One of the earliest posts I did on my "Tinapay" series (an ongoing archiving of regional specialty breads/pastries I find in street bakeries during my travels across the Philippines) is about the Bulacan soft chiffon custard inipit, specifically the Mil-Ros brand.
I had written the post exactly three years ago (weird, it was unplanned that I should revisit it now - I just found out this detail as I am typing this!), but it is still generating responses, and the latest comment was entered late last year.
What had been interesting, though, was the reaction of the former general manager of the Shell gasoline station, where I discovered the Mil-Ros inipit. She had actually recommended another brand, also carried by the now renovated and much more bigger station (and currently managed by her sister-in-law).
The brand recommended, purportedly better than Mil-Ros, was Barasoain Bakeshop. The next two commenters seconded her, so I was intrigued, and it went to the top of my must-buy list during trips along the North Luzon Expressway, or NLEX.
But every time we went North I couldn't find the Barasoain brand, and most of the time the Mil-Ros inipit was also out of stock. The salesladies confirmed that the Barasoain brand is sold faster than the Mil-Ros, and is often asked about by travellers.
But I was in luck during our recent trip to Baguio - we made it on a Thursday, which I think spelled much of a difference, because not a lot of people make an out-of-town trip on a weekday.
There were a few packs of Barasoain inipit left on the Bulacan pastry shelves of Shell Select, and I promptly got all of them, along with a pack of ube roll (like a big pianono filled with ube).
The verdict?
As I mentioned in my original inipit post I am very partial to the Mil-Ros brand because it is the first inipit I have ever had. Its surface is buttery, and I find a good balance among the thin chiffon, the custard and the sugar crystals atop the inipit.
But yes, the Barasoain inipit chiffon is softer, the custard thicker. Sinking your teeth into it is like eating a delicious, yema-filled cloud. The ube roll was also great - filled to the brim with ube that is seemingly made from the real thing.
And if both Mil-Ros and Barasoain happen to be available the next time we go North?
Why, I won't have a second thought and grab both!
I had written the post exactly three years ago (weird, it was unplanned that I should revisit it now - I just found out this detail as I am typing this!), but it is still generating responses, and the latest comment was entered late last year.
What had been interesting, though, was the reaction of the former general manager of the Shell gasoline station, where I discovered the Mil-Ros inipit. She had actually recommended another brand, also carried by the now renovated and much more bigger station (and currently managed by her sister-in-law).
The brand recommended, purportedly better than Mil-Ros, was Barasoain Bakeshop. The next two commenters seconded her, so I was intrigued, and it went to the top of my must-buy list during trips along the North Luzon Expressway, or NLEX.
But every time we went North I couldn't find the Barasoain brand, and most of the time the Mil-Ros inipit was also out of stock. The salesladies confirmed that the Barasoain brand is sold faster than the Mil-Ros, and is often asked about by travellers.
But I was in luck during our recent trip to Baguio - we made it on a Thursday, which I think spelled much of a difference, because not a lot of people make an out-of-town trip on a weekday.
There were a few packs of Barasoain inipit left on the Bulacan pastry shelves of Shell Select, and I promptly got all of them, along with a pack of ube roll (like a big pianono filled with ube).
The verdict?
As I mentioned in my original inipit post I am very partial to the Mil-Ros brand because it is the first inipit I have ever had. Its surface is buttery, and I find a good balance among the thin chiffon, the custard and the sugar crystals atop the inipit.
But yes, the Barasoain inipit chiffon is softer, the custard thicker. Sinking your teeth into it is like eating a delicious, yema-filled cloud. The ube roll was also great - filled to the brim with ube that is seemingly made from the real thing.
And if both Mil-Ros and Barasoain happen to be available the next time we go North?
Why, I won't have a second thought and grab both!
Related Post
Mil-Ros inipit
Both the Mil-Ros and Barasoain inipit are sold at Shell Select, the convenience store of the Shell gasoline station (Tel. No. 6344-6935080) a few kilometers after the toll-gate, along the north-bound lane of the North Luzon Expressway.
I vaguely remember having this. Is the filling similar to the filling in brazo de mercedes?
ReplyDeleteYes, but not as sweet, more like a thin custard. I'm hoping you'd bake some and teach us how!
ReplyDelete