by MARK SLUTSKY

As with any country that's had its share of occupiers and colonizers, the Philippines boasts a diverse cuisine with influences from all over the map. Along with hints of Indonesian and Malaysian food, there's the inevitable influence of over five centuries of Spanish control and even a hint of American cookery. Filipino restaurants aren't too common in Montreal - the cuisine has yet to hit the trendy status of say, Thai or Japanese - but regardless of its popularity outside the Filipino community, it's worth investigating, as it contains some uncommon pleasures and some very unexpected flavour combinations.

Bahay Kubo sits on an ethnically diverse strip of Van Horne (you can also get kosher and Szechuan food on the same block), just around the corner from the Plamondon metro station. It's a long, open room, brightly lit, with little touches of bamboo here and there. Fitting, as the name refers to the bamboo hut that's a traditional dwelling in the Philippines. The décor certainly isn't fancy (though the sign is pretty slick); it has a sort of stripped-down Chinatown appeal. Both a restaurant and a bakery, it offers a very wide variety of Filipino cuisine, and many, many desserts, which you'd be well-advised to make room for.

But let's talk about the hot stuff before we get to the desserts. Bahay Kubo is set up cafeteria-style, with all the dishes on display behind a glass counter; this is obviously not ideal, and to be honest I'd suggest going for lunch, rather than dinner, as the food will likely be a lot fresher (I get the feeling it's more of a lunch place anyway). The "combo express" is the way to go here, as $6.50 gets you two choices plus rice, a pretty unbeatable deal. If you're feeling hungry I'd definitely recommend also getting a plate of lumping Shanghai ($4.50), which are like long and narrow, meat-stuffed fried spring rolls.

From the main dishes (ranging from $4.50–$6), there's lots to choose from, but I'd definitely recommend checking out the adobo, the flagship dish of Filipino cuisine: tender chunks of pork cooked in soy sauce, vinegar and bay leaves. Don't miss out on the pancit bihon, either, which is sort of a variation on lo mein, made with vermicelli-like noodles, bok choy, snow peas and more pork. Bahay Kubo also makes a fine bola bola, or meatball, a dish I was surprised to find on the menu. But the truly adventurous (or sausage-lovers) will want to try out the pork dinuguan. Made with pork bellies and entrails, the dish is cooked in pig's blood, lots of it, and is incredibly savoury. (If you're not so into the pork, there's always the kosher place just down the block…)

On to the desserts, then. There are plenty of baked goods, but first I have to suggest you try out the halo-halo ($3.50), a sweet, icy treat. Served in a tall glass, it's made with tons of shaved milk ice (and a dollop of leche flan on top), with a variety of sweet comestibles at the bottom: red beans, gelatin cubes, fruit. A truly unusual dessert. On the bakery side of things, check out the karyaka ($1.50), a kebab impaled with three sweet beignets, each drizzled with a caramel sauce. The pilipit (75 cents) are very enticing-looking sugar twists, though when I tried them they'd gone a little stale. Maybe for breakfast? Another visually interesting dessert is the kalamay na ure ($2), which looks like a glowing purple rhomboid, a sweet pasty thing made with purple rice.

Bahay Kubo is ridiculously inexpensive, and its cuisine is quite unique to Montreal. I wish some of the dishes were more freshly cooked, its only serious drawback.

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Bahay Kubo
ADDRESS: 4735 Van Horne (corner of Victoria, at Plamondon Metro)
PHONE: 733-1841
HOURS: Tue–Sun, 7 a.m.–10 p.m.
BEST FEATURES: The pancit bihon noodles and sweet, sweet pastries
ALCOHOL: Yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: One step up
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Not particularly
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NO-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $5–$10 per person, before tax, tip or booze
Rating: **1/2 out of ****