"If you’ve never had a crush on a baked good, you will after trying anything at this cafe and bakery in Long Beach,whether it's sugar-coated Spanish bread oozing buttery cheese filling or a soft ensaymada stuffed with pandan and ube. Gemmae’s original location opened in 1979 just outside of Manila, but the family moved the business to LA over a decade later. These days, this counter-service place is run by a mother-daughter duo who usually stand behind the long glass case waiting to ring you up. Gemmae’s front counter is lined with packaged baked goods like bright red longanisa pandesal—a luscious meat-stuffed dough ball with the luscious fluff of a donut hole. Plus, they’ve got a hot bar in the back with a solid menu of rotating Filipino fast food—pick up some pork adobo and a whole ube cheesecake in one go." - Nikko Duren
