Mister Artisan Ice Cream.

#4

Mister Artisan Ice Cream

It’s the most dramatic ice-cream-making show you’ll ever see: with wafts of what looks like smoke billowing out of the blender, you might think you’re in front a witch’s cauldron thanks to the seemingly magical use of liquid nitrogen to freeze pure ingredients on the spot, fast, at ultra-low temperatures. The science behind it means smaller ice crystals and less air than what’s typically produced in grocery-store ice cream; taste-wise, it’s rich and creamy and comes in creative made-to-order flavours like avocado, pineapple, and crème brûlée.

Fans of Earnest Ice Cream, do not fret: they’ll be on-site at the fest, too, serving up their small-batch ice-cream sandwiches.

Salty’s Lobster Shack. Photo by @vantasticfeasts

#5

Salty’s Lobster Shack

It’s a taste of Halifax here in Vancouver with the food cart’s famous lobster rolls served with all-dressed potato chips. Also on the menu: lobster mac ’n’ cheese, lobster or crab grilled cheese sandwiches, lobster bisque, crab rolls, and more.

Takenaka.

#6

Takenaka

Takenaka sous-chef Daiki Ishikawa makes art out of dishes such as sushi rolls (prawn or salmon with avocado, yuzu tuna, snow crab, and scallop), uni or bluefin tuna temaki, aburi sushi, sushi bowls, curry and rice, and chicken karaage.

The Dragon Bowl.

#7

The Dragon Bowl

Healthy is never ho-hum in the hands of this capable team, which pours love into its abundant bowls of shredded greens and veggies on a bed of rice, topped with toasted seeds and a golden dressing, with a choice of topping, such as chicken or tofu.

The venture got its start when the founders needed a way to pay tuition fees.
“We combined our love for great food, a funky 1970's holidaire trailer, some fantastic festivals and markets on Vancouver Island... and voila! the Dragon Bowl was born!” the Dragon Bowl team explains on its website. “Our mission is to keep festival goers and market patrons well fed with a delicious meal. All of our menu items are made from scratch using fresh ingredients :)We choose to use local and organic ingredients whenever possible because we feel that buying homegrown products, from farmers markets, and local producers, contributes to a healthy planet... and a great taste!”

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