Grabbed some ensaymadas to-go from this famous spot. Got both a cheddar and a quezo de bola. Both…read morewere super delicious - cheesy and sweet, with the pastry itself being very light and fluffy. I preferred the quezo de bola more than the cheddar but both were delicious. Would def come back!

i swear hizon's mocha cake is basically a manila time machine. my lola used to bring one to…read morebirthdays and the rule was always "don't smash the box on the jeep ride home" . it's that super light chiffon + buttercream combo that doesn't feel heavy even after a big meal. also the ensaymada + hot tsokolate there on a rainy afternoon? undefeated. legit old-school manila vibes.

I like hopia. Correction: I love hopia, especially hopiang monggo. But I absolutely will not eat…read morehopiang baboy or kundol. That being said, I have asked my friends who also love this Chinese delicacy what they believe the best hopia is. I get the usual answers of like Holland or Polland. But those in the know will almost always say that there's a place in Palanca Street connecting Sta Cruz to Quiapo that has the best hopia in the planet, if not the universe. That place is Kim Chong Tin Hopia Factory. Decades ago, when i went to the Quiapo and Sta Cruz area fairly regularly, I remember going to Palanca Street to get my hopia fix. There were several stores competing back then, but now it is this one that has survived. I'm sure that this was one of the bakeries where I went to. In a recent visit to Quiapo, I bought a pack and am happy to report that the taste hasn't changed, It's still as delicious as ever. This factory also has other products, but I didn't care to try any of them. A pack of seven pieces goes for P37, so that's a little over P5 per piece. Not a bad price considering the size. There's another place I buy hopia more frequently because its easily accessible, and their hopia goes for P8 per piece of similar size. So considering its price advantage, I will agree that Kim Chong Tin's hopia continues to set the standard by which all other hopias are measured. The place doesn't look like much, but it still gets five stars from me.

There is a reason why Polland Hopia has been up and operational since 1966. Everyone knows this…read moreplace to get the best hopia in Manila! For those of you who haven't tried this yet, you are missing so much! The packaging is very simple - it's just wrapped in paper. But don't get deceived by this simple wrapper. The paper contains the most precious hopia ever! You bite into it and you get really this moist filling of mongo - sooooo good! Okay, so aside from Hopia I also get other snacks there like Shingaling, chips, ampao and candy. It feels like a grocery because you can get a lot of snacks there! Oh please note that since the hopia is made fresh (and I don't think there are preservatives) it is to be consumed immediately. Do not wait for when you see mold - better yet put it in the fridge if you can't eat it immediately. I'm such a happy kid whenever I go to this store! I'm glad that they have branched out with kiosks around Manila!

Legendary for their expensive, but high-quality Tikoy, Ho-Land in Binondo offers food common and…read morewell known to the Filipino-Chinese community at good prices. Aside from being fully stocked with high quality hopia and tikoy and Chinese sauces, they also sell various international products; Danish bisquits, for example, are also on stock for the consumers to look at and perhaps buy. They also sell various small sweets such as lollipops and candies and occasional souvenir iterms such as keychains in the shape of Chinese Zodiac animals, including the pig, the monkey, and the snake. Their air-conditioned store in Binondo Chinatown ensures quality and freshness of their wares and items, and a very comfortable shopping experience away from the hot streets of Manila, even if for just a moment. Indeed, Ho-Land, despite having this small shop, is still true to its name in terms of reliable quality and favorable prices as well; if you intend to celebrate the Chinese new year in the country here (because yes, the Philippines does celebrate it as one of our national holidays) they might appreciate your savvy taste if you pick the classic Ho-Land tikoy for wishing them prosperity.

This is probably THE bakery in Chinatown that has anything and everything you need and want.They've…read morebeen open since the late 1940's so they definitely know what they're doing. Salazar Bakery is frequented by both Ongpin residents and visitors from near and far. The place is so famous that it is actually one of the stops in the Chinatown Food Tour. They have all sorts of bread products and pastries such as cakes, rolls, tikoy, siopao, pork buns and soooo much more... but my favorite is their hopia. They have those small dice-looking ones that are simply delicious and addicting. They're even so much better when they are freshly made and served hot! Mmmmm!

