What’s Special About Kanto Freestyle 65?

• Its very own  Pastry Chef  for those hot-off-the-oven pandesal and pastries. 
• A barista for those who live for specialty coffee.  
• A sous vide machine (read soo veed )  calibrated to exactly 65 degrees  to sous vide   all those eggs and other proteins.

These are the three elements  that make KANTO FREESTYLE 65  unique  relative to the other branches of Kanto since  the inception of its very first restaurant in Maysilo Mandaluyong in May 6, 2011.

Kanto a Pinoy word which means corner , literally. It can also mean anything as ubiquitous as  a street or a location. Figuratively it conjures images of a common place where locals congregate.

Freestyle , a word denoting freedom in expression

65 degrees,  a specific temperature required by Chef Arch  for his sous vide.

Origins

• Founded by four college friends from DLSU  who love to eat. They are Chef Arch , his brother Vince, Ian Ocampo and Eugene.
• The first restaurant opened in Maysilo 8 years ago
• For one and a half years, business was slow until construction started in Maysilo Circle. Jeepneys and other vehicles were rerouted.  People mostly call center agents started trouping to Kanto. Kanto Freestyle begun appearing in IG feeds and facebook. By sheer word of mouth and the power of social media, Kanto Freestyle became an open secret favorite of foodies. The rest is history

Fast forward today, Kanto now has 8 branches all over the metro and is set to celebrate its 8th anniversary on May 6.

THE FOOD

CHOCNUT CHAMPORADO P135

with a choice of Espada or Tuyo

They obviously used malagkit.  The porridge was thick and chocolate (y). The chocnut gave a nice  contrast to the predictable dark chocolate taste.

I loved the effort in presentation. The Espada was an impressive garnish to the whole ensemble. It elevated the dish to another level , all for only P135

Fluffy Pancakes with Berry Compote P135

Pancakes should be eaten as soon as it lands on the table. Unfortunately, we let our cameras eat first. So it really took a  while before we found the time to sit and enjoy this dish. 

Now cold and stiff as a board from the long wait, it was no longer appetizing. The berry compote though tasted amazing.

Will try this again on my  next visit and let you know how it turns out then.

Vigan Longganisa P140

Delicious and value for money. When it comes to longganisa, Im hands down a fan.

Kanto Longga Scotch Eggs P170

What a clever way to Filipinized a UK dish.  A Scotch Egg normally consist of a hard or soft boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat coated in bread crumbs and baked or deep fried. We do have our own local sausage we call  Longganisa so its logical to create a local version of this much-loved English dish. In taste and texture, it was actually reminiscent of  embutido too and  meat loaf except for its egg-like shape.

For P170 , it was a steal and can feed at least 2 people. Just order extra rice.

Honey Garlic Chicken P114

Omg sous vide chicken for only P114! Chicken was tender and moist. Honey garlic sauce was spot on in flavor. The only negative side is you will be ordering extra rice with this

Pusit, Danggit, Espada at Dilis P160

Non-carnivores will be delighted with this 4 types of dried fish dish. This is actually one of the most memorable dish for me yesterday. The presentation was delightful and instagrammable and the different fishes were cooked perfectly.

I know how hard it is to make those dried fish crunchy and crispy without burning them and making them bitter to  the taste.  Hats off to Sous Chef Obet for this amazing skill

Overall…

Kanto Freestyle was a revelation for this first time visitor to the restaurant.  I can not get over their presentation, the quality of the ingredients, the creativity and the amazing below-P200 price tag! Of course there is no posh ambiance to speak of. After all it is a casual restaurant. But the feel is cool, chill and homey There is a private room upstairs that can seat 12 . Definitely returning with the piggery in tow and calendaring a visit to the nearest branch soon. It goes without saying that Kanto Freestyle 65 just made this budget conscious mom very happy. Thank you for having us Kanto Freestyle and for the invite Ed of @gomanila.

KANTO FREESTYLE 65 is located at #47 Continental Court Condominium Annapolis Street Greenhills.