By AS Bonifacio
There's a new-old kid in the block, for foodies who love baked goodies and Chinese delicacies. Eng Ho gone beyond Chinatown and its Banawe branch, setting up space some months ago on Magiting Street, near CP Garcia Avenue and UP campus. This might be due to the ever-growing Korean presence in the neighborhood.
I came upon this happy and delicious find one afternoon after strolling from CHED (corner University and CP Garcia), heading for Teachers' Village. I turned right at the intersection near the stud farm. I hadn't been in the area since October last year, and as I turned to Magiting going toward Maginhawa Street, I was amazed to see new foodie spots to my right. Impulsively I went into the first one, looking forward to a refreshing snack.
I immediately saw a huge mocha chiffon cake, no icing, wrapped in plastic and encased in a box, with smaller versions nearby, all displayed on the middle shelf. There were also vanilla chiffon cakes, mocha rolls, butter cupcakes, muffins of various flavors, and boxes of tikoy. On the top were loaf breads, carrot bread, and cheese rolls. Beside the cashier stood an upright cake display fridge, showing fancy cakes with icing, and brazo de Mercedes. They accept advance orders for specially designed cakes for birthdays etc. The store itself has no actual bakery in the premises, just a few tables and chairs for dine-in snacking, but they have regular deliveries.
On the other wall were more shelves with more baked goodies such as pandesal with fillings such as tuna, corned beef and asado, not bad for 15 pesos each, student-friendly prices. The asado and bola-bola siopao were available not just steamed and ready-to-eat (P35 each), but also in take-home plastic bags for freezing and steaming later. There were lots of other Chinese goodies, assuring signs that a Binondo landmark was finally in Diliman.
I haven't tried all their offerings, but I have enjoyed, and will continue to do so, their mocha cake and filled pandesal. The mocha cake is yummy even without icing, a boon for those watching their calories and cholesterol. The same goes for their butter bread, soft sweet rolls that can be eaten on their own. The puto pao didn't have much asado inside, but the siopao and asado rolls were decent. The hopia mongo was OK, but not a match for Ho-land's version, still the best.
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