Introduction to Kanin
RAVENSWOOD — For Philippines-born, Hawaii-raised Julius Tacadena, opening a grab-and-go restaurant has been a longtime dream. Growing up on the island of Kauai, foods like musubi — a block of white rice topped with fried Spam, meat, fish or egg and wrapped in seaweed — are found at many corner stores, he said. When Tacadena decided to open a bodega-style eatery in Chicago, he never expected droves of people to flock to the street food he grew up eating. But since opening Kanin, 5131 N. Damen Ave., last Saturday, customers have waited in two-hour lines for a taste.
The Menu and Demand
Kanin’s menu features a mix of Hawaiian- and Filipino-inspired food, like musubi with fried Spam, tamarind shrimp, tomato jam and egg, and longanisa and egg. There are also grilled skewers, inari “bombs” and sides like macaroni salad. For dessert, Kanin offers ube banana pudding, the shop’s “number one seller,” Tacadena said. “We make probably 100 to 150 of those a day,” he said. “We can’t keep them in stock.”
Kanin, 5131 N. Damen Ave., on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Credit: Leen Yassine/Block Club Chicago
The entire menu has sold out daily by 1:30 p.m. since Kanin opened — nearly three hours before the restaurant’s 4 p.m. closing time. Tacadena said he underestimated how popular Kanin would be, and he’s already hired three more staffers to meet the demand.
Background and Inspiration
Kanin — which means rice in Tagalog — is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. It’s closed on Mondays. “This is my interpretation of my upbringing,” Tacadena said. “It’s just sort of this eclectic mix of different cultures, and not necessarily just straight Filipino food or even Hawaiian food.” Tacadena plans to add menu items as he gets a handle on the flow of customers, he said.
The Creation of Kanin
Before opening Kanin in Ravenswood, Philippines-born Julius Tacadena created his own snack brand, KRACKish.
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