Arellano Pandesal

I live in upstate NY and have had major fomo about trying Arellano Pandesal for MONTHS. The stars finally aligned and I tried one of everything- just in time for the release of the truly special Cinnamon Zing ensaymada! First, the original pandesal is a humble workhorse: simple, incredibly well-made, fluffy. We got a 12-pack so we could experiment with different recipes and share with friends. It is the perfect vehicle for any culinary dreams you may have: keep it simple with a light toast, swipe of butter, and dash of cinnamon and you have the perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee. Slap an over-easy egg, some Sriracha, and some chili crisp on it and you have the brunch slider of champions. Then we need to talk about the "unswirlys," which is Arellano Pandesal's take on the traditional Filipino ensaymada. There are sweet and savory options, each of which has its own merits. All of them have the same perfect "bite" and chew- the perfect balance of springy and dense texture. The flavors are inventive, thoughtful, creative, and fun! I can't even pick a favorite - for example, I don't normally like strawberry flavor and I ended up ordering 2 of the Strawberry Milk. The white chocolate ganache outer shell and the perfect dollop of strawberry jam inside took me completely by surprise. The Cinnamon Zing with the tart calamansi juice and cream cheese counterbalance was another favorite in a field of all favorites. Each unswirly has flavor all the way to the core, in every bite (not just the toppings!). The Chili Crisp has hints of chili oil throughout with the crunch of sesame seeds. It strikes me as a real culinary achievement the way they achieved that in every bite. Finally, the Barako Choco Brownie. This is the one that I can't stop thinking about. First of all, they are MASSIVE. They aren't brownies really, they're bricks of chocolate magic and wonder. And yet, despite how thick they are, they are MOIST- just the way a perfect brownie should be. The chocolate chunks are so satisfying to chomp into. The coffee flavor is bold without being overpowering. And the powdered sugar design is just lovely. For two people who have no formal culinary or baking training to conceive of this idea, reimagine the pandesal and bring it to new audiences, invent this unswirly pastry with all these incredible flavors, and execute them to perfection is inspiring to me. Plus their 90s nostalgic super cool graphic designs and diverse musical stylings on social media! They take extremely seriously their passion for high-quality, ethically sourced, authentic ingredients. You can tell they don't cut corners - even down to the durable packaging and HUMONGOUS portions/ sizes. I saw their feature in Eater NY, stocking at the Queens Museum cafe, and it seems they're starting to gain the attention of other notable Filipino- and Asian-American chefs too. And they just started offering delivery throughout NYC!! New Yorkers know quality when they see it, so I have a feeling Arellano Pandesal will become very widely-known in no time! For now, I look forward to my next trip down to the city with visions of Barako Choco dancing in my head...

Visited their pop up at the queens museum today. The pastries are divine. I got a vanilla pastry and it was the softest and most fluffiest pastry I ever had.

I wasn’t sure what to expect on a chef's take on pandesal and ensaymada, especially since pandesal is such a humble, no-frills staple. For context, the best ensaymada I’ve ever had is from Mary Grace in the Philippines (I even brought a pack home on the plane), so the bar was high. That said, the pandesal here is the freshest I’ve ever tasted—light, fluffy, and just the right touch of sweetness. My husband and I used them to make mini bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches, and they were perfection! I also tried both the cheese and spicy chili ensaymada. While not your typical version, these were absolutely delicious. Think of them as a cross between a buttery brioche and a tender scone. The cheese one was incredibly rich, and the spicy one had a satisfying kick. I loved both and admire the chef's creative twist on a classic Filipino favorite. Wishing them all the success and I'll definitely be back for more!

Whoa! The new Cinnamon Zing is incredible. The calamansi icing is the perfect balance between tart & sweet. The ensaymada is always perfectly fluffy and moist. Congrats on the new flavor! 👏

Mouth watering bread and baked goods - I am craving these even after devouring an entire box of the vanilla unswirly!!!

Best pandesal ever?

I think about the swirly ensaymadas at least three times a day

I had the pleasure of devouring the cinnamon calamansi zinger, vanilla bean unswirly, and three cheese ensaymada. They were all mouthwateringly delicious. Don't hesitate to try them out.

This Filipino bakery offers its items via pick-up orders, online food delivery, and seasonal pop-ups! I was able to attend their August pop-up in Long Island City at fifth hammer brewery where I tried several of their baked goods. As a sweet tooth, I loveddd the pan de moon (as a big kaya jam lover... this was SO GOOD). It also has the perfectly crusted outside like the Mexican "concha" pastry. We also enjoyed their version of an ensaymada, which has a similar shape to a muffin. The vanilla bean flavored one was delicious too. For more savory options, they offer four cheese bun and of course their titular pandesals. They even have bake bagel-liked pandesals which are so good and the perfect portion for one :) I got to meet the owners who were working hard at their pop-up. They were so sweet, and I'm excited to see how they continue to grow!