united bread and pastry...little manila in silverlake?

i was shocked to hear that lady gaga has a shlong. does she? has it been confirmed? i was equally suprised when i walked into united bread and pastry in silverlake and found a pilipino bakery full of baked goods and prepared foods instead of just a regular ole bakery full of french bread and sourdough. just like the lady gaga rumors, i didn't expect it.

there is no indication from the storefront that this tiny space is crammed full of pilipino foodstuff. pan de sal, puto, siopao amongst other things to eat are piled high and a misstep from you or me would have caused a delicious avalanche...or some kind of tasty accident at the very least.

you can also order platters of prepared foods if you're having those huge family gatherings that requires huge platters of food. while i was there, i saw a man picking up trays and trays of cooked goods. the bakery seemed very popular and streams of people trickled in and out...all pilipino of course except for my vietnamese chinese self as i sniffed about looking for something to eat since my plan for french bread had gone out the door.

i recalled a childhood friend and eating pancit malabon at manila sunset with her and promptly bought a small serving of it. the noodles were thick and the sprinkling of egg yolk, shrimp, and chicharonnes were delightful, though bad i'm sure for your health...but who's keeping tabs anyways except for my doctor.

why the sad face?

i also bought a small mocha cake to share with my fam. although pretty to look at, it was extremely dry. it's like eating a cake made out of sawdust. the whole thing was quickly chucked out rather than stuffed down. too bad, so sad....i had a bad sweet tooth too.

although i'm not savvy with pilipino cuisine, i'm sure there are more pre-cooked gems to be found here so when i stroll down sunset again, i'll be sure to pop my head in. besides, i think they sell halo halo too!

United Bread & Pastry Inc.
1515 Griffith Park Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 661-0037

price: $
verdict: it's aight

goldilocks but no bears

Goldilocks Restaurant & Bakeshop
2700 Colorado Blvd
Eagle Rock, CA 90041
(323) 543-2676
http://www.goldilocks-usa.com/

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!

the only reason i go to goldilocks is to go to their bakery. not because i don't want to try their restaurant, but because i've been eating their baked goods for the last 8 years so i can rave about that.

20 goldilock pounds later, i've decided that they sell 4 baked items that i heart the most: their ensaymada brioche with cheese (weighing in at an artery clogging 450 calories per serving), their cheese rolls, and their mocha and uba cake rolls....oh my gawd yum.

the ensaymada brioche is my ABSOLUTE favorite. i was originally skeptical about the cheese, sugar, and sweet cream combo, but i was sold after taking the first bite. to me, it tastes like a hawaiian sweet bread roll topped with some creamy butter, cheese, and sugar. it's pretty darn amazing. ever since that first bite 8 years ago, i make sure to stop by goldilocks when i feel my sweet tooth tingling. the other three items are just as delicious and worth a try. if you haven't ever tried purple ube cake, i suggest you do so too. yummy!

DO go to the gym after eating one of their baked goods though...most things at the bakery are high in fat content as well as high in taste.

450 calories of dangerous!