Kapihan Review - Battersea - London - The Infatuation
"When you deserve a little treat—you turned up to work, you made your bed, you only binge-watched one series last night—go to Kapihan. The Filipino bakery in Battersea sells handheld happiness in the form of coconut bibingka and fluffy pandesal. But it's the pan de adobo that we still think about. It’s equal parts sweet, thanks to the squishy pandesal, and savoury, with soy, garlic, and soft pork belly. Each bite requires at least one napkin-worth of clean-up. There are strong, floral coffees from the Philippines and South East Asia to get involved with too. The Barako Espesyal single origin in particular is a very dark roast that'll sort out any morning bleariness. This location is one-table-small, and can feel a little stuffy and cramped, so we prefer to get our haul to go. photo credit: Emily Hai photo credit: Emily Hai photo credit: Emily Hai Food Rundown photo credit: Emily Hai Pan De Adobo We could eat this every single day for our lunch. The pork belly is soft and sticky with soy, and the pandesal is sweet and moreish. It's a perfect bite. photo credit: Emily Hai Ube Cheese Kapihan’s baked goods are all about blending sweet and savoury flavours. But rather than complementing each other, the flavours of this sugary pandesal with purple yam and edam cheese are determined to fight. Spoiler: nobody wins. photo credit: Emily Hai Spicy Mushroom Queso Bibingka The chewy, airy texture of this bibingka makes this rice cake a real contender in our search for a new pillow. The Sichuan chilli brings some spicy sweetness, and the shiitake mushrooms and cheese balance things out nicely." - Sinéad Cranna
