I'm not usually the thoughful type, so I don't know what came over me when I bought a box of…read moretoasted siopao for my lobster and dropped it off at his office. It might be because of the "Bicol" part in "Bicol's Best Toasted Siopao" that reminded me of him, as he's from that region, or the part that it's food, and my lobster eats absolutely anything. It ended up being a good move on my part because he loved it, and I loved it too. It wasn't the same over-steamed siopao I was used to. Apparently, it's baked until it's perfectly crispy on the outside but the asado and egg filling on the inside is still soft tasty. We ended up going through the box of toasted siopao while walking along the streets of BGC, because that's just how we do it.

I was a bit surprised when my girlfriend dropped off a box of toasted siopao from 3N Bakery at the…read moreoffice, but I was more surprised when I bit into one and flavor literally exploded in my mouth. I don't know what part of Bicol the bakery is talking about, since I never heard of it until now, but damn, does it taste good. It's also quite cheap, for a dozen pieces of siopao. I prefer this toasted bunch from the yech siopao you can get from 7-11. At least this one is edible, at the very least.

When my relatives talk about Nathaniel's, I always think about their buko pandan salad, siomai and…read morelasagna. But let's talk about more of their siomai and buko pandan. It's just the best thing that they brought into existence. I mean, I cannot describe the taste of their buko pandan but it's just the best. It's creamy, not too sweet.. just perfect maybe because they are using carabao's milk (I'm not claiming that it is but it tastes like one) instead of packed ones sold in the market. Their siomai is also the best siomai I've tasted yet. I can buy the biggest pack, ask for their chili paste and bam! Gone. In one sitting.

Their Buko Padan Ice Cream is simply the best! I have never tried any local Buko Pandan dessert as…read moregood as their salad/ice cream (it's in between!), it's not too creamy and sweet for an ice cream but is extra creamy and tasty for a salad, it's simply a local dessert made into perfection! Nathaniel's restaurant's prime branch is in Pampanga but I got to try the one in P. Guevarra in San Juan. Aesthetically, it looks like a typical fast food restaurant; you will dine here not for the ambiance but for their specialty dishes. Their menu doesn't make much of an impression to me; it's the typical barbecue with rice, kaldereta with rice and a few other sizzling plates. One of their best sellers though is the Lasagna which I must say is actually really good! It's very meaty, and has a little bit of sweetness in it at the same time that makes it really friendly for the Filipino taste. They became famous most-especially because of their Buko Pandan that can now be bought at local supermarkets. One pint costs for only P150.00 and P500.00 for one gallon, not bad at all

Purple Oven brings out the cookie and cake monster in me. I can't believe I spent all those years…read morebuying mini banoffee pie at Starbucks for my birthday cake, when all along, Purple Oven had a whole banoffee pie stored in their refrigerator, ready to order and be devoured by a pie-hungry customer at any given moment. Others might not be surprised to see familiar goods filling up the refrigerators and tables of Purple Oven, but for those who still don't know (like me, because I live under a rock), Purple Oven has been the supplier of Starbucks' cakes and pastries until recently. Now that the branch at Temple Drive has opened--ironically, right next to Starbucks too--people from Quezon City don't have to travel all the way to Makati just to get a taste of their signature cakes. Right when I entered, the staff greeted me with bright smiles and they were beyond friendly, even if I was acting like a small kid at Willy Wonka's candy shop. (I can't help it! My quest for party-size banoffee pie is finally over!) Since I already know what the banoffee pie tastes like, I ended up ordering an entire box of apple pie with walnuts and a dozen of chocolate crinkles. I have to say, their chocolate crinkles can give Becky's Kitchen a run for their money. I look very forward to coming back!

A bakery that started in Pasig and has branched out into a number of cities. I won't be surprised…read more to see more of it in and out of the Metro in the near future. Stepping into the bakery is a treat to your senses. First you'll see the wide array of baked goodness they have on display, the smell of the pastries is enough to make your mouth water and if you can't wait anymore you can always try one there, they have a small table and chair set up now. While the pastries are easier to try because you can buy one of each, the cakes are a different story, you need to buy one whole but sometimes they do have personal cakes on hand which would be more convenient for those of us who just wants to try and see if it's to our liking. What to get: Lemon Squares, Choco Banana Bread, Chili Con Carne, Ham and Cheese, Ensaymada and Cheese Roll. For the cakes you can try their Mango Walnut, Choco Lava Cake and White Sansrival.

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.

As a chain, they are pretty much everywhere. Being next door to our building is a problem lol…read more Convenient to have one there but a problem at the same time. Every time we walk by, the smell of fresh pan de sal lure us in and then we have to force ourselves out because we have other meals to eat. The pan de sal is soft and airy...:def much lighter than the bagged versions back home and even the fresh ones from the local Flip bakeries. Ok, these are addicting!!! We have a container of butter and these are easy targets for quick snacks (merienda). We've tried the corned beef pan de sal and it was delicious.....just the right amount of meat /bread ratio. They have other pastries too and they are good but nothing beats the actual pan de sal!! I haven't tried the hot choco yet bc of the lactose intolerance but it maybe worth a few sips.

