Lunch Pick: Foo Serves Up Asian Street Food Culture

Red Coconut Curry with vegetables and puffed tofu in spicy coconut curry broth with steamed rice. $10. Chef Patrick Lynch

Think mango, coconut, orange zest, spice and perfectly cooked rice. Have lunch at Foo Asian Street Food at the corner of Blanshard and Yates and you might as well be in Phan Thiet City having a quick street meal before heading to Mui Ne for some kitesurfing. Foo’s fast, delicious, affordable South Asian treats are sure to cure those midday winter blahs.

It’s tough to pull off the Asian street food experience in a full service indoor kitchen, but with Foo’s open concept, barstool seating and large windows it’s easy to suspend disbelief. There’s a hive of chatter and activity in the room as chef Patrick Lynch prepares inventive salads, curries and paneer with ease while making sure guests enjoy the show, however brief their visit.

Foo’s food is an amazing blend of soft and crunchy textures, brilliant colours and an array of spices tailored to individual tastes. The Red Coconut Curry is particularly delicious with perfectly cooked kabocha squash, orange zest and puffed tofu in a spicy broth served with steamed rice and finished with Thai basil. Start with a fresh green papaya, mint, cilantro and peanut salad and you’re set for the day. And it’s fast! All this under ten minutes easily satisfies the busy downtown lunch crowd.

A set menu from $7-$12 plus fantastic daily specials make visiting Foo affordable. It’s a small price to pay to be transported from this soggy, cold weather to a long white beach overlooking a clear blue ocean with warm tropical breezes to caress those chapped and cracked winter blues goodbye.

– By Timothy Trebilcock

Foo Asian Street Food

769 Yates Street, Victoria, BC, 250-383-3111 Website

Hours of Operation: Monday to Saturday: 11:30am to 10:00pm, Sunday: 11:30am to 9:00pm