EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival

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EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival crowds
Crowds inside the festival

Foodies, bring your appetites! The eighth annual EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival is going on for three days this weekend at the new Vancouver Convention Centre, just west of Canada Place. Celebrity chefs, local restaurateurs and food producers are showcasing their skills and creations for everyone to try.

Right when you walk in, your senses are overtaken with many wonderful flavours enticing you to taste. Most of the food was available tapas style with small, easy bites, while others overflowed the plates making an almost modest meal. However, the samples were not entirely free, seeing as you had to purchase tickets (separate from the price of admission) for each sample. Tickets are only available at a booth near the entrance, with 10 tickets for $5 or 20 for $10.

There is a wide selection of cuisines to choose from: Korean, Mexican, South Asian, Chinese, Peruvian, Italian, fusion, and local, just to name a few. For vegetarians, there are many non-meat dishes, soups and alternatives available. Some booths had free samples of cheeses, breads, local honey and fruits which was all fresh and tasty.

EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival Rob Feenie
Rob Feenie demonstrates how to handle red beets

Of course, aside from the snacking, there were plenty of interactive demonstrations focusing on food preparation and unique utensils. Chef Rob Feenie was up on stage preparing red beets for a seafood dish and providing tips on how to handle the vegetable. Other booths catered to personal health and wellbeing along with pet food and nutrition.

The only downside is that the room gets crowded pretty quickly and if you’re carrying a plate, it’s easy to drop the contents or have them spill on someone else. That and there weren’t too many garbage cans around, and the ones that were available, you had to artfully stack your plate or cutlery on top of the teetering pile.

The festival runs for one more day, this Sunday, so go early and make sure your stomach is empty. Remember, buy your tickets online to save $3 off the full price for admission. EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival is definitely worth attending.

 

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