I am utterly in love with Purple Oven. No, seriously! They're my favorite bakery as of the moment,…read moreand for good reason! I don't really like sweet stuff, honestly. But Purple Oven's decadent revel bars changed that opinion pretty quickly! When I moved to the area, I was happy to find out that it's just one tricycle ride away from my condo (and I've abused that ever since). It's always been my go-to bakery for special occasions. Of course, the revel bars are always a party hit, as well as their cakes. But I think their cookies are one of the best I've tasted! (And i've tried alot, mind you.) The chocolate macademia cookies don't scrimp on either, and is absolutely mouthwatering, especially when they're just fresh out of the oven! (You can cheat this by putting it in the oven really quickly, at the lowest setting so you won't burn anything.) Purple Oven doesn't just do desserts either! They've got a pretty good selection of bread and quiches! Perfect for a lazy brunch at home. Just pop em in the oven the next day, and they go so perfectly with some coffee or tea.

Being a cake-lover, my husband once gave me 3 cakes from Purple Oven as a birthday gift. Yes, they…read moreare that good. When they opened a branch in Makati, I just had to go. I love everything about that place, I could really spend hours just smelling their food and staring at their desserts. And it doesn't help that they actual load a new batch of goodies in the oven every hour (with a schedule posted on the chalkboard of what's cooking by what time), I think I sat there for half a day and didn't even notice I've been there that long. Whether you're in for a savory treat or a sweet-tooth satisfier, they have so much to choose from. My top picks are still Grandma's Chocolate Cake which has layers of caramel between moist, rich chocolate cake topped with chocolate ribbons and the Banoffee Pie which has a pie crust filled with banana, cream and butterscotch. If you want just a quick bite, then try their cookie selection. I love the chocolate macadamia, very chocolatey and chunky and not too sweet.

Such a unique find and conveniently located at the Lobby of Shangri-La BGC !! This amazing bakery /…read morecoffee shop has an amazing selection of both sweet and savory quick bites with flavors from France, Italy, Spain and Philippines !! The barista selection is also amazing and they make an incredible latté!! Even a few healthy options like vegetable juices for those wanting to boost their immune system as well as amazing freshly baked. Cookies my favorite was the "conscious" cookie healthy yet delicious !!!

While having a date night with my husband, we decided to order something different at M Bakery…read moreother than their famous traditional banana pudding. As we peeked thru the glass display, we saw blueberry jamboree bar and salted caramel tres leches. I melted from the first bite of blueberry jamboree bar, it had a thick layer of smooth flat cream, a layer of pecan crumbly pie at the bottom with juicy blueberries on top! Every layer had the perfect balance to the palate. We next opened the lid for salted caramel tres leches, it had a round sponge cake topped with whipped cream, drizzled with caramel syrup, soaked in evaporated milk like consistency. It had a pinch of salt that enhanced the dessert's flavor. Overall, it was a delightful experience!

Famous Magnolia Bakery has made its way to the Philippine shores and I could't be more excited…read more RIGHT. Who gets excited about cupcakes anymore? It's a has been trend. But since I've never been to the original one in NYC, I gotta check it out. Expect cuteness galore: the store is done in all pastel colors, staff wear dainty uniforms, there's even darling cake accessories and candles for sale at the counter. I gifted my friend several cupcakes and got one for myself. Red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing, vanilla with vanilla buttercream, PB & J cupcake, and a standard carrot cupcake. She was happy with my gifts and was sure it wouldn't last until the next day ;-) I like that their plain vanilla is really well made and not boring at all. The only thing I'm sad about is the NYC pricing has also landed in Manila. Expect to pay between P145 to P165 per cupcake.

There's one Japanese bakeshop that I recommend you try - Yamato Bakeshop! Located just beside…read moreMitsuyado Sei-Men along Jupiter Street in Makati, this goldmine of a bakery is enough to put your bread and pastries cravings to rest. I first came upon this bakery about a couple of years ago when I took my parents and a family friend to Mitsuyado. While I loved their ramen, I also loved the bread sold by Yamato! My favorite? Their chocolate croissant! Simply delectable, I had to take home about 3 pieces home for myself. I was actually already fascinated with chocolate croissants when I found these in Yamato. If you've watched Meryl Streep's movie It's Complicated, there was a scene she baked croissants together with Steve Martin in the wee hours of the morning. I thought that scene was so romantic and just watching her chip up those chocolate croissants left me drooling. I'm so happy I finally got to try those babies when I found them in Yamato! Yamato also serves coffee and other caffeinated drinks. Although I have not tried them, my sister who used to be a flight attendant and frequented Japan said that Yamato's coffee tasted just like the original Japanese coffee.

