Filipino chefs have a special way with barbecue pork skewers, and Kamusta is no exception. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
When the sun sets on Chisholm, Black and White Espresso transforms into Kamusta Filipino Cuisine. It’s a clever business move to create a nighttime offering in a space you already own, and with a cuisine you love, and there are already fans of this family-run gem.
Filipino food is a growing favourite in Canberra. A few years ago, I could have named only one Filipino restaurant, but now I could give you five off the top of my head. The heady smell of barbecuing pork skewers is a staple affair at the multicultural festival, and adobo, tapsilog, and halo-halo are finding their way into Canberra’s foodie lingo.
Kamusta owner Briant Censon also co-owns Black and White Espresso. He told Region that this nighttime pop-up is a bit of a test run.
“We’re just trying it out for now, but hopefully in a year or so we’ll put Kamusta into its own place.”
“Kamusta means ‘how are you?’ It’s like how family and friends greet each other … I want to introduce locals to more Filipino food and give more choice to the Filipino people in Canberra.”
It’s a Sunday night, and we’re pretty hungry and a bit tired when we arrive. So we don’t muck about, we just get ordering. Chicken inasal (Filipino-style grilled chicken in a lemongrass and calamansi marinade) is always a solid choice, but we find ourselves drawn to the grilled pompano fish. Figuring that a whole grilled fish will keep us full, we order the barbecue pork skewers as well, rather than a more filling dish like the crispy pork kare-kare (pork belly in a peanut sauce).
The grilled pompano fish was tender, flaky and beautiful, mopped up with garlic rice. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
The open kitchen gives us a view of the team at work, and it’s apparent that the staff are having a genuinely good time. There’s a bit of good-natured teasing and plenty of laughter. There’s been a lot of news recently about poor workplace culture in hospitality, so it’s a pleasure to see a happy kitchen at work.
The pork skewers are glossy, coated in a sticky, sweet and savoury glaze and served with a zingy vinegar sauce.
The pompano fish is lovely, deeply scored to let the seasoning melt into the flesh, and beautifully flaky. Our plates arrive already heaped with garlic rice (how good is garlic rice?), and there’s some pickled veggies and a spiced soy dressing on the side, which is a lovely accompaniment to the dish.
Halo-halo is a popular Filipino dessert. Photo: Kamusta/Instagram.
On another night, I’d love to return for the leche flan (a baked custard tart), apparently made from an old family recipe. The table next to us is enthusiastically tucking into halo-halo, a popular Filipino dessert made with shaved ice, jelly, fruits, beans and topped with ube ice cream.
Our server is eager to hear our thoughts about the meal and thanks us enthusiastically for coming.
Chisholm is lucky to have such a gem, and if they support this early version of Kamusta, they’ll be rewarded with a dedicated restaurant.
Kamusta Filipino Cuisine is located at Shop 3a/42 Halley St, Chisholm. Look for the Black and White Espresso signage (and the giant blue coffee cup). They are open from 4.30 pm to 9.30 pm from Wednesday to Sunday. Follow Kamusta on Instagram.
