Filipino restaurants and pop-ups have been everywhere in Toronto lately, but these four pop-ups are taking a new approach to the cuisine.
With over half of Canada’s Filipino population residing in Toronto, it should come as no surprise that the city is home to its fair share of restaurants, pop-ups, bakeries and cafes that show off the cuisine of the Philippines at its very best, and that’s the way it’s been for decades.
In recent years, though, the Filipino food scene in the city has been in a state of flux. BB’s has secured a spot on Toronto’s Michelin Guide, while other restaurants like Kanto by Tita Flips and Islas continue to be on the up-and-up, and that’s barely scratching the surface.
Even more burgeoning than the city’s Filipino restaurant scene, though, is its community of Filipino-owned and operated food pop-ups that have steadily been stealing the show at festivals, markets, bars, restaurants, and even in their own short-term locations.
There are — quite literally — dozens of Filipino food pop-ups in Toronto worth a taste, but here’s just a sample of some of the ones that are taking new, innovative approaches to Filipino cuisine that you definitely need to check out.
Mahal Kitaco
Ossington is a hub for Toronto’s food scene at any time of year, but this summer it’s particularly lively, and Filipino-Canadian Chef Michael Zaragoza is heating up the landscape at the intersection of Bloor and Ossington with his summer-long pop-up.
Holding court at Teddy Beer until Aug. 16, Mahal Kitaco serves what they call “Filipino fusion” tacos, which place traditional Filipino dishes inside a taco format for a droolworthy, casual bite unlike anything else you’ll find in the city right now.
“When Filipino immigrants first arrived in Toronto, there were very few Filipino restaurants. As a result, the early establishments focused on traditional home-style cooking, offering a comforting taste of home and helping ease the feeling of homesickness for many,” Zaragoza told us.
“We chose to take a different path. Rather than sticking strictly to tradition, we wanted to reimagine familiar flavours in a fresh and exciting way,” he adds. “This led us to create Filipino fusion-style tacos, dishes that resonate with both Filipino and Mexican communities in Toronto, while offering something new and unexpected.”
This approach shakes out in the form of offerings like sinigang-birria (braised beef tacos dipped in a sour Sinigang soup-inspired consommé), chicken inasal topped with pickled papaya, and pork sisig, all placed lovingly inside a corn tortilla. Round it out with a pleasingly purple ube banana biscoff pudding for dessert, and you’ll most certainly be glad you came.
Slow Jams
Chef Jeremy Saluma, who cut his teeth on the Toronto food scene at restaurants like Little Sister and Cava, first started his own Filipino-inspired passion project near the end of the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, and it’s been on the up-and-up ever since.
He’s not serving up standard Filipino fare at Slow Jams, though; instead, it’s his own unique blend of barbecue, Filipino flavours and whatever other influence seeps into his imagination that ultimately makes it on the plate.
“My food may not be traditional Filipino, but it’s a true reflection of my experience as a second-generation Filipino-Canadian growing up in the city,” Saluma said. “It’s rooted in the flavours I grew up with and inspired by the dishes that shaped my upbringing.”
That looks like tamarind-glazed pork shoulder, pyanggang crab, sinimak wings, or heaping mixed grill plates with chicken inasal, beef short rib, and coconut Curried pork chop, frequently grilled over an open flame.
These days, you can find them cooking up droolworthy rotating menus of Filipino barbecue staples at Bloorcourt’s Electric Bill Bar, every evening from Wednesday through Sunday.
Why has Filipino cuisine seen such a popularity surge in Toronto lately? Saluma believes it’s “a testament to the resilience, warmth, and hospitality of the Filipino community.”
“We’re deeply passionate about sharing our culture, and whenever one of our kababayan hosts a pop-up or launches a new venture, the community always shows up to support.”
Kumain Kitchen
Speaking of the deep connection within Toronto’s Filipino community and its food scene, twins Jason and Ryan Buising of Kumain Kitchen just so happen to be Jeremy Saluma’s (Slow Jams) cousins — and they, too, are putting their spin on Filipino cuisine in the city.
Founded, similarly, in the wake of the pandemic, when the Mississauga-raised twins were laid off from their jobs and found themselves at the precipice of a new chapter, they began cooking up Filipino staples with a signature Canadian Twist.
You’ll see them popping up everywhere from Doc’s Green Door Lounge to Square One Mall, and frequenting food festivals across the city, serving up one-of-a-kind dishes like ube French toast, sinigang fried chicken sandwiches, and lechon kawali featuring crispy pork belly, garlic fried rice and egg.
“We like to change our menu a lot to show the different flavours of the Philippines,” Jason and Ryan tell us. Still, whatever they’re serving, and wherever they’re serving it, you’re in store for an exceptional meal.
Sugar Daddy Puddin’
We’d be remiss to neglect dessert, and Mark Aguilar of Sugar Daddy Puddin’ is keeping the city’s sweet tooth satisfied with his unique, Filipino-inspired puddings.
“While pudding itself isn’t traditionally Filipino, I wanted to create a bridge between North American comfort food and the Filipino flavours I love,” Aguilar, who first began making banana pudding for friends and family, who encouraged him to turn it into a full-blown business, said.
He whips up puddings in an array of Filipino flavours, like ube banana, mango biscoff (Sugar Daddy’s take on the Filipino mango float dessert) and peach mango pie, inspired by Jollibee’s famous Peach Mango Pie.
“I think what makes us unique is that we’re not just recreating classic Filipino desserts,” Aguilar said.
“We’re reimagining them as layered puddings that feel familiar but excitingly new. It’s been a joy to see people — both Filipinos and non-Filipinos — connect with our desserts, whether it’s a flavour they grew up with or one they’re trying for the first time.”
You can find Sugar Daddy Puddin’ at a slew of festivals and food markets throughout the summer. Stay tuned to its social media to keep up with the latest.
