When my family and I were still living in the Philippines, specifically in the City of Marikina, there would be times when I would tell my wife that I'm going out.
She would ask, "Where?"
I would answer, "Diyan lang sa kanto.(Awkward translation: There at the corner.)"
"Why?", she would continue.
I answer, "To buy arroz caldo."
Brief silence.
"Bumili ka na rin ng tokwa't baboy. Bagay 'yon sa arroz caldo. (Also buy fried tofu with steamed slices of pork belly. That goes well with the arroz caldo.", she requests before I go out of the house.
Flash forward to present day Toronto. I would ask my wife, "Would you like to go for a walk?"
She asks, "Where are we going?"
I would answer, "Sa Kanto."
"Sa Kanto?", she repeats.
"Yes. Sa Kanto...by Tita Flips.", I reply. "There's one here at The Junction. It's a 15 minute walk.", I continue.
"Sige. I'll join you. Meron kaya silang arroz caldo? (Do you think they have arroz caldo?), she asks.
"We'll see.", I said.
We are Filipinos living in a very Italian, Polish, Ukrainian and other Eastern European community. So if we want to treat ourselves to Filipino food we have to travel by car or subway for at least 15 minutes. Here in Toronto, a 15-minute drive would be a distance of least 10 kms.. In the Philippines, a 60-minute drive would be a distance of 5 kms. (If I'm lucky.)!
So my wife and I arrived at Kanto by Tita Flips at the Junction. Located between two major intersections Dundas St. W and Pacific Ave., and Dundas St. W and High Park Ave., Kanto by Tita Flips is at the center of The Junction community action. Along Dundas St. W are other establishments, organic cafes, farmers' markets, bars and microbreweries; like Kanto by Tita Flips, that cater not only to the young and hip but also to families who live in and around the surrounding neighborhood. The Junction is an old yet lively thriving community. It is aptly named because it is where four railway lines in the area meet.
One cannot miss Kanto by Tita Flips. It is easy to find with its red and blue signage. Having Kanto in this community is not only a breath of fresh air but also a gastronomic adventure for us Filipinos. It brings back memories of when my family was still in Marikina, and when my wife and I were a bit younger. Nostalgia. That's what it is!
After that 15-minute walk my wife and I were ready for our merienda. And Kanto by Tita Flips did not disappoint. When we walked in, the restaurant had this homey carinderia-feeling but better. The feel was pretty much like the restaurants we stopover when my family goes to Pampanga, to Zambales, to Antipolo or to Binangonan. And it did help when someone from behind the counter greeted us, "Magandang hapon po. Tuloy po kayo."
It was a hot day so we had our sights on the perennial summer favorite - the Halo-Halo. And yes, they have what my wife was craving for - arroz caldo.
An outing like this would not be complete without the rest of the family. Thanks to the convenience of modern technology, we called our children and invited them over. They all accepted the invitation. So while waiting for them we ordered the Kamayan Kit ahead of time. It's like boodle in a bilao. They told us that it would take 20 - 25 minutes to prepare.
Our children arrived in time with our Kamayan Kit. This is something you have to see for yourself. We were impressed with the size of the bilao. It also comes with a small basket of finger-sized turon (saging saba wrapped in spring roll wrapper and deep fried in oil and brown sugar).
There was nothing planned with what we did this afternoon. I just wanted to walk with my wife to Kanto and have some arroz caldo. But there was something about being there that I had to call our children to be with us. To be together as family. Maybe its those times when we went on road trips when the children were still small. Maybe because we received some good news early that day. Maybe its the thought of enjoying Filipino meals. Or maybe its just family. Being together.
And this brings back another memory of a time when my friends and I were still young. "Saan tayo magkikita?", one of us would ask. In unison we reply, "Saan pa, eh di sa kanto!"
