Happy Saturday! As part of our foodie weekend, we continued the festivities with a trip to the vibrant Pinoy Festival at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. It was the perfect way to celebrate a belated Mom's birthday and Father's Day with the whole family!
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| Pinoy Festival in Burnaby |
Of course, no Filipino festival is complete without exploring the incredible food scene. I embarked on a delicious pork barbecue adventure, sampling skewers from four vendors.
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| Pinoy Festival in Burnaby |
Before I share our food adventure with you, below is a complete list of food vendors at Pinoy Festival.
- Potato Corner
- Kona Ice
- Peace Sweetz (Hawaiian Style Shave Ice)
- Tokyo Katsu-Sand
- Kyu Grill
- Street Food Hustle
- Manila's Finest food truck from Kelowna
- Chay's Delight
- Macau Imperial Tea
- Mukasi Coffee
- Grandt Kitchen Filipino Cuisine
- Hapag Ihaw-Ihaw
- Plato Filipino
- Pampanga's Cuisine
- Boodle Filipino Fiesta
- Manny's Grill
Manny's Grill
Our journey began with a classic pairing - pork barbecue and pancit. Manny's Grill's barbecue took me right back to childhood. The melt-in-your-mouth pork offered the perfect balance of sweet, savoury, and a touch of fatty richness. It was absolutely the best barbecue we had all day, begging to be devoured with fluffy white rice. Unfortunately, the pancit fell a bit short. While flavorful, it lacked the variety of ingredients that make this stir-fried noodle dish truly special.
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| Pork Barbecue and Pancit from Manny's Grill |
Streetfood Hustle Food Truck
My next stop was Streetfood Hustle, where I shared a single pork barbecue skewer with my husband. Their take on the dish was a delightful contrast. The marinade leaned towards a savoury soy sauce base, highlighting the natural flavour of the leaner cut of pork.
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| Pork Barbecue from Streetfood Hustle |
Manila's Finest Food Truck
The next stop was worth the wait! Manila's Finest, a Kelowna-based gem, offered a street food sampler that was an explosion of textures and flavours. The fish balls, kikiam (deep-fried meat spring rolls), and squid balls were perfectly cooked, each bursting with savoury goodness that reminded me of the streets of Manila. This was hands-down the best Filipino street food I've had since moving to Vancouver!
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| Pork Barbecue and Streetfood Platter from Manila's Finest |
We also tried their pork barbecue, which, while a touch sweet, was unfortunately a bit too lean for my preference. The siomai (steamed pork dumplings) didn't quite live up to my expectations either, lacking the rich flavour I was hoping for. (For delicious Filipino siomai, Macau Imperial Tea still holds the crown so far!)
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| Siomai from Manila's Finest |
Thankfully, their halo-halo completely redeemed itself. This shaved ice dessert was pure perfection, a symphony of colourful ingredients like sweetened beans, jellies, fruits, and leche flan. It had everything you could ask for in a halo-halo, all perfectly balanced. Absolutely divine!
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| Halo-Halo from Manila's Finest |
Boodle Filipino Fiesta
Our final food stop of the day was Boodle Filipino Fiesta. While the wait for their grilled Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog was long (an hour in line followed by another 30 minutes for the food itself), the first bite made it all worthwhile. This hotdog is exactly what I expected, begging for a generous drizzle of ketchup and a plate of fluffy rice to complete the experience.
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| Red Jumno TJ Hotdogs and Pork BBQ from Boodle Filipino Fiesta |
I also tried their pork barbecue, which delivered the perfect sweet and savoury balance I craved. However, a touch more fat would have elevated it to new heights.
Despite the delicious food, I felt a little lighter than expected. It could be the lack of readily available rice or the long lines between food stops.
A minor suggestion for future Pinoy festivals: having the food vendors with a view of the stage would allow hungry patrons to enjoy the performances while waiting in line. Additionally, placing food vendors closer to the non-food vendors might encourage more browsing, especially for those primarily focused on culinary delights. (For the record, my youngest sister did find some adorable crocheted octopus and snail plushies, while my younger sister scored some beautiful candles!)
Overall, the Pinoy Festival was a fantastic way to celebrate Filipino culture with my family. The food was incredible, and the atmosphere was vibrant.
