Revel in the food – it's a PNE tradition
Credit to Author: Gordon McIntyre| Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2019 23:47:40 +0000
Chow bella, here’s to the beautiful eats next to the midway.
Take the Corn Dog King, for example, a staple PNE fare.
Founded 50 years ago by the late Jack Hunter, Corn Dog King has upped its game from last year, when it introduced the pizza corn dog, by offering the $9 ramen-noodle corn dog this summer.
“Every year we try to do something new and fun,” Hunter’s stepson Jason Faria said. “Ramen is super trendy right now and we decided to introduce it to the fair with a twist.
“New foods don’t outsell classics, ever. But at the Calgary Stampede, the ramen corn dogs outsold the classic corn dogs two-to-one.”
The Corn Dog King’s Jason Faria and his fusion corn dog for the 2019 PNE Fair, the cheesy ramen dog.
Faria came up with the idea of introducing a new taste every summer back in 2014 during a sleepless night spent wondering about the future of his business.
“Back then a new fusion was unique. Now it’s just an integral part of what we do,” he said. “New food has to be introduced every year now.”
A number of other novel dining options make their debut at the PNE Fair this year, dill pickles being among the trendiest, such as the dill-pickle pie at Rick’s Pizza.
It’s delicious.
Rick’s Pizza specialty, the dill pickle pizza, at the PNE Fair.
“Once we come out with a hit like this, everyone claims they’ve done it before,” Tristin Ukmar, Rick’s son, said with a laugh.
It’s $8 a slice.
The PNE Fair food booths keep expanding in number and menu choices.
There’s Jimmy’s Lunch, where the fourth generation of the Parsons family offers their 1929 special in honour of the booth’s 90th anniversary: Two Jimmy’s Lunch burgers, large fries and two small drinks for $29.
The Parsons have employed more than 5,000 teens over the years, including former NHL star Brett Hull, peeling and cutting onions. They estimate they go through 10,000 tons of onions every fair.
More than 10 per cent of the food booths cater to vegans and/or vegetarians with plant-based foods such as the vegan pulled ‘pork’ dish (made from jackfruit) at Vegan Street Food.
PNE Fair food booth Freakk Fries, which Raj Panchal and his sister Rita say offers the only foot-long freakk fries in North America.
PNE newcomer Freakk Fries, owned by a North Vancouver brother and sister team, serves foot-long fries drizzled with the sauce of your choice: Chipotle mayo, garlic Parmesan, sour cream and cheese, butter chicken, ranch and bacon, and chocolate (surprisingly tasty, at least in bite-sized portions).
A big box costs $12.
Jackson Uppal, co-owner of Rice Burger, at the PNE Fair with his edible treats.
Nearby at Rice Burgers, co-owner and natural showman Jackson Uppal and his crew will rustle you up a fusion dish of chicken katsu, beef yakiniku or a vegetarian Japanese curry croquette.
The rice is the bun and its composition is a secret mix of rices, Uppal says.
“We scoop it from the cooker and put it onto a press,” he said. “Then we torch it with a crème brûlée gun so it’s crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.”
They’re a bit messy to eat, but it’s the fair and the rice burgers ($12) taste great.
Jason Au outside his Tin Lizzy food booth, where he sells deep-fried chicken skins at the PNE Fair.
And perhaps you’d like to try deep-fried chicken skin, a dish with a texture and taste similar to pork rinds.
“Or like the best part of a KFC chicken, the skin,” Tin Lizzy Concessions owner Jason Au said.
Butter Beer Ice Cream’s Tod Marchant with his steamy and delicious caramel/shortbread-flavoured treat at the PNE Fair.
It can all be washed down with a crisp NeFAIRious cerveza, made special for the PNE this summer by Parallel 49. For dessert, a steaming cup (thanks to dry ice) of delicious caramel-shortbread Butterbeer ice cream hits the spot.