likebyregina Yesterday, Vancouver had its first ever Filipino Market, Magkasama, at the Pace. Magkasama means ‘together’ in Tagalog, and it is a free festival that spotlights Filipino culture, including food, handcrafted goods, and music. The event is organized by a Filipino food truck, Shameless Buns and a Filipino pop-up restaurant, Layunin. Though yesterday was raining throughout the day, that didn’t stop people from going. Instead it was a successful event, and I got to explore more than 25 vendors in the market.
Here are some vendors that I would like to highlight:
Shameless Buns recently launches new products, which are to sell their house made sauces to the public. I tried the Banana Ketchup with the Adobo Fries, and it is delicious. I usually don’t like ketchup because it tastes ridiculously sour to me. Banana Ketchup adds a hint of sweetness to it, which eases the sourness!
La Glace is a popular ice cream shop that sells French ice cream. Their ice cream has a richer flavor and creamier texture than normal because it is made from scratch with a creme anglaise base. Mark Tagulao, the co-founder of La Glace, features six special flavors for the Magkasama, including Kape, Coconut Ube Swirl, Leche Flan, Choco Nut, Kalamansi Sherbet, and Polvoron in small cups. I ordered the Coconut Ube Swirl, and the coconut flavor is strong with pieces of ube in each bite. I would totally buy a pint and put it at home!
Bukobaba features a Philippine essential, coconuts into the products. Their Coco Jam only contains two ingredients, coconut milk and coconut sugar. It is perfect for spreads, fillings, or even uses as sugar in the coffee. It has no preservatives and high in potassium. The owner connects farmers in Phillipine to create these jars, so they are produced in small batches. I got the Coco Jam with Cacao in it, and I enjoyed its subtle sweetness. I will try to substitute my sugar in my coffee with this and let you know how I feel about it!
Kapé Philippine Coffee is another brand that catches my attention. Their coffee beans are sourced directly from Filipino farmers, indigenous-grown, and sustainably sourced. I personally love the Auntie Florencia and Uncle Florencio’s Coffee, which is a honey processed coffee. It is smooth, with a peach, tamarind candy, and maple syrup note to it. They also sell packs of hanging drip coffee bags, which is perfect for travel!
For authentic Filipino sweet treats, I suggest Kayebakes. All cakes are handmade, and the most popular flavor is ube! I was sad that I didn’t get my hands on them because they were sold out in less than 2 hours. I tried the Mochanut flavor, and the cake is pillowy soft. On the cake, it has a buttercream, nuts, and caramel drizzle as garnish.
If you are looking for a shop to make amazing, customized wedding cakes, then you should go check out the Sweet Alley. Not only wedding cakes, they also do cakes for different occasions, including baby showers, birthdays, etc. I tried one of the customized sugar cookie for Magkasama, and it is delicious. From design to flavors, she can make the perfect cake to complete your party!
Overall Impression
There are over 25 vendors in the Magkasama market yesterday, and everyone is friendly and nice. This is probably one of my most favourite markets this year because it is also a great way to learn about Philippines’ culture and food. Although I could not mention all of the vendors here, I love all of the work and time to put into this. I hope this will happen again next year, but I do hope there are more savoury items in the market. If you miss it this year, please make note and go next year!
| Magkasama | Instagram |
| Shameless Buns | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter |
| Layunin. | Instagram | Facebook |
| La Glace | Instagram | Facebook |
| Bukobaba | Instagram | Facebook |
| Kapé Philippine Coffee | Instagram | Facebook |
| Kayebakes | Instagram | Facebook |
| The Sweet Alley | Instagram | Facebook |
| Disclosure: Media |
