Out & About #201 | The Cantina by Campbells

Venturing out to free food events in the city aren't uncommon over lunch hour. I had read about Campbell's pop-up shop on Queen St. W shortly after it had been set up.

​Despite the various positive comments and chef interviews though, I wasn't exactly sold that it was worth enduring a frigid, fifteen-minute walk and, potentially, a lineup. Gulping on four sample-sized mixtures created from pre-packaged soup mixes or Campbells' already seasoned canned soup really did not appeal to me as a proper lunch option.
 
Nonetheless, I still open to the idea when it was suggested to me; I definitely would not have gone out of my way to make a solo trip though.

​The pop-up was much larger and, might I add, grander than I expected. It was thoroughly furnished, decorated, and staffed; much to my surprise, there was no lineup either. ("But, it's free. Is this even possible?!" I had thought.)
 
Warmly ushered inside and welcomed at the reception post (aka a podium with wood-like finishes), we were handed coloured dots to stick onto a Campbells mural. With each dot, Campbells would be donating one can of soup to a food bank, or so we were told.

.​We then manoeuvered further deeper into the pop-up, past rows of group tables hosting loquacious lunchtime diners, and joined the non-existent queue for soup samples. A stack of plastic trays were found underneath a medium-sized television screen featuring the chef who had initiated this timed event, Matt Dean Petit; each tray was lined with a sheet of tan-hued paper giving brief details of each soup variation.

Two friendly staff members ladled the soups into small paper containers from behind a tall counter before placing them onto the trays, all while providing concise descriptions of each and gesturing to a chalkboard mounted on the wall above for recommended topping choices.

​A topping bar situated perpendicularly to the end of the counter offered bamboo shoots, nori strips, tortilla matchsticks, scallions, and more, enabling attendees to customize their soups as desired.

​< Pictured above: Spicy Vegetarian Ramen, Creamy Tomato Black Bean Taco Soup, Thai Chicken & Rice Khao Soi, and Roasted Beer Can Cream of Chicken Soup w/ Crispy Chicken Skin >
 
I chose to ignore the suggested list of toppings, placing bamboo shoots in the Taco Soup, and tortilla chips into the Thai Chicken. Quite frankly, I don't think any of the toppings would have altered the flavour of the base soup anyway.

​Just as we seated ourselves, the Chef himself strolled up to the sticker mural and called upon the attention of the attendees. Along with informing us of the pop-up's purpose, he asked several diners to pick their preferred soup and expressed gratification for those that had made an appearance more than once.
 
I began munching on the Thai Chicken & Rice Khao Soi after securing myself a glass of chilled cucumber-infused water. Maybe I had raised my expectations for this particular flavour, as Khao San Road's Khao Soi had been a heavenly mix of fragrant coconut milk and various spices, for I experienced an unmistakable wave of sheer disappointment reverberate from within. I couldn't taste the coconut, nor the curry, and especially not the Thai-ness. I scooped up several grains of rice and perhaps a few meagre shreds of chicken, but there wasn't much substance elsewise. Furthermore, the soup was too watery to be considered "curry".

Digging my spoon into the creamiest soup on my platter, my spirits were lifted slightly by the Roasted Beer Can Cream of Chicken Soup. It was richer than the former and also boasted richer flavours. However, it was evident that the consistency of the soup had been obtained using cornstarch and/or stabilizers. The crispy bits of fried chicken skin, though unarguably unhealthy, added a nice crunch. Not a hint of beer was perceived, though.

​Regrettably, the remaining two weren’t too stunning either. Creamy Tomato Black Bean Taco Soup resembled a cup of leftover beans simply thrown in chunky tomato paste that hadn’t been properly diluted, and Spicy Vegetarian Ramen was essentially a depth-less chicken noodle soup sans authentic ramen.

​I don’t think of myself of being overly critical. Rather, I feel as if the creations fell short of their much hyped-up expectations. Canned soup is canned soup – that’s the fact. While the concept is to encourage locals to try out some of the recipes at home, and possibly incorporate more Campbell products into their lives, the minute meals just did not deliver.

​Upon our departure, we were handed a gift bag containing two Star Wars-adorned cans of Campbells soup along with two powdered soup mixes. It’s unlikely that I’ll ever use the powder mix, but perhaps I’ll whip some stew with the canned formulas.
I’d recommend steering clear of the recipes posted on the website though, especially considering that the quality of the resulting creations featured in the pop-up.

I suppose its one redeeming aspect was that it contained a washroom. It was nowhere near Maman's level, but still more acceptable than 7-Eleven.

​​Not completely satisfied, and predictably so, I suggested dropping Nohohon on the way back to redeem a Taro Smoothie with Grass Jelly. Oddly enough for a Friday afternoon, there was only one girl working. Between taking orders, making drinks, and greeting customers, she made an enormous attempt to maintain equal levels of efficiency and accuracy. The Taro Smoothie was a tad more watery than I would have liked, though the flavour and texture remained just as I recalled from a previous experience.