(SPOT.ph) It’s hard to wrap our heads around the fact that it’s been about a year and a half since the unfortunate (read: cursed) year that was 2020. But it can be remembered by a number of dishes that rose in popularity at the time: dalgona coffee, sushi bake, and freshly baked artisanal breads (sourdough in particular). Of the purveyors that rose to fame for great bread was The Daily Knead, a then delivery-only seller with topnotch bakes that won over the food-loving crowd on social media. Unlike many other purveyors whose popularity died down along with that of the then-trending foods they specialized in, The Daily Knead’s fire has only continued to burn stronger as the months go by—so much so that they now have a permanent spot at BGC’s Sunae Asian Cantina, where you can get your fix right as you need it.
Also read: The Best Places for Excellent Croissants in Manila
Famed artisan bakery The Daily Knead recently opened a spot in Sunae at BGC:
The Daily Knead explains that they began doing pop-ups at Sunae many months before—which were met with success. So when they were offered the opportunity to stay at the restaurant (along with the expansion of Sunae’s coffee menu, courtesy of specialty-coffee folks Yardstick) they made sure to grab the chance.
“This was what our community was looking for, and it absolutely made sense for us to work with Sunae Asian Cantina,” The Daily Knead’s Francine Gacrama shares in an online interview with SPOT.ph. “They have such a great location, with lots of floor area. We truly imagine this space to be a destination where you can spend the day enjoying our freshly baked goods, coffee, and some delicious Southeast Asian cuisine by Chef Christina Sunae.” The restaurant, she explains, has a “beautiful view” where everyone from kids to groups of friends and family can be accommodated—plus they cater to furry friends as Sunae’s got outdoor seating for pups, for which The Daily Knead have special homemade dog treats and “puppuccinos” (yup, for pups!) on offer.
True enough, drop by Sunae at One Bonifacio High Street and you’ll find The Daily Knead’s table—which could very well be a carb lover’s dream as it displays the brand’s signature loaves, cakes, croissants, cookies, and other winning baked goods. The best part? Many of these bakes are available by the slice or piece—which is a godsend if you’ve ever been intimidated by the thought of having to buy an entire box of one item when you’d rather just have a sample or prefer to try a little of everything in one go.
What to Try at The Daily Knead’s Sunae Location
Some, you may have tried and tested over the course of the pandemic. Their Jamon Manchego Ensaymada (P190/piece) hardly need any introduction with how it pairs a buttery brioche base, silky Jamón Serrano, and melt-in-the-mouth shavings of aged manchego cheese into a harmonious, salty-sweet union; they’re also famed for their filled and flavored French Croissants, of which the Calamansi Caramel (P220/piece), Coffee Cardamom (P230/piece), and Triple Strawberry (P400/piece) are just some of the must-tries.
Those in for a sweet treat can’t miss their signature cakes, which include the fudgy Chocolate Olive Oil Cake (P390/slice) and tropical-tasting Buko Pandan Chiffon Cake (P320/slice, P1,100/midi-sized full cake). And for a light-as-air yet fruity treat, an order of the Thai Mango Petit Pavlova (P480) is a must.
A number of their fun-flavored treats typically sold in set boxes are also available by the piece at Sunae. There’s the Banana Langka Danish (P140/piece) that ingeniously brings to mind a more buttery turon; there’s also the Pandan Custard Bun (P60/piece) whose subtly nutty character shines the spotlight on the so-called Asian vanilla. Meanwhile, the Polvoron Eclair (P100/piece) marries the milky-nutty character of the Filipino confection with the creamy-chewy French pastry. The Daily Knead also takes the time to prepare most of the components they use in their baked goods from scratch; for instance, their lola’s homemade ube halaya shines in their Ube Manchego Ensaymada (P170/piece).
Some items are also exclusively available at their Sunae location—which Gacrama shares they decided to do to so as to work with the restaurant’s Southeast Asian flavors. A standout is the Thai Milk Tea Eclair (P100/piece), which delivers soul-soothing bites with its Thai-milk tea custard filling, squiggle of toasted milk cream, and topping of boba balls. And if you’re dining with friends, an order or two of the Petit Pavlova Grazing Platter (P850)—which is served deconstructed for you to build your own pavlovas—makes for a great foil to conversation. “Exclusive flavors for Sunae were also a no-brainer for us as R&D is truly what makes us and the team happy,” Gacrama explains. Don’t miss on Yardstick’s specialty cups of joe; the lineup includes everything from a classic Drip Pour Over (P220) to the Cappuccino (P180) to the creamy Vietnamese Latte (P180).
