Filipino Community & Lifestyle News
Is there Filipino creativity, novelty and taste beyond Little Manila in Toronto? Mabuhay Canada roamed the streets of Brampton to see what Pinoys in Brampton are tasting and eating, and found three places worth exploring. Elsa Lutong Bahay — 65 Rutherford Rd. South Elsa Lutong Bahay’s brick and mortar location may be small, with just […]
If you’ve ever found yourself wishing, “I just need one tiny thing from the Philippines,” Toronto’s Little Manila has your back. Located along the intersection of Bathurst and Wilson, where the neighbourhood feels like a warm, chaotic hug (even in Canadian weather), Little Manila is every Filipino-Canadian’s “home away from home”. This corner of Toronto […]
Filipina author Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez was at work when the email arrived from her publicist at Dundurn Press: her debut novel “Celestina’s House” had been named to the 2026 CBC Reads Longlist. “It was a pleasant surprise,” Gonzalez told Mabuhay Canada, still sounding stunned as she recalled the moment. She’s quick to clarify the mechanics: […]
If you’ve been on TikTok or Instagram lately, you’ve probably seen it: a DJ in the middle of a grocery store, titas and kiddos line-dancing between the aisles, free pandesal sailing through the air, and entire Filipino communities turning Seafood City into a full-on fiesta. To find out how this all started (and what’s next), […]
Box of Kleenex, check. Younger ading (Ilocano for sistuh) beside me for moral support, check. That’s basically how I walked into “meet, greet & bye” at Cineplex Mississauga in early December—and I’m glad I did, because this movie does not go easy on your puso (heart). The film follows a K-drama-obsessed mama whose only wish, […]
Would you like a side order of disco dance party with your can of sardines, Ma’am/Sir? That’s exactly the energy at Seafood City’s Late Night Madness—a grocery-aisle rave where your pamalengke and your playlist finally happen in the same place. Part brilliant marketing stunt, part full-on celebration of Filipino joy, Late Night Madness began at […]
Get your ternos and your barong ready: December in Toronto is packed with Filipino events you won’t want to miss. From sizzling Filipino food pop-ups serving lumpia, lechon, and halo-halo-inspired desserts, to cultural nights filled with carols, folk dances, and parol-making, Canada will almost feel like home this holiday season. Just make sure to bundle […]
If you’ve watched the movie Wicked and found yourself staring at the hats as much as at Ariana and Cynthia, surprise: many of those show-stopping sombreros were dreamed up by a Pinoy from Cavite. Harvy Santos, a Bacoor-born former ballet dancer, now calls London, England home and is one of the most exciting milliners in […]
If you’ve been missing the smells and sounds of a busy restaurant back home, chances are iSLAS Filipino Café & Bar is already on your Toronto food bucket list. Run by husband-and-wife team Marc and Mariel Buenaventura, iSLAS was born out of their shared love for Filipino food and the restaurant experience. Both started their […]
It’s shiny, it’s jiggly, it’s like jello, but with a caramel sauce topping and toasted coconut flakes, Nara’s Black Kutsinta is nothing like any other kutsinta. Its colour—black as squid ink—always gets people’s attention, according to its maker, Rana Caramat. “I saw it on Instagram and thought, ‘oh, this is unique’,” said Caramat, a bank […]