Decided to dine in the restaurant. It was like I was eating in someone's home. Service was good…read more Wanted to try something new and tried the lengua rendang. it was fork soft and very tasty. If you love coconut then try this dish.

Limp sisig. Flavors were nice, had a nice hit of Maggi in there followed by a long finish on…read morevinegar. But none of it was sizzling or crispy. The pork fat was not rendered at all. Pretty disappointing. The gule magalang (pumpkin and other veggies) was nice though, salvaging the stars. Just a light bite for a late lunch, but better options around in the Greenbelt.

One of my goal when I visit Manila is to eat all the food that I've been missing. And one of these…read moreis Contis mango bravo. surprisingly they also have other food on the menu besides cakes. I enjoyed every bite and appreciate the great customer service.

We were invited for snack in Makati and ended to dine in this place…read more The cafe and restaurant was a place. We were seated party of 8 . We ordered regular halo-halo, fresh lumpia , mozzarella cheese and champorado with bagniet on the side. We ordered mango slice cake which was amazing . The only thing I didn't appreciate was the the only attendant inside the restaurant. She was serving most of the table. So it took awhile for our orders to be complete. We frequently asked for water, the cake came in late. Overall it was ok .

A friend once told me to support local bakeries because it's the small businesses that need the…read moremost to survive. There's definitely no need for anyone to convince us to buy from Potter's Bakeshop. Located just outside Phil Am Life Village in Las Piñas, this small bakeshop serves the goodness of old-time favorites such as the classic pan de sal, loaf bread, custard cake, simple donut, kababayan, crack bread, crinkles, and so much more. My personal favorites are the pan de coco, the Spanish bread, and the pianono. Their pan de coco filling has just the right sweetness and has a balanced texture. For the Spanish bread, I usually choose the slightly darker ones because taste of the bread itawlf contrasts more with the sweet filling. What I like about their pianono is that it tastes exactly the same even if I eat it from the outermost layer going in (following the roll) - layer of cake, margarine and sugar in every bite. It may sound a bit odd that I appreciate this, but for me, it shows how consistent they are with their baked goods. Insider Tip: We were told that the best time to go is between 9 to 10 am as it's when our favorites are brought out warm and soft from the oven.

This place is a local bakeshop favored by the locals and passerbys for its location, convenience,…read moreand the quality of their baked goodies which is nothing short of astonishing. Construction workers, security guards, students, and even some of the rich folk often pass by to get some of their favorite Pinoy treats. Whether its a pianono, kalihim, or kabayan, anything you buy here will satisfy your taste buds. If my tongue had a mouth it would've thanked me each time I spent ten pesos here, which is often more than enough to get rid of my hunger pains. I became a regular here at some point because I often woke up late for class and ended up having to eat breakfast during my commute. If you've read my review up to this point and found it helpful I just want to ask you a tiny favor, give this place a try and help spread the word. The world needs more good news.

I've noticed the increasing number of foreign restaurants and bakeries entering the Philippine…read moremarket. One such brand that's starting to make a name for itself in the big city is Eric Kayser Patisserie and Boulangerie, located beside Rustan's Supermarket in Power Plant Mall. Unlike their shop in Greenhills which is big and has a sit-down dining menu, their outlet in Rockwell is small and more like a bakery where customers choose their goodies from the display racks and bring the items to the cashier. Eric Kayser sells different types of breads - ciabatta, baguette, batard, and rye, to name a few. For those with a sweet tooth, cravings will be satisfied with eclairs, Danish pastries, Viennese cookies, and fruit tarts. For me though, there are only two reasons why I like this shop - One, they have Financiers (light and small French cake) and two, their Kouign Amman (a round Breton cake that looks like a crusty cinnamon roll but made of croissant dough) has the right sweetness and perfect buttery taste. By the way, if you are curious about how to pronounce Kouign Amman, just think of royalty as it sounds like 'queen ah man'.

I've only tried pastries from Eric Kayser a handful of times, but I can say that they consistently…read moreproved that they were worthy of my money. Their French pastries are absolutely delightful! And those chocolate based pastries? Sinful! I remember seeing their Mi-cuit and I knew that I just had to have it, so I bought it instantly. It's like a Chocolate Lava Cake but denser, richer and with a sort of decadent half-baked texture in the middle instead of molten chocolate, and it was amazing! I was already quite far from the store, but I was very tempted to go back and buy another piece. But like I said, it's sinful, so I had to resist the temptation! But we all give in now and then, so I suggest you try their pastries out!