When I talked about having the best ribs at Canto during my talk for The First Baguio Blog Conference, people thought I was only kidding and was referring to an actual “kanto”. I have only realized this when someone sent me a message telling me that she loved my talk and that she loved the part about the ribs at the kanto thing. LOL. I should have mentioned that the kanto I was talking about was an actual restaurant called Canto, with a C. LOL.

For the benefit of my foreign readers, kanto is a Tagalog word which literally means street corner.

I was not talking about finding the best ribs in an actual street corner, but there is an actual place called Canto which serves the best barbecued ribs I have ever tasted. And I mean EVER. It’s even better than MINE and I’ve been told I make mean barbecued ribs.

So anyway, let me introduce you to Canto.

I first discovered Canto back in August 2009. My friend featured their ribs for lunch at her son’s baptism and I was in love.

After discovering them at my friend’s party, I tried to pay them a visit in their quaint restaurant located in Engineer’s Hill, unfortunately, parking was a problem so I had no choice but to try and visit another time. You know how busy I am, so needless to say, I forgot about it, but every time I passed by their restaurant I always make a mental note to come back on a Saturday, because I’ve been told that that’s when they serve ribs.

So, years passed. Like literally, years. And then B told me that Canto has opened a branch in Ketchup: The Food Community, right in front of Wright Park. Ketchup: The Food Community as the name suggests, is composed of Baguio based restaurants. Along with Canto, you can also find Happy Tummy, Café Circolo, Rumah Sate and Rancho Norte. All these restaurants are owned by Baguio residents, yay Baguio!

I was skeptical about the location at first, because back in high school, my friends and I hung out in Wright Park almost every weekend, horse-back riding was our thing then, and no matter how hungry we got, we could never stand eating there, the horse and horse poop smell is just too overwhelming. I wondered if I would be able to smell the horses and their poop all the way to Ketchup. and hoped not.

In Ketchup, you have the option to order food from the different restaurants within the community without needing to get up and change seats. The restaurants within the food community differ in what they serve, so they don’t compete with each other and in fact help each other out. You’ll definitely find something to fulfill whatever you’re craving for at Ketchup.

Canto is situated in the right side of the entrance, you can easily see their sign once you have entered Ketchup. It was awesomely sunny when we went there, and everything was just perfect. I have not eaten in Canto before, although I have tasted their barbecued ribs, I have yet to dine in their restaurant, so I did not know what to expect. Discovering what they offered came as a pleasant surprise. I scanned the menu and quickly found what I was looking for.  The ribs. But I will save that for last.

Okay, so I lost some of the other pictures that I took and I don’t know how to properly label these now.

I think this is a Quarter Pounder Cheeseburger with a side of fries. The fries were huge! It was well seasoned and well cooked. I love how when you bite into them they’re cooked all the way through but not mushy, I hate mushy fries, don’t you? The burger patty was big, fat and oh so juicy. It was a bit messy to eat, but so well worth the price. I’ve lost some of the pictures, so I don’t know exactly how much this cost, but believe me when I say, it’s worth whatever it costs.

I think this one is a Chili Con Carne Burger with a side of fries.

B had this, I had a taste, it was a bit too spicy for my liking, but B thinks it’s pretty good.

NACHOOOS! I loooove nachos, and this one was so very YUM! The veggies were fresh, and the salsa was just perfect. I don’t like cilantro, because the smell and the taste can be quite overpowering, however, the salsa on this nacho platter only had a hint of cilantro, which I love. Lucas loved the purple chips.

I forgot what this drink is called, but it was very refreshing, perfect for that super sunny day. The sweetness was just right and it tasted like lychees and the stuff used to make Sago’t Gulaman.

And then the RIBS! It came with a side of fresh salad and mashed potatoes. Everything was just perfect. The ribs was cooked perfectly, the meat was so soft with a smoky sweet taste. The salad and the mashed potato were great side dishes, but I wouldn’t mind having the ribs alone too. The vegetables were fresh, they were crunchy and seasoned well, I loved the sweet tangy taste of the vinaigrette used in the salad. The gravy on the mashed potato was a bit under seasoned for my liking, but other than that, everything was just PERFECT!

Canto definitely has the BEST BARBECUED RIBS IN TOWN. I have yet to taste a better version, but you know I’ll tell you if I do find one that’s better.

Visit Canto at Ketchup: The Food Community today!

Canto @ Ketchup: The Food Community

(in front of the Wright Park oval)

Romulo Drive, Barangay Lualhati, Baguio City