For many Filipinos, bread is more than just food. It’s a comforting reminder of childhood memories, from early mornings devouring hot pandesal to afternoons enjoying egg pie with the family.
For Wilson Lee, owner of the 86-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City, the connection between bread and nostalgia is undeniable.
“Bread is what we grew up eating. Whenever we have bread or cakes like egg pie, it reminds us of childhood,” said Lee.
Founded in 1939, Kamuning Bakery has endured decades of change by keeping Filipino traditional breads and pastries alive.
“Neighborhood bakeries like us are important because we preserve old traditions. Nowadays, there are so many modern bakeries, but we continue making the classic Filipino breads,” he said.
For Lee, Kamuning’s appeal lies in its commitment to heritage recipes.
“Everything is handmade here. None of our breads are mass-produced by machines. Even our cakes aren’t too sweet – they taste just like how they were decades ago,” Lee said.
Lee inherited 385 old recipes when he bought Kamuning Bakery, including more than 100 for traditional cookies, breads, and pastries.
“That’s what makes this place unique. We’ve kept the same recipes, unchanged, to protect these flavors of Filipino culture,” he shared.
Among their bestsellers are beloved classics like pan de coco, pianono, kalihim, and brazo de Mercedes, along with the simple staple: freshly baked pandesal.
“Pandesal is always a favorite. Our pandesal is soft inside, lightly crusty outside, and not too sweet, just how people remember it,” Lee added.
Lee said customers are often surprised by how childhood memories come flooding back with just one bite.
“A lot of people remember their mothers giving them egg pie or pan de leche. Famous film director Joey Reyes once told me his favorite childhood treat was pan de leche, a sweet, custard-like bread,” he said.
He also shared that popular personalities would often visit for their childhood favorites.
“When Marian Rivera came here, she was so happy to see our kalihim. In Cavite where she grew up, they called it ‘pan de regla.’ Even former Vice President Leni Robredo said kalihim was her favorite as a child, but in Naga they called it ‘maligaya.’ It’s amazing how the same bread brings back memories for different people,” he shared.
During the pandemic lockdown, Lee revived a long-lost favorite from his childhood—machang, a savory Chinese-style glutinous rice dumpling.
“When everything was closed, I couldn’t even get fast food. I remembered machang from my childhood and asked our bakers to cook it. After several tries, we got it right, and it surprisingly became a hit again,” Lee told Manila Standard Cravings.
Despite the rise of modern cafes, Lee believes there’s value in sticking to tradition.
“Filipino bakers are just as good as foreign bakers. We have unique breads that don’t exist anywhere else—like pandesal, which you can’t even find in Spain despite the Spanish name,” he said.
To give back, Kamuning Bakery also celebrates “World Pandesal Day” every October 16 by giving away free bread.
“It’s our way of thanking people for supporting us since 1939, and also to remind everyone that hunger still exists,” Lee said.
At Kamuning Bakery, every bite tells a story—of family, of Filipino culture, and of the comforting warmth of home.
