Jersey City is home to a large vibrant and rich Filipino community. Jersey City residents of all ethnicities have shopped at Philippine Bread House for over 40 years. Located at 530 Newark Avenue, many locals have likely eaten the homemade bread that’s made in-house every morning. Philippine Bread House has always been a staple in the community, as it’s where locals buy celebratory cakes for birthdays and pick up a bag of ensaymadas or pan de coco when hosting an event or attending one. But for those who aren’t familiar with this locale, here’s a sneak peek at what this authentic Filipino bakery in Jersey City has to offer.
About Philippine Bread House
Making every experience special through delicious food has always been the mission of the Philippine Bread House. “Our goal is to bake fresh breads and rolls, and create beautiful, delectable cakes to make your special day truly memorable,” as stated on their website.
At the Philippine Bread House, all of the goods are made from family recipes. The owners of the bakery didn’t expect the bakery to be wildly successful — they started from humble beginnings. “What initially began long ago as a simple one-time request for our popular sweet roll grew into an enormous following that continues to grow to this day,” their website boasts.
With Jersey City’s large Latin population, the Philippine Bread House has added a few Latin-inspired pastries like the pan de coco and pan de sal. Pan de coco originated in Honduras and was introduced to the Philippines by the Spanish during the Colonial Era.
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“I’ve been going to this bakery since I was a child. Everything you can possibly get here is going to be good. They sell fresh baked plain rolls everyday for $2.50 a bag, which goes great with coffee. My favorite thing as a child were their marble cake rolls,” Christopher C. notes on Yelp.
The Menu
The Philippine Bread House offers a full line of delicious quality products, all prepared with great attentiveness from scratch with fresh ingredients. The bread house section pumps out all of the baked goods, while the other side of the restaurant sells hot food.
The stars of the show come from the bakery. Ensaymada {brioche bread}, mamon {sponge cake}, pan de coco {coconut bread}, pan de monggo {bun with red bean filling}, pan de ube {bun with sweet yam filling}, cheese rolls, and Spanish rolls are the most popular. Plus, there are also fun cookies with cartoon designs for sale that are child- and adult-approved!
A must-try is the pan de sal. It is a sweet, slightly salty, soft, and fluffy white bread that is the quintessential bread roll of the Philippines. The pan de sal is to the Filipinos as the croissant is to the French and focaccia to the Italians. Pan de sal can be purchased by the dozen in bags and can also be sold with a filling, like coconut or cheese. These, along with the other pastries, are sold out by mid-day because they’re best when they’re warm and fresh out of the oven.
Additionally, this local spot makes traditional desserts like puto bungbong, a Filipino delicacy that’s usually reserved for holidays. It’s made of purple-colored rice cake steamed in bamboo tubes which creates a sugary, layered outcome. Another delicacy is nilupak. It’s made from mashed starchy foods mixed with coconut milk and sugar. They can be molded into different shapes and are traditionally served on banana leaves with sweet or salty toppings.
Customers can also find cakes like Sapin-Sapin, a steamed dessert that is made of glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and flavoring, typically made of three colors. Several pies are available, too, including buko pie. This pie is made of coconut custard and is the perfect dessert to bring to the next family occasion. Conventional and wedding cakes are sold there as well.
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As for the hot food, dishes like lechon paksiw (pork stew) and corned beef with potatoes are a must-try. Other options include several fish, beef, sausage, and oxtail with sides like rice and eggs. Noodle dishes, wraps, eggplant, and empanadas can be ordered and combo meals are an easy and affordable way to try several things at once.
There’s a little bit of everything at this restaurant. From Filipino staples to modern, Latin-American infused foods like empanadas, The Philippine Bread House has it all. (And PS: It’s open for takeout!)
