From Choc Nut to walis tingting: Where to find Filipino products in British Columbia

When well meaning friends and family ask me what I want from the Philippines, I often shrug and say “nothing.”

Of course there are many things I want, like the bignay (small wild cherry native to  the Philippines) yogurt that is served by a cafe in Quezon City, or the baby pusit (squid) adobo from Gerry’s Grill.

But when it comes to pasalubongs (souvenirs) or dried goods, even ulam (viand) ingredients, I often find it here in B.C. 

If I were craving a treat from my childhood, or a merienda (snack) of pancit canton, I can hop to one of the many Filipino grocery stores in my neighbourhood.

 

 

But many Filipinos aren’t as lucky as I am to be living near a concentration of Filipino stores.

“I know where to get kalamansi, the real one,” I would tell my Filipino friends.

Most often than not, my peers are surprised to find one in the area and will almost always walk away with their wallets depleted but their arms heavy and hearts happy.

I do not gatekeep—I also want you to enjoy a hearty dinner of tinolang manok with malunggay and green papaya or a sizzling plate of homemade sisig.

Here are five Filipino stores to check out in British Columbia:

 

Grand Food Mart, Burnaby

If you don’t know what Filipino products to purchase, it might be dangerous to step into Grand Food Mart because you’ll end up with shopping bags full of Filipino goods.

This store has everything: from colourful walis tingting (brooms), Christmas parols, to Magic Melt’s ensaymadas.

Not only that, Grand Food Mart boasts of directly importing hard to find vegetables like malunggay, dahon ng sili, and sigarilyas.

Like most Filipino stores in the province, they also offer money remittance services.

Pinoy Dragon Mart, New Westminster

Pinoy Dragon Mart used to be owned by a vivacious Chinese-Filipino couple.

Now under new management, the store still offers the same beloved products.

It’s a little smaller than Grand Food Mart but not lacking in the most important products.

They have frozen goods—longganisa, galunggong, chicken inasal—to dry goods which include snacks, sweets, and biscuits.

Pinoy Dragon Mart also offers freshly made Filipino kakanin and meals made by local suppliers.

They also stock halo-halo and balut.

 

Manila BBQ Supermart, New Westminster

 

 

Contrary to its name, Manila BBQ isn’t known for its barbecue but for its remittance services.

This may be because of their history: what started out as a small Filipino restaurant evolved into a supermarket as it catered to the community’s growing needs.

The restaurant became a one-stop shop for Filipinos while also serving as an international money transfer hub.

The store has also expanded its grocery offerings to include products from Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Brazil and Mexico, as well as daily staples such as milk and eggs.

  

Goldilocks Bakeshop

 

Many people are shocked to find that there are two Goldilocks Bake Shop branches in Burnaby and Vancouver.

Just like their bakeries in the Philippines, the Canadian branches—open since 1984—offer a variety of cakes and other baked goods like their popular macaroons, egg pies, polvoron, ensaymada (brioche) and Brazo de Mercedes meringue cakes.

Goldilocks also has a cafe menu that serves Filipino comfort food. 

 

Sari-sari Filipino Convenience Store, Vancouver

While most Filipino stores will have similar offerings, what makes the Sari-sari Filipino store stand out is its location.

Just a few steps away from Joyce-Collingwood Skytrain station, a number of Filipino karinderyas and bakery has turned the neighbourhood into a foodie destination.

The store is also located near a church and a Filipino community hub.

Sari-sari is a great place to go not only for your Filipino snack cravings but also to see how a community has formed throughout the years. 

The Philippine Consulate in Vancouver lists more than 25 Filipino stores on its website.  Check stores first before heading out. Happy shopping!

Astrid Agbayani is a B.C. based journalist, filmmaker and communications professional. Born in Manila, raised in Mindanao, and a young adulthood spent in Canada—she embodies an evolving identity, with a unique worldview shaped by many lives inhabited in one lifetime. Rooted in her multicultural background, she aims to contribute to a diverse Filipino identity in the diaspora, offering insightful perspectives into the human experience. Her work can be found in BC Living, Vancouver Magazine, Western Living, CityNews and CBC News.