Before Bangku became known for sizzling sisig and hot-off-the-pan silog, its story began far from home—in the back kitchen of a sandwich shop in Australia.
“I didn’t even know what Swiss cheese was,” the owner laughs, remembering his first job abroad in 1999. With no culinary background from the Philippines, he started from scratch—literally. From learning the difference between breads and sauces to mastering international cuisine at a fine dining restaurant, every step laid the foundation. “I learned how to grill, sauté, marinate, and build flavour. But I didn’t learn Filipino cooking until much later.”
That changed in Canada.
Landing in Toronto in 2009, he searched for something simple: freshly cooked Filipino food. “Everything was pre-made, sitting in steam trays. I wanted something that tasted like home, like it just came out of the kitchen.” So in 2016, Bangkuwas born—not a buffet, not a fast-food counter, but a made-to-order experience where dishes are cooked only when you order them.
The name Bangku comes from memories of long wooden benches at his grandfather’s house, where meals were loud, communal, and full of love. That’s the heart of Bangku—flavour rooted in memory.
Take the sisig, for example. Charcoal-grilled, chopped by hand, and seasoned with care. It’s not just a recipe, it’s a tribute to Aling Lucing and the Kapampangan roots of the dish. The technique is deliberate—each cut meant to absorb the marinade. “Even if you don’t have a passport, this sisig will take you straight to Angeles City.”
But this isn’t just about tradition. The menu experiments—sisig palabok, sisig torta, and even golden sinangag with Japanese seasoning. There’s turon with halo-halo filling, and chicharong kalabaw for the curious. Every dish carries the same spirit: made with love, no shortcuts.
Owning a restaurant wasn’t just about cooking. It meant learning marketing, accounting, and running operations from top to bottom. “When you’re the owner, you’re the head chef, the line cook, the accountant, and the cleaner. You do it all.”
But at Bangku, that effort pays off in every bite.
Because here, you’re not just ordering food. You’re tasting a journey—from a clueless sandwich maker to a Kapampangan cook in Canada, from grilled liver on a plate to a story that sizzles.
