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

Coming here for a few times now. The food is tasty and makes you keep coming back. The "malabon"…read morenoodles contains more seafood and "palabok" has less. You pay as you order. The service is great and the manager is cheerful and even took care of us. We highly recommend. During Lenten Fridays, Catholic Customers can be served no pork dishes. The place is now also called Rita's but cobtinues to be called Auntie's.

Whenever I enter this particular Marks & Spencer branch at Eastwood, I rarely come out carrying a…read morebag full of clothes. Instead, I always end up happily nibbling on a fresh batch of breads and cookies. Hold on a second. Marks & Spencer, the British clothing retailer? They sell cookies? Why yes, they do! Not too many people frequent the bakery inside Marks & Spencer, though this could be chalked up to word not getting around. Otherwise I have no explanation for why more people don't visit. I've been going to this bakery for over three years now and I've yet to encounter stale bread. This is because M&S makes it a point to bake their pastries daily. Their Almond Croissants are soft, yet still have a crunch when you bite into them. And at P50 each, their Milk Chocolate Cookies and Double Chocolate Cookies are to die for! You can tell that the cookies were baked on the day itself because they are moist and chewy, giving away slightly when you pinch them. Aside from pastries, this branch of M&S sells wine bottles, shortbread treats, biscuit packets, baking mixes, and a cornucopia of treats that look like they would make popular Christmas presents. Granted, this branch might not be as big as the M&S department stores you see in London, but adding a bakery is a start. In my haste to grab cookies sometimes I forget that M&S sells clothes at all.

Their Chocolate Mousse (P352/P550) was the first cake I remember loving as a child: a Red Ribbon…read moreclassic with cream rosettes, a hint of mousse, and pound cake. It's the kind of light cake that I can order on a whim and gobble up in one night without feeling bad about it. Flashback time! When I was in high school, Red Ribbon used to have a flavor of cake that I really loved called Chocolate Heaven. Only they ended up removing it from the menu because its ingredients were, and I quote, "too expensive." A similar chocolate cake took its place, going by the name of Ultimate Chocolate Cake (P330/P544.50). But isn't the same. I would say that it is almost too chocolate-y by comparison. Nakaka-umay. (Too rich.) Whereas the Chocolate Heaven had toothsome layers of chocolate ganache and curls on top, chocolate mousse in the middle, and a chunk of brownies at the bottom. I miss it so much. If I had only known they would dispose of it, I would have eaten at Red Ribbon every week. That aside, Red Ribbon has been providing us good cakes and pastries for decades, and has been a long-time favorite for casual celebrations and get-togethers. Besides their cakes, I also recommend trying their Butter Mamon (P22) and Classic Polvoron (P11) for tasty and affordable finds.

I love bread in all its varying shapes, sizes, forms and flavours. Whenever I get the chance, I…read morealways try out new bread shops when I can. So when my best friend and I roamed around UP Town Center and found The Breadery, we instantly decided to check it out. Upon entering The Breadery, you get an assault of delicious-smelling, freshly baked goods. You also get to see a huge spread of different kinds of bread. The saleslady, who was super-duper kind and accommodating, immediately talked to us and answered every question we had. She also let us try all the items that we seemed interested on, and even though we just got done with dinner, we couldn't help but give in! Since their breads are baked on the same day, each loaf is soft and fragrant. They also have a variety of breads, some with unusual flavors like wasabi, even! They've also got the usual suspects - nuts, berries, chocolate, cream cheese, etc. I also must note that The Breadery does not seem to skimp on ingredients. Unlike other bakeries, The Breadery takes pride in giving quality, delicious products. I went out of the store carrying a Blueberry and Cream Cheese loaf and their version of the all-time fave French bread. My parents and I got to eat it during breakfast the next day and it still had the same texture and flavour as when I first tried it out at the bakery. A+ for me! It's too bad UP Town Center is a struggle to go to but I've heard The Breadery put up a branch in Ortigas. I'll absolutely check that one out when I can!

Bread! Glorious bread! I'm sorry, couldn't help myself. To all those firm believers of the "Bread…read moremakes you Fat" mantra, then this place isn't for you. You probably won't believe the amount of bread that's possible to make, and you probably wouldn't have thought some combinations would be feasible. Kimchi buns? I don't know about you, but seeing that on display alarmed me (in a nice way). What's great about it too is that they let you have a taste of the breads on display for free. It's good to know what you're getting yourself into, after all. I highly recommend the Olive and Cheese loaf. It's around 200 bucks, and it's the best you could get from this shop! To me at least! Also, if you want the good stuff (a.k.a. hot and fresh from the oven), swing by at noon or prior. The breads taste better!

