IT’S a new trend that’s proving more and more inescapable: From the numerous viral posts on social media, to the long lines you have to endure to get your hands on them, and to their blink and you’ll miss them supply. You already know what it is: The talk of the town, the now famous, the always sold-out delectable Ube Cheese Pandesal!
The combination of ube and cheese seems like a novel pairing at first, that is until you stop and realize the early iterations of the twosome in our local delicacies like sapin-sapin, dirty ice cream, and even the occasional ube ensaymada.
With the growing popularity of this now omnipresent pastry in Iloilo, many have hopped on the bandwagon and started producing and selling their own versions of this beloved spin on the humble pandesal. The question now though is “How do they measure up?”
As a passionate (and pretentious) foodie myself, I’ve decided to take on the responsibility of pitting a handful of these bite-sized goodies against each other, mano-a-mano. A few caveats though before we start: For obvious reasons, I wasn’t able to sample all the ube cheese pandesal arena has to offer, given their unusual scarcity and the innumerable copycat products that have popped up on the market. Also, all of the pandesal choices mentioned below I had tasted in the span of the last two weeks. So without further ado, let’s get on with the battle of the ube fuckin’ cheese pandesal!
The Original
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the one that started this whole craze in the first place: the pioneering Tibiao Bakery of Antique and its original ube cheese pandesal. With one quick viral post, in the span of a few weeks, the local bread store has swept this “City of Love” with an unquenchable hunger for their mouth-watering pandesal, to the point that their branches are stormed daily for this very specialty, most of the time, supplies lasting all of 30 minutes.
Who wouldn’t be hooked though, with its generous filling of real ube jam complimented by a thick slice of what tastes like yummy cheddar cheese. The pandesal’s subtle sweetness also really brings out the bold flavors of its topbill ingredients. At only around P70 per pack, it’s a great bang for your buck deal! Tibiao Bakery’s ube cheese pandesal is a tough act to follow.
The Bandwagoner
One of the first to realize the star power and potential of the ube cheese pandesal and hop on the bandwagon was Iloilo’s own Tinapayan Bakery, quickly launching their own version of the pastry in mid-February. Since then, it has quickly emerged as an alternative for Ilonggos when Tibiao runs out of their supply.
However, sad to say though, their answer seems to fall far short of the original. A bite of Tinapayan’s pandesal is lackluster at best, missing the punchy ube and cheese flavor people adore about in Tibiao’s creation. It doesn’t help that theirs lacks some oomph when it comes to presentation – colored a pallid brown on the outside and faint purple on the inside – mostly looking flat, literally, on arrival. At the same price point as Tibiao’s, it’s an okay alternative when the former is sold out, don’t get your hopes up that it will measure up tho.
The Real Contender
Our third and final contender on the ring probably has the least hype surrounding it – for now at least – but it sells out like hotcakes on a daily basis nonetheless, its growing popularity fueled by word of mouth and more than enthusiastic reviews: Café Del Prado’s own premium ube cheese pandesal at Hotel Del Rio.
Made from scratch daily from only the finest ingredients, Café Del Prado’s pandesal is easy to point out in any lineup with its robust deep purple color – not to mention its perky, “tibsol,” and fluffy appearance. Hotel Del Rio quietly unveiled their new signature pastry earlier this year, selling it in boxes of nine and including it in their breakfast buffet spread. Since then, Café Del Prado’s regular patrons have not stopped raving about the pastry, inspiring much fanfare for the restaurant’s ube cheese pandesal, and ensuring that it’s sold out every single day.
At P170 for a box of nine, it’s a little pricier than its other counterparts, but it’s well worth every centavo. Boasting a hearty filling of rich ube halaya and tasty American cheddar cheese, surrounded by a fluffy bed of creamy baked bread, you’ll find yourself hard-pressed not to finish the whole box in one sitting. Café Del Prado can even save you the time of falling in line and waiting as they can be ordered for pickup.
I’m putting it out there, Tibiao may be the original, but Hotel Del Rio probably has the best ube cheese pandesal Iloilo City has to offer. If you want to explore your ube craving even more, this thriving city has plenty more delicacies you should scout out and try. Like the famous ube brazos of La Paz bakeshop at the La Paz Public Market, and so much more. This has been the Battle of the Ube Cheese Pandesal, happy hunting!/PN
Pandesal falls under the bread category, not pastry.
Bread in its simplest form is made from flour, salt, yeast and water. Ex. Pandesal and ensaymada.
Pastry is made from flour, water and fats. Ex. Pies and croissants.