Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
In celebration of the third year of Filipino Restaurant Month and the 75th anniversary of Philippines-Canada diplomatic relations, the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto highlighted two Filipino fusion restaurants helmed by Filipino-Canadian chefs who made their mark in the local fine dining scene. This initiative aims to spotlight the culinary marriage of both cultures and the influence of Filipino cuisine in Canada. This year featured the most innovative dishes we’ve tasted so far.
The first stop of this month’s tour on April 3, 2024, was Mother Tongue nestled in 348 Adelaide Street West in Downtown Toronto. Chef Francis Bermejo orchestrates his culinary creations with meticulous detail like a director choosing his main actor or ingredient and building the right cast of supporting actors or flavors to enhance the show. His style is a mix of Filipino, Chinese, Japanese and North American influences. A self-professed culinary “batang kalye” growing up enjoying all kinds of street food in the Philippines, he uses traditional Filipino ingredients such as mangoes, bagoong and calamansi, incorporating them in his fusion dishes to evoke nostalgic childhood memories.
One of his appetizers inspired by street food was the lengua skewer or braised beef tongue. As someone typically averse to organ meats, I was pleasantly surprised by how tender and deliciously seasoned it was served with mushrooms, crema, scallions, and pickled onion. Other appetizers included duck sisig bao with crispy duck skin chicharron, duck and foie gras dumplings, and smoked butterfish kinilaw crostini on wonton chips with lime creme fraiche topped with caviar. I also recommend the fiery Filipino style slaw which we previously tasted at the FRM launch. Served with ruby mango, green papaya, honey sunflower seeds, bagoong vinaigrette and calamansi, this colorful crunchy salad tastes like a marriage of fresh Thai and Filipino flavors.
Mains included chicken inasal bicol express with green coconut curry and gai lan, tausi braised pork belly served with atchara slaw and java saffron rice, and my personal top pick—annatto grilled sea bass served with salted duck eggs and relleno salad, chilli scallion sambal and garlic rice. These dishes are meant to be savored slowly. Let each bite linger on your tastebuds so you can try to discern the hidden layers of ingredients.
Dessert included the Philly’s turon containing caramelized plantain and jackfruit with rum toffee sauce, tanglad (lemongrass) crème brulee with peach mango compote and licorice mint, Cloud 9 tart inspired by the iconic Filipino chocolate bar, and my top dessert pick—the sweet crispy sio bao filled with ube mascarpone, chocolate hazelnut and dulce de leche. If you like churros, you’ll love this for the comforting mix of texture, warmth, and sweetness
Chef Bermejo masterfully mixes familiar flavors in the unexpected, evoking childhood memories and nostalgia for his homeland, resulting in a memorable dining experience. Mother Tongue offers Canadians a delightful gateway to explore Filipino cuisine, while offering Filipinos a fresh perspective on familiar ingredients. The restaurant also serves as a cozy venue for gatherings. That night, we witnessed a multicultural group of friends joyfully celebrating a birthday, their laughter echoing throughout the space, reflecting the restaurant’s’ welcoming ambiance and appeal.
By Michelle Chermaine Ramos
