Grandma’s chicken curry and lumpia are the stars of this Filipino restaurant in BC

Photo from La Kantina/Facebook

If you’re a Filipino from Cariboo in Williams Lake BC and craving the taste of Pinoy flavors back home, say hello to “La Kantina” offering authentic recipes straight out of lola’s kitchen.

New Year celebration always comes with a bang and this year, if you’re too busy to cook, La Kantina in 23 C 1st Avenue S is available for takeout, delivery and dine-in.

The culinary master behind the first Filipino restaurant in the area? Elena Brodland, who is set to share Filipino delights in Williams Lake. Opening last June 2022, the food scene of Cariboo experienced an explosion of Filipino flavors inspired by her grandmother’s recipes.

Brodland grew up tasting her lola’s dishes tasting them as she cooked with her cousins in tow. “She’d make us taste each dish to see what was missing, “ reminisces Brodland.

From those childhood tasting sessions to La Kantina’s menu, Brodland’s culinary journey is a tale of flavor fin

Cariboo is not the perfect source for Filipino kitchen staples. Brodland shares how she faces the hurdles of sourcing out ingredients like sisig powder for their tuna sisig, and calamansi.

She also prefers to use canton noodles — a thicker variety than the local counterpart. “It’s not the authentic Filipino pancit canton, so I have to be particular with what I use,” shares Brodland.

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Filipino flavors on a plate

Delight your taste buds in Pinoy feast with their pancit canton, bistek Tagalog, fish kinilaw, and crispy pata to name a few. For the dessert enthusiasts, the iconic Pinoy halo-halo and cassava cake can’t be missed out.

Armed with her grandma’s recipes plus her innovation, she now brings delightful dishes like creamy coconut chicken curry and lumpia (spring rolls) to La Kantina’s tables.

“I’ll cook it, taste it, and if something’s missing, I’ll sprinkle a little magic until it tastes just like grandma’s,” said Brodland.

La Kantina’s combo platters are also on the menu with pancit, veggie lumpia, tocino, and longganisa — perfect for a feast of 3 – 4 people.

Beyond these dishes, La Kantina is a product of family ties. Elena with her mother Mercedita Francisco and husband Ron runs the business.

Elena’s career from being a medical technologist to a culinary whiz speaks volumes about passion. Even after her two-year hiatus due to accidentally slipping on ice, she’s back cooking up for her kababayans in Williams Lake.

La Kantina is open to serve from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays. Craving a BBQ fix? Mondays and Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. are BBQ nights.

If you can’t dine in their restaurant, you can order online through their website.