Dining

Colin Asuncion’s foray into amateur (and eventually competitive) baking is inspired by his mom Elizabeth’s mastery in the kitchen. 

In the Town of Minto, Ontario (population under 9,000) lies an unassuming restaurant that offers pandesal specials: pandesal bruschetta, pulled pork slider, pandesal garlic toast and pandesal BLT. Among its breakfast and lunch staples is also a particularly Filipino dish – crispy adobo rice bowl. 

Pancit canton, or wheat noodles stir fried with a medley of meats, seafood, and vegetables, is a popular dish in the Philippines.

It is such an integral part of Filipino cuisine that many restaurateurs outside the country have incorporated the fare in their menus.

In the heart of downtown Vancouver is a quaint café serving food with a big Filipino heart. Called Herbs and Spices Café, the restaurant describes itself as “the daily real-life adventures of women who support each other through thick and thin.”

Kamayan, or eating with your hands while food is spread on banana leaves, has become increasingly popular in Filipino restaurants around the Greater Vancouver area.

Ask a Filipino what food on a stick means to him. Surely not kebabs but rather pork barbecue, banana-cue, kamote-cue, almost anything grilled like pusit (dried squid), hotdogs and even corn on the cob. Whether sweet like karyoka (sticky rice balls) or savoury like kwekwek (quail eggs in batter), the list of Filipino street food on a stick is endless.

A documentary on the rise of the Filipino cuisine in North America has been making the rounds of film festivals and selling out tickets in theatres. On February 24, the movie ULAM: Main Dish will be shown at the Park Theatre in Winnipeg. This will be the fourth Canadian theatrical release to date.

 In 1992, Liza Agbanlog and her family arrived in Canada bringing with them a whole lot of Filipino food memories.

A cannoli is a traditional Italian dessert consisting of a sweet and crunchy pastry tube filled with cream or sweetened ricotta cheese.

In the Philippines and especially among city dwellers, the word kanto evokes colourful imagery.

Sisig in cosmopolitan New York is as unheard of as halo-halo in Alaska. But elevate the Filipino dish and you’ll find it in good company with other hip eateries in eclectic East Village in New York City.

Love for food is the common denominator among the 91,000-plus members of “Ifoodala Foodie”, a private Facebook group created in Canada. Founded four years ago, the group continues to grow.