St. Barbra Pinoy Bakery - Portland

Everything here is delicious no joke! I especially love their ube pastries and their Filipino themed cheesecakes. Legit Filipino cuisine. Would definitely recommend!Food: 5/5

It started out on a hunt for Halo Halo. It led my husband and I to this cute gem of Philippines bakery shop. We were visiting the nearby Art Museum and wanted a treat for Halo Halo in the abnormally cold Portland weather.My husband called the shop and ended up talking to the owner/baker. Just to let you guys know they are closed on Sunday. But the owner was so nice that he told us to stop by anyway.While being there we sampled their chicken and beef empanada, halo halo and chocolate mochi muffin. Empanandas are like small hand pies filled with different kinds of meats. I think they can be super delicious if we would have reheated in an oven. The halo halo (as we were told by the owner means mix mix) was good. The owner was super friendly and nice. He taught us that the way to enjoy a halo halo is to first eat the ice cream, then mix the filling and ice well before eating it. We have been doing all wrong for so long : )The chocolate mochi muffin had an interesting texture. It was sprinkled with some taro powder on top. It was not too sweet and it was definitely unique. I highly recommend this bakery and would definitely go back again when they are open. Parking could be limited and you would need to pay for street parking around the shop.

While we were there, we tried their chicken and beef empanadas, Halo Halo, and chocolate mochi muffin. The empanadas are like small hand pies filled with various meats, and I believe they would taste even better if reheated in an oven. The Halo Halo—aptly named, as the owner explained, which means "mix mix"—was enjoyable. The owner was incredibly friendly and shared the proper way to enjoy Halo Halo: first, savor the ice cream, then mix the other ingredients well before digging in. We realized we had been doing it all wrong for so long! The chocolate mochi muffin offered a unique texture and was topped with some taro powder. It wasn't overly sweet, making it a distinctive treat. I highly recommend this bakery and will definitely return when they're open. Do keep in mind that parking can be a bit tricky, and you'll need to pay for street parking around the area.

I can’t recall the exact names of the items I chose, but one was an ube mochi chocolate bread, and the other was similar to a cinnamon roll but featured ube mixed in and topped with a light frosting. Both treats were delicious—not too sweet or dense. The ube flavor was prominent, and the mochi added a wonderful chewy texture to the bread. They had many other tempting items on the menu, although it seemed that some were sold out when I visited in the afternoon (I really wanted to try the mango version of the cinnamon roll). Each dessert I picked was $3, which I thought was a great price. The owner was incredibly friendly and took the time to explain each dessert to us. I would definitely return to try more of their offerings!

I would give the service six stars if I could. Even though the shop was closed when we visited on a Sunday, the owner/baker graciously invited us in to sample what he had available. He was enthusiastic about his cuisine and mentioned that he supplies local grocery stores with his products. If you enjoy Asian or Chinese bakeries, you’ll definitely appreciate this Pinoy bakery, as it’s not overly sweet. We plan to return to try more of their ube-flavored offerings.