Paul Cantuba once worked as a factory worker, welder, a home renovator, and a project manager. He was employed in an advertising agency before he entered the food delivery business. Looking at his physical appearance, one cannot easily guess that the kitchen is his playground.
Although he had no prior experience, he banked on his cooking skills.
“(My brother) always told me: If you know how to cook, you’ll never starve,” Paul shares. On the other hand, his grandfather taught him how to move with intention—to lean into what you love and never lose sight of your value.
For 14 to 18 hours a day, he worked for his food delivery business, Bawang, which offers various classic Filipino dishes such as adobo, mechado, lechon kawali, and more.
He used to cook from his apartment in Parkdale, but as his food demand increased, he transferred to a commercial kitchen that was part of a midtown café owned by his friend.
“I’m now taking orders from 30 to 50 households per week all over the Greater Toronto Area. It boggles my mind,” Paul said.
People can make an order through Bawang’s website and Instagram page.
Love for food
Though his cooking techniques were not too intricate and easy to find ingredients, he says that his meals are painstakingly cooked with love.
“It’s far from cheap. The love that goes into it, the flavors that come out of the kitchen are nothing less than spectacular,” Paul explains.
A meal for three persons only costs $40, which only earns him a 10 percent profit. It may not be a significant amount, but he still does it to share his love of Filipino foods. He further added that seeing people who had never tried Filipino food and are having it for the first time, or having date nights around the food he lovingly prepared, is his source of genuine joy.
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