When people cook the foods they grew up eating, they have a look of contentment and happiness on their face. Cooking this food is easy for them. It is done by rote and muscle memory. When I stopped in at Kanto, that’s exactly how Edgar Gutierrez (head chef at Rostizado and Tres Carnales) looked.

Edgar was born in the Philippines, and hearing him talk of the ingredients he uses in the street food dishes at Kanto had me vicariously exploring the Bataan province where he grew up:  garlic, tamarind, calamansi, shallots…I could taste and smell everything. Thankfully, to get those flavours now, all you have to do is head to his new restaurant at 10636 98 Street in Edmonton’s Chinatown.

Listen to my CBC radio review of Kanto here, or read the web article here.

Scroll for visuals.

L: Liempo R: Fried chicken

L: Talangka fried rice R: Spaghetti and chicken

Karabao (braised beef in bao)

Chicken skewers