This widely-popular bread chain was first known for its Pan De Sal. The brand expanded with a…read morelarger selection of baked goods, spreads, and ice cream. The Avocado Popsicle is a personal favorite. It is creamy with the chunks of real fruit and there is a variety of other flavors to choose from.

I've always been a fan of Pan De Manila since I was young. My dad usually bought pandesal from a…read morePan De Manila along EDSA back when it wasn't as common as McDonald's. The smell of their bread each time I walk into one of their establishments reminds me of why earning money is worth it. I passed by a Pan De Manila on my way home from my internship and realized that the Pan De Manila in Makati is different from the one near my village in the south. They had a lot of different things to offer here that I never saw before. Like for one thing, they had churros. Churros! I haven't had one of those for the longest time. I decided to give it a shot. It was okay, and their dip was good, I'm just a bit disappointed that it wasn't as fresh as I wanted it to be. Then again, the lack of that freshly baked bread smell should've been an indication that something's not right. Still, at its price, I'd say it was money not wasted.

Pandesal is another traditional Filipino food. We eat this baked good as merienda but we all know…read moreit's popularly eaten at breakfast. As a kid, I'd always see my yaya (nanny) eat a lot of pandesal. Her favorite was to put condensed milk on it as a spread or pandesal occasionally dipped in coffee with creamer when she was eating. At first I thought it was weird as I only knew pandesal eaten on it's own, but after she showed me how versatile pandesal was, I immediately got on the pandesal craze train. I also remember having the best pandesal in San Pablo, where my grandparents are from. But since its 2 hours away, I wanted to find a pandesal recipe that was similar. That's where Pan de Manila comes in. Their Pandesal is always baked fresh! I love the slight crusty outside and the softness of the inside. I can eat more than 5 in one sitting. They're known for their pandesals but I also love their cheesesticks, peanut butter and their delicious herb cream cheese!

I am a voracious bread eater. Bread has to be in my daily diet. That is why bakeshops will always…read morehave a special place in my heart (actually, in my tummy). Back when I was still a corporate employee, I would make frequent trips to the nearby Pan de Manila either before I log in for work or during our afternoon break. I love the aroma of freshly baked pandesal that fills the air as I approach the bakery. Aside from their pandesal, I would also buy their Bananamon, Pan de Coco, Spanish Bread, Whole Wheat Ensaymada and Coco Jam. I was thrilled when I saw the Pan de Manila branch at the Market! Market! That branch has tables and chairs where people can dine in. I was happy to have discovered their Pan de Donuts! They tastes so good! What's good is that those doughnuts are baked and not fried. All flavors costs only Php38 each. I was with my family at that time and we had the Chocnut Crumble, ChocoMonds, and Chocolate Hills. I've been craving for them ever since but they are not yet available in all branches. I wish that Pan de Manila would bring Pan de Donuts to all their shops soon!

So good! The mango torte is as good as it was a decade ago. I remembered this cake, and brought it…read moreto my family and it was a hit! I'm glad I found it again after the years of mistakenly thinking that the business closed. Will try the other cakes soon!

There are several cakes in Manila that everybody knows by name. Yulo's strawberry cake, the San…read moreMarcos, 12-layer crepe cake, Estrelle's, Hizon's, etc. etc. There are probably so many more that I've yet to discover but thank God, the mango torte by Cuerva Bakeshop isn't one of those cakes. As a matter of fact, I am full-on acquainted with it. Ugh. Ang sarap nito. I have so many fond memories of eating this after dinner with my cousins and relatives and we couldn't stop laughing as we found ourselves walking back to the dessert table to get just one more slice after saying that we were done. LOL. That's how good it is. The slightly sour mangoes coupled with the irresistible torte is just heaven in disguise.

Chocolate Crinkles. Brownies. Devil's Cake with succulent marshmallow frosting. These are enough to…read moretransform me into a melted puddle of drool. I grew up a few kms from this Becky's, and went to high school nearby. We sometimes would beg and plead with our bus driver (who shuttled kids to and from school like a regular dude) to stop by here before our trip home so we can buy some snacks. I'd like to think he did at one point but I don't think he ever did. haha. We did come by with my folks and ended up with some of their goodies. My mom likes anything with nuts (walnuts, pecans) , and naturally, I hated them. But anything Becky's Kitchen makes is rather sumptuous and I, uhh, pretty much devoured them all. I haven't been back to this location since coming back to the country, but I went to the Pasig one. I also have a birthday coming up, and I'm seriously thinking of a food trip pilgrimage which includes going to this bakery. See you soon Beckys!

