PAN DE SAL is a staple on Filipino breakfast tables. With the onslaught of rising prices though, families have had to scrimp and save. Mondelez International’s Eden, a processed cheese food, kicked off its #GiveGoodness campaign on World Pan de Sal Day (the country’s counterpart to World Bread Day, which fell on Oct. 16). The campaign’s launch took place at Quezon City’s Kamuning Bakery Café which participated in giving away Eden goodie bags to guests and the local community together with 50,000 pieces of pan de sal. Some of the campaign’s beneficiaries include Metro Manila’s urban poor families, Quezon City residents, public school teachers and students, among others.
The event is auspicious on two counts: while it helped give a meal to the community surrounding Kamuning Bakery, it also served to announce the bakery’s reopening. The bakery, which was razed in a fire last February, has been in the neighborhood since the 1930s, and was known for its traditional recipe for pan de sal.
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Who knew that the Cadbury bar, a staple in supermarkets, has a royal pedigree? Founded in the 1800s by John Cadbury, Queen Victoria awarded a royal warrant to the Cadbury family as manufacturers of chocolate and cocoa to her person. Her descendant, the current Queen Elizabeth II, also awarded a royal warrant to the company.
As a provider of chocolate to royalty, Cadbury knows indulgence, and has released a new line, Cadbury Dark Milk, a combination of dark chocolate and milk chocolate, all in one bar. It comes in three flavors: Perfectly Blended Chocolate, Crunchy Salted Caramel, and Roasted & Caramelized Hazelnuts.
The bars will be available at leading department stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores by the end of October. It comes in 160 gram bars with a suggested retail price of P155.
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International flair and a heart for Asia is the concept behind Baker Brothers Manila, which opens this month in SM Aura.
Baker Brothers is the brainchild of Swedish-born chef Robert Lilja, who moved to the Philippines more than 27 years ago. Since then, he has worked as a culinary consultant for hotels and restaurants and private chef for prominent Filipino families. He is currently the executive chef of Maria Luisa’s Garden Room at the Makati Garden Club.
Mr. Lilja’s new restaurant offers unique pastries, Asian-European comfort food dishes, and a wide array of classic breads. He labels his signature dishes as “Progressive Filipino Cuisine.” He has created his own versions of Filipino baked classics like Honey and Calamansi Ensaymada pastry, a rich Salpicado, Native Chocolate and Ube (purple yam) Pie, Native Hot Chocolate with Sili (chili), and even Dalandan milkshake. He also combines Asian and European flavors and techniques to create modern comfort food like Swedish Meatballs served with local sweet potato and cranberries instead of mashed potatoes and lingonberries; or his Korean Beef Lasagna, house-cured corned beef in sinigang (sour soup) gravy, and Asian Chicken Schnitzel or Boneless Pork Short Ribs — both served with kimchi fried rice on the side. There are vegetarian, gluten-free, and keto-friendly options in the menu. While the restaurant is not yet 100% green, it is the team’s goal to continue looking for more sustainable replacements to common restaurant items in order to reduce its carbon footprint. Every day from 8 p.m. onwards, selected breads and pastries are offered at 50% off.

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