Tinuno – 31 Howard St, Toronto, ON M4X 1J6
Country: Philippines
Must-try Dish: Milk Fish and Rice (NOTE parties of 2 need to pick between Milk fish and Tilapia)
Dinner Guest: Young Matt, Suited Sebastien

To kick-off the new year, Mandrea Bike felt that they would take the art of eating with hands to the next level and venture east of Yonge Street to a quiet street where you can find some of the best Filippino cuisine in the 6ix. Not only is Tinuno constantly busy, they also opened the restaurant with the concept of embracing traditional Filippino custom of eating with your hands. 

This unsuspecting house was bustling with diners who were ready to get down and dirty into fragrant rice, juicy seafood and tasty meats on top banana leaves that covered a table. It’s strongly encouraged to slap the plastic gloves on to your hands (that are on offer at each table). 

Prior to our pile of food arriving, there were some jokes about serial killer gloves at the table, but in the end, we wouldn’t have enjoyed every single bite available without those gloves protecting our fingers and nails. It would have been a mess in the biggest way. Plus, we were doing as the locals recommended, which is always the Mandrea Bike way.  

Although our table was prepared with the traditional banana leaves acting as a plate, or even a table-cloth, we weren’t quite ready for the speed to which our feast arrived, and was displayed on our table. The rice was laid down with a petite paddle on the leaves in a mountain across the entire width of the surface, giving easy access to everyone to have their fair share of bites. However, the show-stopper was the decadent display of grilled seafood, meats and vegetables that topped the garlic infused rice. It tasted as good as it looked, trust us. 

The generous serving of seafood medley included prawns, mussels, squid, tilapia and milkfish, which is a popular fixing in the Filippino food scene. There were smaller portions of pork and chicken on skewers, as well as eggplant and zucchini. It seemed like a lot of food, but it’s all portioned for the amount of people at the table, and despite being full, it was difficult to stop eating the rice once the more colourful items were devoured. 

If it came down to only having one thing, go for the milkfish with the rice – they were the favourites and you can’t have one without the other! A surprising, and eye-catching treat at the end of this grand meal is the vibrant purple ice cream called “Ube”, made out of purple yam. Go for it, you’ll love it. 

It goes without saying that Tinuno is a success story as the food is excellent, the service is efficient, and people are lining up to get inside, even on a cold January night. We urge you to throw caution to the wind, and any insecurities you have about eating with your hands, and make a reservation at Tinuto immediately. 

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)