Twelve new stationary street food carts will join the City of Vancouver’s food cart program starting May 1, bringing the total number of street food vendors to 103 this year. The new food carts, which were selected from 59 applicants, feature a greater selection of ethnic eats, including flavours from El Salvador, India, Thailand, Japan, France, and Ukraine.

“We are really pleased to see the international offerings that are really reflective of the diversity of the city,” Mayor Gregor Robertson said during an announcement outside City Hall on Monday (April 2). “Our multicultural city deserves to have great, nutritious food on our streets.”

Four of the 12 new food carts were present during the announcement, including Guanaco Truck, which serves El Salvadorian pupusas and beverages, and will be parked on Seymour Street north of West Georgia Street; Soho Road Naan Kebab, which serves naan wraps filled with Indian-inspired dishes such as butter chicken and tandoori chicken, and will be parked on Smithe Street west of Howe Street; Slingers, which serves Italian-style chicken or eggplant parmesan sandwiches, and will be parked on Thurlow Street north of Hastings Street; and Pig on the Street, which serves British bacon sandwiches and dessert, and will be parked on the 700 block of Howe Street.

“We pitched our idea to the city, and they really liked it, and we got through the taste testing as well, and came through with our downtown permit. We’re over the moon,” Mark Cothey, who owns Pig on the Street with wife and chef Krissy Seymour, told the Straight. “We found some great local suppliers, which was really, really important. We’re all about using local ingredients.”

Pig on the Street sources its bacon from Gelderman Farms in Abbotsford, a pig farm that makes its own feed and allows the pigs to run freely.

“They’re really kind of in touch with their animals which is really important for us,” Cothey said.

From the five pork-filled sandwiches ($8.50 each plus tax) Pig on the Street serves from their bright pink van, Cothey says that the Porker is the most popular.

“It’s got the double-smoked bacon, sausage stuffing, which has caramelized onions, sage, caramelized onion mayo, a really great goat gouda, and some really good local arugula as well,” Cothey said. “If you like chocolate, you’ve got to try the bacon brownies. It’s bourbon, and bacon, and caramel. We call it hair of the hog, because it’s a very good morning-after snack.”

Along with the 12 new stationary food carts scattered through the downtown core, the City of Vancouver will be launching a food cart program at three Vancouver parks: Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, and Vanier Park.

The city is currently sorting through applications for the park-based food cart program, and is hoping to have it running by June.

“I’m very excited to see what creative and innovative food and cart ideas will come forward,” Park Board chair Constance Barnes, who was not present at the morning announcement, said in a news release. “I’ve enjoyed the talents of food cart vendors on Vancouver streets, and now I’m looking forward to enjoying the same in our green spaces with spectacular views.”

A rental spot for food carts at Vancouver parks will cost between $5,000 and $15,000 per year. Permits for street food vendors are $1,000 plus parking meter fees.

The City of Vancouver plans on approving 30 more street food vendors over the next two years.

Below, Michelle da Silva photos

The Porker from Pig on the Street.

Slingers' chicken parmesan sandwich is topped with homemade marinara sauce, provolone cheese, mushrooms, and onions.

The Soho Road Naan Kebab food truck.

The Guanaco Truck serves El Salvadorian food.

You can follow Michelle da Silva on Twitter at twitter.com/michdas.