"Gemmae’s original location opened in 1979 just outside of Manila, but the family behind it moved the business to Long Beach over a decade later. These days, the Filipino bakery is run by a mother-daughter duo who can usually be found working the counter. If you’ve never had a crush on a baked good, you will after a few bites of Gemmae’s specialties, like sugar-coated Spanish bread oozing buttery cheese filling or a soft ensaymada stuffed with pandan and ube. The order station up front is lined with packaged baked goods like bright red longganisa pandesal, a luscious meat-stuffed roll with the luscious fluff of a donut hole. Plus, they’ve got a hot bar in the back with rotating Filipino fast food—pick up pork adobo and a whole ube cheesecake in one go. " - brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore
