Bahay Kubo Filipino Store

Okay I may be a bit biased writing about this store because of my heritage but I must admit Bahay has every Filipino’s craving here plus prices seem very reasonable for their imported items.
It is very difficult to find most Filipino food staples here in Calgary so I was really impressed to bounce into this very central location, just across from the Safeway.
It is a small store but it is jam packed with tons of produce, there is a jewellery section in the back, a beauty products area and you can even wire money to the Philippines here.
Ellen the owner was so delightful and personable; we walked around her store talking in half Tagalog and English and she pointed out the obvious Filipino highlights. She has tons of Magnolia products here; Magnolia is a line very well known in Phil for its ice cream. She has baked packaged items from the most famous Filipino bakery called Magnolia and she has the best tasting Hopia that you can only get from Metro Manila.
There are freezers full of exotic fish, there is produce, fruits and vegetables that are unique only to our dishes.
But the most appealing and appalling thing she sells at Bahay is Balot!
Balot is a huge delicacy in our country and according to Wikipedia it is «a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-​developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell.» The younger the duck the more tasty.
You have probably see this eaten by the likes of Chef Anthony Bourdain on his television program, but for me it is one of the most disgusting and sought after Filipino treats. This is the snack in Phil, mostly popular at midnight and eaten with Filipino beer.
There are times where I have seen people eat these, and there were actually slight feathers in it and you could start to see some body parts. I won’t go into any more details as I am already grossing myself out, but if you know what I am talking about and want one, Bahay is the place to go at $ 1.50 a piece.
With that said, if you haven’t eaten Filipino food you should; not all of it is so precarious. And if you want to cook Filipino food then Bahay is the place to come and find those special ingredients that have made me what I am.