Great Eats

A quick stop at Shangri-la The Fort’s Bake House

When I found out we would be eating at Canton Road for my brother’s birthday, visiting Bake House automatically became part of my agenda for the day. I have been seeing ads about it on my Instagram account prior to this visit, and the entire concept of this bakery at Shangri-la The Fort looked so good! My brain automatically went to MUST VISIT MODE.

And I have to say, my first impression of Bake House was a really good one. The place is beautiful. Most bakeshops opt for light and bright, so the darker interiors of Bake House was quite a change. Their lighting reminds me a little of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Shanghai, except this one has more of a “friendly neighborhood bakery” vibe going for it. The chalkboards and the hanging plants, plus all the wood detailing, give Bake House a friendly warmth.

There is no doubt you’ll automatically be drawn to the display counter the moment you walk in. I’m not just talking about the array of pastries within the glass counter. There is a literal shelf full of gorgeous breads right behind it. You all know I’m fascinated with desserts that are made with a complex combination of flavors and techniques. That aside, I am also a fan of good bread. Judging by the looks of everything alone, I could already imagine in my mind what it must be like to eat all these things.

My expectations for this place were sky high. Seriously, they were so high it might’ve been unfair. Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve been this excited about a new local patisserie.

We were still full from the meal at Canton Road so we ordered some stuff to-go and didn’t stay for the coffee. I hear it’s a special curation by Toby’s Estate, but Toby’s Estate for me has been kind of a miss lately. During my latest visit, I got served with a big mess of a Long Black with coffee spilled all over my saucer. Anyway, this is not the place to complain about that. Let’s return our focus to the pastries.

We ordered a Blueberry Danish (Php 85), some Apple Danish (Php 85), a Pancetta Quiche (Php 180), a slice of Lemon Cake (Php 180), some Coffee Custard Buns (Php 85), and a Multigrain Bread (Php 255). In terms of price versus quality, I would say the pastries here are pretty fairly priced. I was expecting it to be much higher actually, since this is Shangri-la after all, but their pastries are priced the same as most cafe bakeries in BGC. 

As for the taste, well, I mostly found the pastries good, but not amazing. That actually gutted me. Here’s the thing: There are a lot of good patisseries in the metro. It’s understandable that not everything they offer will be amazing. Sometimes you have to find those few treasures that really make you go OMG! I need this in my life! It didn’t happen with any of the stuff we tried this time around.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not saying any of the pastries we ordered were bad. They just didn’t wow me in the way I had set myself up to be wowed. (Is that actually my fault though? I think I overhyped this place on my own in my brain.) Again, there is no doubting the quality and the impressive variety of pastries here, but I was simply underwhelmed by they things I tried. 

Again, everything we ordered was fine. The danish were certainly a cut above the usual in terms of their buttery puff pastries and the quality of the filling/toppings. The coffee custard buns could use a bit more of that coffee kick. The quiche was savory but not spectacular. I was most disappointed with the Lemon Cake. I had all sorts of imaginings in my head about the taste of this cake. While the cake was soft and the cream was luscious, it didn’t have the tang nor the lip-puckering lemon punch I was craving. 

It made me a little sad, because I wanted to LOVE these pastries. I didn’t want them to be just okay. Man, I need to come back here and find things to love.

For the record, I didn’t write this post to put down Bake House. The reason why I came here in the first place is because their philosophy caught my attention aside from their pastries. They use all-natural and trans fat free ingredients for their pastries. They don’t use plastic straws, opting for straws made of cornstarch.

They even have this item called the “conscious cookie”, which is a cookie created out of the “scrap” or leftover ingredients from the making of their other star pastries. It’s a great effort towards reducing food waste. Bless their conscious hearts. (Which reminds me, I didn’t get to try any of the cookies at Bake House! That’s another reason to come back.) So I guess what I’m trying to say is, I fervently hope that my next experience at Bake House will be more than just “fine” or “okay”. 

Have you tried Bake House in Shangri-la The Fort? Maybe you have suggestions about which pastries to try. Preferably something lemon with a zesty tang that will make my tastebuds sing. Sound off below!

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Bake House

Level 2, Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila
30th Street corner, 5th Ave,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Hours: 6 AM to 9 PM daily
Contact No.: (02) 8 820 0888
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Full disclosure: This post is NOT sponsored in any way. I paid for this meal on my own and received no compensation for writing this feature. All opinions stated above are my own.

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