My wife had heard good things about Pan De Amerikana before our recent trip back to the…read morePhilippines, and her cousin in Manila was good friends with the owner Jun who was absolutely awesome to meet! We were in Manila for a few nights before flying home to California and had a dinner date with her cousins the first night, so we headed to the restaurant. Jun waited for us to arrive after we attempted the two hour evening rush hour Manila traffic from Okada to Pan De Amerikana. It was a Tuesday evening and when we arrived around 8pm, the restaurant was thankfully not too busy. I'd read other reviews about how packed it can get, since supposedly "every picture is IG worthy...". That ended up being totally true! Jun greeted us warmly and introductions were made. He was gracious and friendly and gave us a quick tour of the incredibly painted and decorated restaurant; from the intricately curated Eugene Torre chess museum with various international chess sets, the tunnel made of lights and wind chimes, the antique wagon (yes you can actually sit in it and take pictures wearing a hat from the collection of fantastical hats on a rack nearby), the other various set pieces and photo backdrops, to the bathrooms and wash stations which had custom interiors and artistically decorated sink basins and soap dispensers. Every table and seating arrangement will provide a memorable experience here. There's no bad seat in the restaurant :) Jun generously provided us with the special air conditioned room for large groups next to the chess museum, which has large glass windows to see the restaurant while you eat, although it would have been fine to also sit in the restaurant, as even though it was a warm evening in Manila, the inside temperature was pleasant. On the way to the restaurant, inching our way along packed rush hour streets, we looked at the dishes and were ready with our selections soon after receiving the menu. We had several outstanding dishes including the Sinugba platter full of tasty grilled fish and pork barbecue, the pork Sisig with calamansi (I'd been comparing various Sisigs from different eateries in Pangasinan the whole trip and this was my favorite), delicious Pinakbet, and the perfectly seasoned Pansit Bihon Special. The garlic rice was also super tasty. The wait staff was very attentive and friendly. Despite the restaurant beginning to close for the evening while we were eating, Jun was even able to scrounge up some of the famous wheat Pandesal the restaurant is renowned for. It was truly delicious. My favorite is still Durong's Pandesal, but that's a different recipe altogether. Pan De Amerikana's Pandesal is certainly unique, scrumptious, and one of the healthier recipes. Jun suggested the green Moringa w/ cucumber drink and brought a pitcher. Good thing, too, since it was totally addictive. We also had the red iced tea, which was not overly sweet and thirst quenching. The entire experience was delightful, unforgettable, and fascinating. You'll have plenty of good food, memories, and photos to share with family and friends after you eat at Pan De Amerikana. Ask for the owner Jun when you go and I'm sure he'll proudly give you a tour of his famous chess museum and point out all the beautiful installations and decorations throughout the restaurant. Even the outside of the restaurant shouldn't be missed, from the front door all the way to the corner of the street. Inside and out, Pan De Amerikana is a wonder to behold! Thanks, Jun, for giving us such a special memory to take back home with us. See you again soon.

We bought their wheat pandesal and pan de coco. They were so good!…read moreIt was worth the trip from Bulacan.

I love the way this chef thinks. While people tend to look outward for flavors, some tend to forget…read morethat we have a great palette of flavors to work with right here! Case in point, the way the Baker's Table takes candy from your childhood and uses it as the backdrop for pastry. Personally, I think it's brilliant. Candy's everywhere yet they've managed to take something so mundane and repackage it into something absolutely fitting. Three words, people: Butterball Caramel Cake. Predictable as I am, that was all it took to convince me of its brilliance. I love the fact that they never lose the essence of the candy. It's right there even if you're eating a piece of cake. They don't even commit the usual sins most bakeries do. The cake isn't dry and it isn't cloyingly sweet. Perfect with a cup of coffee (or tea, as my case was). I really can't say too much about this place. Candy has this sort of effect on people where no two experiences will ever be the same. It's really the kind of cake that's better experienced than read about.

