TOP 5 FOOD FINDS AT SEAFOOD CITY
Don’t know your bangus from your bagoong? Not to worry, the U.S.-based Filipino grocery chain, Seafood City Supermarket, opened in Mississauga’s Heartland Town Centre on Sept. 28. The iconic brands the supermarket stocks — Selecta ice cream, Nescafe 3 in 1 coffee — can make the Filipino diaspora feel at home. By Amy Pataki
Fried chicken skin and smelts
The aptly named Crispy Town counter is home to beer-friendly snacks like fried bangus, also called milkfish ($13.99). The supermarket sells cases of imported beer (San Miguel Pale Pilsen from the Philippines is coming) and has a liquor licence pending for the in-store dining area. Until then, pair crunchy chicken skin and battered smelts (both $7.99) with spicy green vinegar developed by chef Rexie Hernandez.
Turon
Also from Crispy Town comes turon ($1.99), a banana egg roll of restrained sweetness. Inside the wrapper are slices of funky ripe jackfruit and pale saba banana, a starchy Filipino variety not unlike a plantain. Pro tip: If eating out of hand, wrap the sugar-dusted turon in a paper napkin to avoid sticky fingers.
Beef noodle soup
The Chinese influence on Filipino cooking is crystal dumpling clear at the Noodle Street kiosk. Beef noodle soup ($7.95) offers skinny strands of fresh egg noodles, fried garlic, sliced napa cabbage, baby bok choy and long-simmered boneless beef shank redolent of star anise.
BBQ skewers
Two men baste and flip non-stop at the Grill City counter. It’s worth waiting for garlicky skewers of chicken ($7.99) and pork ($6.99). They pair well with palabok, round rice noodles deeply flavoured by bagoong (dried shrimp paste) and showered in crunchy fried pork skin.
Siomai
Pork-and-shrimp siomai ($9.95 a dozen) make a substantial snack at Noodle Street. The house-made dim sum boasts a juicy filling inside supplied wrappers. The ginger relish balances the richness. Seafood City Supermarket, 800 Boyer Blvd. (at Mavis Rd.), Mississauga. Open daily, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.