Black Kutsinta, Gourmet Tuyo and more at ‘Kain Tayo sa Paskuhan Village’

If you didn’t attend “Kain Tayo sa Paskuhan Village” on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 at The Parkdale Hall in Toronto (1605 Queen St. West), you missed the coziest Filipino food crawl this side of Bathurst.

Picture twinkly parol lights, live musical acts singing Pinoy jingles, and tables packed with a buffet of food choices—about 45 to 60 vendors—selling everything from ube pies to gourmet tuyo.

Wait—what’s “Kain Tayo,” exactly?

“Kain Tayo!” (“let’s eat!”) is more than a phrase—it’s a movement.

The community was spearheaded by Shine Asuncion, who founded the Kain Tayo! Facebook food group (now tens of thousands strong).

In a Facebook post, Asuncion said that Kain Tayo’s goal is to “continue to inspire business owners to keep on going and growing.”

“Above all, our goal is to bring the Filipino culture, heritage and cuisine to the main stage,” Asuncion stated.

In short: they champion small food businesses and create spaces where we can gather, eat, and discover.

Top 5 New Product Discoveries

1) Nara’s Black Kutsinta

The head-turner of the day: kutsinta—but make it itim (black).

Black kutsinta gets its dramatic color from a pinch of activated charcoal (think: fine, food-grade powder) mixed into the usual tapioca starch and flour batter before steaming.

The result? A silky, gently bouncy bite with the same mellow molasses-y sweetness you love—just dressed in black.

Filipino home bakers have been experimenting with activated charcoal for years to achieve that inky hue.

Activated charcoal is all about aesthetics and contrast—especially when you crown each piece with caramel and toasted coconut flakes.

2) Milky Namnam’s Ube Drinks

Thick, dreamy, and ultra-purple—Milky Namnam’s ube drink had just the right amount of sweetness, mixed with an almost grainy but tasty ube halaya.

I ordered mine without the usual matcha-ube mix, and I’m obsessed with the taste.

Their feed is a good preview of the vibe (yes, it’s as creamy as it looks), featuring their homemade ube halaya.

Judging from their ube drink alone, this fairly new, Scarborough-based dessert place hits the spot for me.

3) Verna’s Special Pies (hello, Ube Pie!)

Buttery crusts and glossy ube purple filling?

We’re sold. Verna’s Laguna Buko Pie has become a go-to for Filipino-style egg, buko and ube pies.

A long-standing staple bakery at Little Manila (356 Wilson Ave.), there’s nothing quite like a slice of an egg pie to remind you of home.

Their newest invention is a combo ube-buko pie, because, why not?

You can never have too much of a good thing.

4) Garapon by Mamaril’s Kitchen – Gourmet Classic Tuyo

A pantry MVP: garlicky, olive-oil-bathed tuyo you can pile on warm rice, toss into pasta, or smear over pan de sal.

(Pro tip: drizzle the flavored oil on tomatoes for a ten-second pulutan.)

While gourmet tuyo is a classic Filipino staple, Mamaril’s small-batch approach at markets like this is exactly the kind of find Kain Tayo was built for.

5) Tito Bill’s Frozen Products 

Weekend cooking saviours: frozen skinless longganisa, pork tocino, embutido, beef tapa and more.

Tito Bill’s Tocino ATBP feature your favourite ready-to-cook frozen products for quick Filipino breakfasts.

I had the pleasure of trying their skinless longganisa, and they are just the right mix of garlicky, sweet and salty.

Bonus find: kandilas by april (cheeky candles!)

For your Christmas wish list: witty, Tagalog-labeled candles (yes, even the spicy “p*tang ina mo” scent).

Or, give “tsismosa” to your bestie, and “susmaryosep” to your easy-to-scare lola.