This cake shop is a total childhood throwback, as they feature cakes made from local popular sweets…read morelike Hang, Potchi, and Haw Haw. Despite me living a few minutes away, I first saw them on TV, baking their bestseller: Haw Haw cake. I'd always loved that candy, and I still do. I buy some from sari-sari stores whenever I can, so I didn't waste time and headed straight to the bakery. That cake is such a hit. They didn't have any in stock during my visit so I had to drop by the next day. To my horror. I went back first thing in the morning and sure enough, a whole cake was there waiting for me. I think a single slice costs around Php 125, which isn't really bad. We're talking about premium cakes here. The Haw Haw cake reminded me of tres leches, for some reason. Light chiffon, a little moist. It has a thin cream filling and the frosting tasted exactly like the candy, only better.

Php 40.00 moist cupcake as good (or even better) as Sonja's (as it is considered as one of the best…read morein the market) apparently exists! Where else, but in UP. UP Shopping Center is not just a haven of cheap printing and photo copying services but of inexpensive and quality food and drinks as well. Visit Stall #3 and you will notice Amelie's cute cupcakes displayed in a glass shelf just right behind its stall's glass windows; it's the only stall that sells cupcake in SC's hallway so it's quite difficult to miss. Amelie's cupcakes and bakeshop is not shouting for costumers, it doesn't have any tarpaulin or signage posted against its windows much like its neighbours. I actually underestimated their cupcakes at first and thought it were just some cheap tasting cupcakes found in local bakeries because the store didn't looked like most of the delectable cupcake stores in the market. It was because of its affordable price of 40 pesos per piece that I gave it a try. After giving my lemon cupcake a bite, I felt ashamed of myself, judging this bakeshop by its facade. IT TASTES SO GOOD I CANNOT HELP BUT TYPE IN ALL CAPS! We all know that the usual price of a cupcake nowadays really goes beyond the typical food budget of most Filipino citizens, and I practically think I am one of those, so I was so happy being able to find an inexpensive QUALITY cupcake in UP. You'll know that every cupcake in Amelie's is baked with love because the owner Amelie herself is always in the shop, baking the cupcakes herself. Her cupcakes and other pastries (crinkles, brownies, and chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies) are not made in bulks so you can expect quality over quantity here. It's apparent by the look of how Amelie manages her store that she's baking not for the profit but because it's her passion and she's no question good at it. Amelie usually bakes cupcakes of Red Velvet, Carrot, Rainbow and moist chocolate flavors. She also has blue berry cheesecake squares, egg pies and other pastries mentioned above at very affordable prices. You can definitely order in boxes without having to worry it will go beyond your budget.

My favourite Mom & Tina's branch!…read more I don't know how it came to be but my family and I have developed this tradition of having a small family reunion at Mom & Tina's each year. It's weird because no one talks about it but yes, you can find us there all together once a year. Though I do visit this branch more often than once a year since I like how the place looks (like a doll house) both on the inside and outside. I think this place can accommodate slightly more people than the other branches but I could be wrong. I love their desserts and their baked goodies specially their Bacon empanada. Yes, please! The winning dish for me here is their Paella and their roast beef. But more often than not, I get their breakfast options since I am a breakfast person. Definitely worth a try! How's your Mom & Tina's experience?

Right across one of my client's office (and where I often bribe the guard to let me park) is a…read morebranch of Mom & Tina's. I used to frequent their branch along C5 since it used to be on the way to my school. My usual order was their Shepherd's Pie. Nothing special really, but it was just the simple taste of a home cooked meal that made me love it. Yesterday, I decided to order something different. Having been away from home for a few weeks, my taste buds were craving for something Pinoy. They now have an All Day Breakfast menu which includes my favorite Filipino Breakfast, beef tapa. I honestly wasn't expecting much, nor was I expecting service to be so quick, but when I first laid my eyes on the plate, I knew it had to be good! Now, for tapa, I like to make sure that I've got all aspects in my spoon. First the garlic rice, then a part of the egg, then some tapa dipped in vinegar, and to top it all off... Atchara! And that first bite? Maaaaan. That first bite. It was heaven. I fell in love. It was like a beef tapa bacon. Tasty, salty and crunchy. It was so good that whenever my boyfriend would ask for a bite, I would let him get a spoonful with a heavy heart. I absolutely did not want to share my food! Mom & Tina's definitely became part of my Best Tapas in town list!