Celebrating the Filipino Community in Canada
For 12-year-old Basti Mangaser, growing up in Canada has never meant feeling disconnected from his Filipino heritage. Much of that connection comes through the meals shared around his family’s table, where Filipino dishes have become lessons in culture, identity and family history. With more than one million people of Filipino descent now living in Canada, […]
PhD candidate Giana Tomas and her professor Dr. Kim Lopez visited Makilala Restaurant in Toronto and was ‘transported’ back to the Philippines. Last November 2025, I visited Makilala at 105 Church St. in Toronto with my PhD supervisor, Dr. Kimberly “Kim” Lopez. Because there are already many reviews about Makilala’s culinary offerings, I will share […]
A Taste of Home on Victoria Avenue: Inside Montreal’s Cuisine de Manille, where they serve halo-halo in a giant beer mug. ‘Coz, why not? There’s a certain kind of comfort you don’t realize you’re craving until you smell it. Soya sauce hitting a hot pan. Garlic browning just enough. That slow, familiar simmer of adobo: […]
If I could describe Filipino chef-led Mineral Restaurant at 1027 Yonge St. in Toronto in just one word, it would be pambihira. In Tagalog, anything pambihira is exceptional, elevated, note-worthy. Consider the subtle, upscale decor: handpainted gold leaves on greyish dark cloud-like murals on arched ceilings, and plush royal blue velvet seats. Cutlery shines in […]
For many small, emerging Filipino food entrepreneurs, attending major Filipino festivals can be impossible: vendor booths usually start at $1000, and can go upwards of $3000 for multi-day events. That’s exactly the gap Kainan Na Inc. set out to close, by building a community-first model where vendors can show up together, share resources (such as […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
What’s the magic in Pinoy BBQ? Here’s the cheat sheet. If you’ve ever grabbed a pork skewer at a Filipino party and thought, “Okay, what is that flavour and how do I get more?”— welcome, you’ve come to the right place. Pinoy BBQ is the crowd-pleaser that vanishes the second it hits the table, and […]