Canada is one of the most popular destinations for Filipino families seeking a new life abroad. Aside from its great public healthcare, Canada has a robust economy and a welcoming attitude that’s tough to beat. In 2016 alone, there were over 830,000 Filipino expatriates living in Canada.
If you’re a Filipino expatriate living in Canada, you may be tired of eating low-carb pasta and snacking on potato chips. And if you’re a Filipino born in Canada, you could be curious about all the food your family talks about when they discuss the Philippines.
Have no fear, Canada’s growing Filipino population means there are a lot of groceries and restaurants you can go to when you’re missing the taste of home.
Filipino Grocery
In the Philippines, when your mother needs a bottle of white vinegar or a jar of Barrio Fiesta’s sweet and spicy bagoong, she wouldn’t ask you to drive to the grocery. It’s more likely you’ll walk somewhere. That place is the sari-sari store. It’s a type of microbusiness popular throughout the Philippines. These small shops sell almost everything and anything the average household may need, from food items like snacks and personal care products like shampoos and toothpaste. They also act like informal gathering places where neighbors can chat or exchange news.
In Canada, you may not encounter a sari-sari store, but these shops certainly have the ingredients you’ll need to recreate the flavors of the Philippines in your kitchen.
- EDSA Mart Filipino Grocery
Opened in 2012, EDSA Mart Filipino Grocery is named after the busiest stretch of road in the country. The family-run establishment offers Filipinos all the traditional ingredients and spices of a Filipino kitchen. They also have organic roast coffee, baked bread and even fresh fish.
Location: Richmond, British Columbia
2. J & S Filipino Food
J & S Filipino Food is a straightforward grocery store. Aside from usual Filipino staples such as rice and fish, J & S Filipino Food also has ingredients and food for Western cuisines. If you want a simple shopping experience that still caters to your for Filipino Food, then this is the store for you.
Location: E. Hamilton, Ontario
3. Kapamilya Foods
What better way to feel like a Filipino family than by serving authentic Filipino recipes made from the finest ingredients from the Philippines? The aptly named Kapamilya Foods is a grocery store that provides expatriates and the discerning Canadian gourmand the fresh ingredients they need to satisfy their Filipino cravings.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Filipino Restaurants
Sometimes, after a long day, you don’t have the energy to cook anymore. Or maybe you’re too busy to head down to the grocery to pick up ingredients. In the Philippines, you’ll probably drop by a carinderia. These are also small businesses that cater to people who just want a quick bite of affordable Philippine home cooking. These stores are also known as “turo-turo,” from the Filipino word meaning “point.” That’s because these places don’t have printed menus, instead customers simply point at the displayed food they want to order.
When you’re craving for Filipino food, these Filipino restaurants in Canada can satisfy your hunger.
- Casa Manila
A real Filipino meal involves plenty of people, possibly every member of three generations of a single family. Naturally, feeding this many people requires a phenomenal amount of food. Have no fear, because Casa Manila specializes in such feasts. The restaurant offers both “kamayan” feasts where people just take from enormous servings of delicious food, or “salo-salo” meals where you pass around large plates of food.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Wilson’s Haus of Lechon
Few dishes say “Filipino” like the famous lechon. The dish is basically slow-roasted pork, traditionally cooked over a burning bed of coals for many hours. However, it can also be served deep fried and crackling, the meat so tender it falls off the bones. This type of lechon is the specialty of Wilson’s Haus of Lechon. So if you want a mouth-watering serving of crispy pork, head right on down.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
2. Sampaguita Village
Conveniently located in the Little Manila district of North York, Sampaguita Village is a Filipino restaurant that provides simple but delicious fare. Their menu features such tasty treats like chicken barbecued Filipino style as well as grilled squid stuffed with Filipino flavors. Despite the deliciousness and obvious high quality of their food, Sampaguita Village’s menu is surprisingly low cost.
Location: North York, Ontario
The next time you’re missing the flavors of the Philippines, just remember that there’s always a slice of home waiting for you throughout Canada.