Becky's at P.Ocampo Manila has always been my top go to place for delish and affordable grab and go…read morecakes (and pastries) . This is a piece of heaven for a sweet monster like me. If you live or study within the area, you know where I am coming from. I mean how would anyone miss this unassuming happy place, there's no ads just word of mouth from their tons of clients in all walks of life. They are known for their brownies, Swiss Chocolate cake, chocolate mousse and cheese roll but for me by far they have the best Prune and chocolate cup cake ( I am not a fan of prunes but their cupcake is so awesome), Coffee cake ( which I always order) -- not too sweet, chocolate crinkles which we can devour in 1 sitting (100 pcs of them for a group of 10) and most recently their Brazo de Mercedes aka Victoria Secret. Be prepare to queue and it gets super long on a holiday but this shop does not fall short on your cake expectations ( it has been consistent over the years) Everytime I visit Philippines, I make sure to drop by Becky's because of so much joy (and happy tummy plus sugar rush) it gives me.

Ordered Chocolate Campfire thru Lalamove. It was my first time to try their cakes. I called the…read morestore if the cake is available then booked it on Lalamove for pick up. It was then successfully delivered at home. Chocolate CampFire Cake is a must try cake, the chocolatier inside part blends with the sweet icing coating.

Right off, I need to tell you that I'm not a big dessert person. I am more into actual meals than…read morepastries, cakes or ice cream. And yes, I do get a lot of, "But whyyy?" reactions from people. That aside, I do get occasional cravings -- days when I just really need something sweet to cap off a big meal or a reward after a long day. Purple Oven is the perfect place to satisfy my dessert desires. I love the Chocolate Campfire cake, it's rich, moist, chocolate cake that topped with marshmallow icing. MARSHMALLOW ICING! I suppose you could take a slice and sandwich it between graham crackers and call it a smore. For days when you just need a little sweetness, try the double chocolate chip cookie, choclate macademia cookie or chocolate dipped cookie (where literally have the cookie is dipped in chocolate). They're pricey at P60/cookie but they're a little bigger than my palm and the chocolate chips ooze out when you bite into the cookie. There is no scrimping on ingredients in Purple Oven. The products here would also make great presents. They're hefty and have the wow factor because of their packaging. The chocolate crinkles, lemon squares, brownies and revel bars would be great to share at the office while the cakes would be awesome to bring home to family or to impress in-laws. Enjoy!

For homemade-quality sweets, I will always recommend House of Silvanas. Their Food for the Gods is…read morefilled with flavour even at the smallest bite. Their bucayo, which a local sweet made from coconut flakes is a wonder for a quick sugar fix. Their Silvanas? Don't even get me started. Melt-in-your-mouth wafers with the perfect amount of butter and flavoring. They also have a few cupcakes which are even better and taste far less commercial than some of the ones sold by the pricier cupcake cafes. They also sell polvoron; classic and cookies 'n' cream. Both good. (Polvoron is polvoron. You can't sing much praises about it without sounding like you're pushing it.) They also have mango bars which I love because of the texture. A bit crumbly but still chewy and filled with tiny dried mango bits. Their Josephines which are sugar biscuits with light cream in between are also perfect with black tea or coffee and I love how the cream is never heavy. Their lemon bars though, lack a bit of lemony-ness for my taste and the cheddar used for their ensaimadas is bit too sharp and salty. Their cheese rolls are perfectly soft but ironically, lacking in cheese. All three are still good though.

Is it odd that whenever I go to House of Silvanas, I never get their silvanas? Stay with me on this…read moreone, because I need to talk about their other desserts that I absolutely love. When you go to House of Silvanas, there is a dessert they have called Black Bottoms, which are essentially cupcakes made with a cheesecake top (!!!!!!!11!!!1?!!), dotted with chocolate chips and moist, chocolate cake on the bottom. I never fail to purchase one whenever I feel bad, because the moment I sink my teeth into this cupcake, first taking in the creamy cheese and then the chocolate, my eyes roll back in delight, and I find myself making joyful squeaky noises in appreciation. I think it's safe to say that the Black Bottoms from House of Silvanas are my favorite baked dessert. My next favorite dessert would have to be Napoleones. While House of Silvanas doesn't have them, they do have a dessert called the Josephine. It's occurred to me that Josephine was the name of Napoleon Bonaparte's wife, so maybe this has something to do with the fact that the Josephine is kind of like a napoleone, only crunchier and more rectangle-shaped. One bite into the puff pastry reveals a sinfully delicious custard center, and before you know it, you've eaten the entire damn confection (more like inhaled, in my case). I should probably get to trying the actual Silvanas they sell here, but for the most part, the Black Bottoms and Josephines are top-of-mind, and they should also be your must-tries when you come here, too!