Chicago, IL

Filipino food in Chicago

After trying breakfast and pastries at Kasama, the first Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant, I’ve learned that Chicago is home to a large Filipino/a/x* population. Chicago is not only a culinary city, it’s also a thriving destination for Filipino food. Del Sur Bakery is by Chef Justin Lerias, originally from Mindanao in the Philippines.

A bakery that sells Filipino pastries

I took the CTA Brown Line to the Damen stop which is steps away from Del Sur’s doorstep. When I walked inside the shop, my first impression was of a boutique. A long table anchored the middle of the floor with scented candles and a stack of cookbooks. To the left beside the curtained front window was a palm plant with a gilded mirror above an end table with a smaller plant. The left wall was lined with merchandise like caps, mugs, cookbooks. Along that same wall follows an ornately framed menu that leads to the cash register and display case.

The clerk who helped me was white, as were several of the staff behind the counter. I noted it because it’s the first time I’ve seen it in a Philippine-inspired eatery. This signaled to me a bakery first and foremost that happened to be lead by a Philippine-born chef.

The pastries

I ordered a Turon Danish, Pandan Basque Cake, and Ube Oatmeal Cream Pie (which I won’t be reviewing because I gifted the Cream Pie to my friend’s daughter, Nelly).

Turon Danish

I’m familiar with turon as a dessert, which my family makes. Turon is usually made with saba banana which is wrapped in lumpia (or eggroll) wrapper. People sometimes add sugar, but my family just fries it up and the banana naturally caramelizes.

Del Sur Bakery’s Turon Danish is a croissant twist on the turon. The laminated dough (like at Alf Bakery in the High Line post) has the crispy and light texture of a fried lumpia wrapper. Inside the Danish is caramelized banana jam that mimics the taste of turon once it’s fried. The Turon Danish is topped with vanilla flan; I could taste the condensed milk—a favorite treat my brothers and I loved growing up.

Pandan Basque Cake

Pandan is a popular flavor in Southeast Asian cooking. It comes from a tropical green plant. I had never tried a Basque cake before, Del Sur’s is shaped like a muffin. The cake was dense enough to hold without a baking cup, but moist and buttery in every bite. Pandan-flavored cream was fluffy and slightly sweetened, which paired nicely with the tart jam in the middle. The Pandan Basque Cake tastes more like a dessert that should be savored instead of a breakfast pastry on the go.

My impression of Del Sur’s pastries

Living in New York City, I am often confronted with twists on Philippine dishes, sometimes called fusions. Unlike some purists, I’m open to trying creations by chefs, who are essentially fellow artists. My thought is if you’re going to name a food that calls back to an authentic dish, the flavor profile has to be there.

Since this was the first time I’ve had Basque Cake, I cannot compare it. But it was delicious to me. The Turon Danish is a creative take on our banana lumpia or turon. I enjoyed it and would buy it again.

Besides believing in supporting small local businesses, I’m always down to try one from my culture. I can’t wait to see what new creations Chef Justin and the Del Sur Bakery team come up with on my next visit.

*Use of Filipinx

I grew up referring to myself as Filipino, this is the collective term I was taught, and what I use in everyday speak. Filipino is the accepted term in the Philippines. I have since learned that “Filipino” follows the Western (Spanish) tradition of assigning the masculine gender when speaking in general. For those who do not identify as male or female, this can be exclusionary. To be more inclusive, and to decolonize whenever possible, I include Filipinx. My hope is that anyone of Philippine descent will insert into the ”x” what they feel most represents them.

Both Kasama and Del Sur Bakery refer to their food as Filipino, which is reflected here.