Who doesn't know of Salazar Bakery? In the past few years, this Binondo-based bakery has been…read moreputting up stores in the malls all over Metro Manila Everyone has his or her favorite Salazar Bakery product. Mine happens to be their peanut ampaw, which I can munch on endlessly without getting tired of it. This main branch is always full. Ladies and gents usually buy in large quantities, probably for pasalubong for the kids or as a peace offering to an angry wife. I was able to enter the kitchen of Salazar Bakery because I needed to use their rest room. It was as clean as I would have expected for a store with a growing reputation for consistency and good taste. One time, a friend who is married to a Briton went there. I was with them. The Brit initially stayed outside, but later followed us inside the cool but crowded bake shop. He must have liked what he smelled, because he ended up buying more than me and my friend. Their hopia is also good, but not great. Salazar also has all sorts of breads, which is good to have around for midnight snacks and the like.

This bakery became my go to place for sweets. The ensaymada and cheese rolls were my late mom's…read morefavorite and mine as well. i recently tried cinnamon rolls it was good as well. The sourdough bread was light and great for sandwiches. I have yet to try the brownies and lemon bars. I will though the next time i am home. i highly recommend.

Love this bakery and for the quality you get, it's completely worth the price. Nothing tastes like…read morethey skimped on ingredients or used any substitutes for the real thing. This branch is in a really convenient location and is maintained well. The people who work here are also super nice! I bought my birthday cake (the Purple Carousel chocolate cake) here, and they gave me an extra bag of sweets! My favorites are their: *Lemon bars - really great lemon flavor and have a tart, refreshing sweetness *Chocolate revel bars - probably the best I've had *Chocolate Campfire cake - very rich, but in this amazing way where you don't get tired of eating it! I've also had their: *Purple Carousel chocolate cake - classic chocolate cake with these chocolate wafers on top *Mini Pecan Pie - not the consistency I prefer in a pecan pie but the flavor was still very good *Mini Chocnut Pie - light, could use a stronger chocnut flavor, I really liked the crust though *Cookies - I love cookies so I usually get 1 or 2 with whatever else I'm buying that day, theirs are crispy on the edges and chewy on the inside *Quiche Tinapa - Liked this a lot and just ate mine chilled, but I think it would be better to warm it a little at home

Okay, first off, I've never actually been to the store, so I will save that fifth star until I do…read more But, I've had the bola bola rolls many, many, MANY times! Whenever we visit the Philippines, my sister-in-law always brings us some. Aside from the McDo Chicken with gravy (they don't have this in the McDonalds in the US), this is probably one of my favorite meals when I visit. So simple and delicious! I put it in the fridge (or I guess, "ref" in the PI) for a few days and I just put it in the microwave whenever I want to eat one. Still good after a few days. Unfortunately, since it's a meat product, I can't bring it in to the US when I go back. Boo!!!!!!

I don't know who Chef Andrew is, but I decided to step into Simply Bread at Robinson's Place,…read moreManila. The store was well-lighted and clean. The red and yellow color scheme was also attractive. Most local bakeries have their breads inside glass counters. Not with this breadshop. Their products are displayed in open shelves so breads are easy to inspect by customers. No, it's not gross. The goodies are all prepacked in boxes or clear-plastic packaging. I was trying to lower my intake of carbohydrates so I resisted the desire to buy the fluffy white breads. I checked to see if there was whole-wheat bread, but I didn't find one. Besides, I already had my sight on the egg tarts. I bought a box of 6. When I got home, the tarts were broken and jumbled inside the box. I tried my best to fix them before I took a picture. The crust of the egg tart was a bit brittle. Maybe that's the reason why they broke during transit. Still, I enjoyed eating the tarts, more so with a good cup of coffee.