Montreal Filipino Restaurant Adds New Street Food to the Offering — Its First Major Menu Change in 18 Years | Eater Montreal

"Over the past 18 years I’ve watched a Montreal Filipino restaurant undergo several transformations — from its former name, Perle de Manille to its third location — yet the food from chef-owner brothers Dado and Ricky Contaoe has remained unchanged at Cuisine de Manille. I’ve enjoyed their crisp lechon (fried pork belly) and pork ear sisig cooked in calamansi juice, and regulars in the city’s Filipino community still turn to the spot for those homestyle meals. Since settling into a discrete storefront on Victoria Avenue in 2012, the family-run business (now with the second generation, including Dado’s son Peter, helping lead operations) is adding a Manila-inspired street food menu: kwek-kwek — 10 hard-boiled-then-deep-fried quail eggs coated in an aromatic orange batter with a sweet dipping sauce — and okoy, a crunchy fritter reimagined here with veggies and served with traditional spiced vinegar. Peter, who returned from Manila inspired by its buoyant street-food scene, is also spearheading a brand overhaul and a renovation that moves the restaurant from the old Turo Turo buffet display to a more fast-casual, grab-and-go aesthetic featuring an elongated bar with corrugated steel detailing and a photo gallery wall evoking Manila; the change is meant to suit takeout times and appeal to the next generation. I’ve noted that the local Filipino community was crucial to the restaurant’s survival through the pandemic, coming by regularly to pick up the Contaoes’ dishes, and the brothers continue to perfect new recipes while taking pride in those passed down through generations." - Valerie Silva