Today I was at Food by Fanta, one of the only restaurants that would have me driving all the way to Langley for a meal.
I visited with Shelley, one of the judges for this year’s Vancouver Foodster Taco Challenge. There were four contenders putting their tacos on the chopping block, to see which one rules them all. Each one being judged based on presentation, originality, and taste.
Today this was a Thai inspired trio created specifically for the occasion and was only available during the competition run. This was a charcoal crepe folded to resemble a taco and stuffed with what read like a paragraph of mashed ingredients. Truthfully, I thought this all would be better served over rice as a rice bowl.
Southern Thai style dry curry sir fry with Wagyu; topped with grated green purple cabbages, spinach, Thai Naam Jim aioli, Gruyère and mozzarella, an avocado sauce, shredded green beans, carrots, and dill pickle. Garnished with sweet peppers and edible flowers for Fanta’s iconic garden-aesthetic presentation. Similarly, each taco was standing erect in a bed of dried beans. This bed was not to be eaten, but were just for show, so I assume reused for that purpose. I was not a fan, as I am a firm believer that all food garnishes should be edible, and not warning diners as such could have result in a chipped tooth.
As for the taco itself, there was so much going on and not all of it felt cohesive. The cheese and dill were the curve ball, but weren’t all that noticeable in the grand scheme of things. I liked the texture that the crepe brought, but there was not enough of it to balance out everything else the filling was bringing to the forefront.
Little did we know that this would be foreshadowing the rest of our meal. We kept all our dishes Thai focused, but with their bright citrus and heavy handed salting it had us looking for drinks to cope.
Here I can whole heartedly recommend the Thai Green Tea. It has the sweet character and the mouthfeel of Thai ice tea, but flavoured with the smoothness of green tea. Green tea, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Creamy and not matcha heavy, with notes of floral and simple sugar. I finished one glass quick and in hindsight wished I ordered another.
Shelley got the Roselle Fizz, seeing that it came in a fun fish shaped glass and wanting a moment with it. Unfortunately in terms of functionality she found the glass heavy and hard to lift by its tail handle. Luckily she also got a thick straw that made taking sips easier, and sucking in the lychee popping pearls at the bottom possible. This was a sweeter mocktail that was heavier on the tropical side with a spritzy lychee flavour, roselle syrup, pink cranberries, lychee soda, and lime.
We are both fans of Fanta’s original restaurant, also in Langley: Ban Chok Dee for traditional and authentic Thai cuisine. Whereas Food by Fanta is the creative project with more Thai fusion flavours and dishes unlike any other. Whimsical with flowers, and more catered towards those who enjoy sweet over savoury. As we are more fond of the latter, we gravitated toward what read like traditional Thai dishes on the menu.
Therefore Pad Thai was a must. Described as “Classic Thai stir-fried rice noodles with house-made tamarind sauce”. However the plate stayed true to Food by Fanta’s dedication to presentation by having the lot of the noodles wrapped in an egg blanket and topped with two large tiger prawns. It certain left us impressed. Although before we could eat it we had to have the trouble of chopping up the sheet of egg and incorporating it into the noodles, before topping all of it with crunchy crushed peanuts that were presented on the side. I liked the chew of the thicker rice noodle used, my guest said it reminded her of rubber bands. I also liked the flavours with lemon grass and tamarind, but found it all together too salty to enjoy. Although appreciated the lingering flavours that they left in my mouth. And let it be known, this didn’t stop us from eating and finishing the dish.
We preferred the Khao Kluk Kapi Bowl instead. This was Thai fried rice infused with fermented sauce, cucumber, green mango, green beans, shredded fried-egg, pork belly, cilantro, shallots, and house fried garlic. Like the dish before, for the sake of presentation we had to toss it all together before digging in. This smelled as good as it looked and tasted exactly as you wanted and imagined. Not over salted, just balanced. Fresh vegetable and gummy rice, the fry just could have been crispier. Tasty as is or great as an indulgent base.
The unexpected was the Seared Eggplant with Green Curry. We weren’t expecting it to be served whole, this was quite the shocking presentation and not all that appetizing. This is eggplant that is seared then baked with herb butter. Topped with poached carrot and presented with a silky green curry sauce on the side. I got butternut from the churned and buttery baked texture of the carrots, the eggplant was not the dominant flavour profile here.
Instead of the more traditional rice for base, you ate this with a collection of buttered ciabatta for dipping and scooping. However the bread was so crunchy tough that it didn’t absorb any of the curry. I really wanted rice, especially as all the flavour was in the curry sauce and there was so much of it. Or at least naan as a vehicle for scooping. Vegan or not, this was a delicious dish I would order again.
In short, it is never a dull time at Food with Fanta, and each time I visit there is always something new to discover.
Food by Fanta
102 – 20542 Fraser Hwy, Langley, BC V3A 4G2
604-530-6803
foodbyfanta.com
