[Ron Ramirez]

As Doug and Codefox have said, the original finish was lacquer. You should definitely use a grain filler. This is something I need to learn how to use, myself, so I can't give you any advice on how to do this. Perhaps one of the folks on here who are much better with cabinets than I am will chime in here with some how-tos.

The dye toner would be better than pigment, as the pigmented toner tends to accumulate fast and make your finish look like paint if you apply too many coats. Toning lacquer with dye is transparent and does not have this problem.

If you use a toner with dye, you should not have the problem with grain now showing.

Again, as for the exact procedure, it would be better if one of our more experienced refinishers would chime in here with the proper procedure. Steve Davis, Exray, and others whom I cannot think of right now can tell you all about that.