From Experimentation to Entrepreneurship: The Birth of The Daily Knead
The pandemic saw a huge shift in the dining scene in Manila. As the virus spread, going out became a risk and people put their dining-out plans on hold for a while—which sadly contributed to the closure of many great restaurants in the city, but on a positive note also brought on the birth of many pickup- and delivery-only food businesses with superb takes on different eats. The Daily Knead immediately stood out in their category, as the team whipped up excellent versions of classic bakes—some with modern or distinctly Filipino twists that worked wonderfully.
Heading The Daily Knead is Francine and her sister Francesca Herring, who shares that the birth of the business stemmed out of a “desire to make bread” for her family. Herring admits she is not professionally trained, and instead a self-taught baker “driven by my love for creating, baking, and feeding people.” “During the start of the pandemic it was difficult to find bread, as grocery shelves were close to empty. I finally decided to bake bread for my family using a starter we grew from our very own kitchen. I was keen to show my children some certainty during those uncertain times, I wanted to teach them a skill they would enjoy and found sensory fun out of the whole baking process. It was then I rediscovered my love for baking.”
Herring lived Australia for 12 years, and much of that time was spent experimenting with whipping up “different cooks and bakes” in the kitchen. “It was only when the pandemic occurred that I was able to reexplore and share my love of baking and cooking with my children,” she explains. “In the beginning it was all about perfecting the bakes, and I was giving it away to anyone that would be willing to try our sourdough bread.” But as it came to a point that she was giving away “10 loaves a day,” her husband convinced her to start selling—and she decided to sell her sourdough along with the more familiar pan de sal, “to get the market accustomed to what sourdough is.” The demand, she shares, grew—and though keeping up with the onslaught of orders soon became a challenge (Francesca was “baking, dispatching, and home schooling my kids in between”), she teamed up with Francine and joined Instagram—which set the business ablaze.
From bread, they expanded their lineup to include their signature Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookies (starts at P600/pack of five)—which is lent a distinct toffeelike note thanks to muscovado sugar—and Chocolate Brioche Babka (P780) full of decadent swirls of dark chocolate. Soon, from their home kitchen, they also moved into their own commissary space. And from doing limited-time pop-ups in malls and at Sunae, they opened their own booth at Rockwell in April (“we will continue to be there until the holiday season!,” they share)—followed by this more permanent outpost at Sunae.
“Having to pivot so many times during the pandemic has truly been challenging for us; but, just like any business, we had to adapt,” The Daily Knead shares. “When we started to notice that people were heading out more, we decided it was time for us to shift our concept from a delivery service to a more face-to-face kind of model. While our online delivery service remains open—our website currently caters to international clients that want to send gifts to their loved ones in Manila—there's nothing like seeing the reaction of clients, and having accessible locations.”
What Inspires The Daily Knead, and Why They Shine Bright Amid Other Bakeries
Apart from executing classic breads and pastries well—from their properly chewy and robust sourdough (try the nutty Sourdough Multigrain Loaf, P425; or the more one-of-a-kind Sourdough Dark Chocolate, P550) to plush, buttery brioche (try the Potato Brioche Loaf, P680) and more—you’ll see playful flavor combos across their line of products, many highlighting local ingredients and other elements. “When conceptualizing a flavor profile we always go by what's in season,” Herring explains. “I like the idea of having a juxtaposition of flavor—sweet and salty, sour and sweet. I also like adding layers of flavor to each pastry or cake so that each bite is a little bit of a delightful surprise.” Notably, Herring shares that coming up with flavors is a team effort. “I also like getting the whole team involved; it’s so much more fun developing flavors when you have a whole group of people talking, imagining and dreaming up different flavor profiles and combinations.”
Much of the recipes they use are also inspired by personal memories, i.e. special moments in their lives (many involving family). Recollections of having buko pandan salad at family gatherings inspired the birth of the aforementioned subtly nutty, light-as-air Buko Pandan Chiffon Cake. Their spending summers in Australia is given ode to in their Pavlova (P1,400) and reminiscing about a special mangosteem jam they once received as a gift from a friend led to their fruity-intriguing Spiced Mangosteen Cake (starts at P1,850/midi).
It’s not just about looking back at days gone by, though, as the Daily Knead also takes inspiration from “fantasies”—i.e. the global flavors they had been longing to try but had to put plans of flying out for on hold due to the lockdown. “We had our senses do the travelling for us by means of developing flavors from places and countries that we have visited, or wish to visit.” You’ll find yourself traversing different parts of the world as you browse through their menu—from the Eastern European realm with their intoxicating Turkish Delight Eclair (available as part of the Eclair Sampler, P650), to France with the fruity-intriguing Sparkling Chandon Strawberry Cake (starts at P2,200/midi), to the Land of the Rising Sun with the earthy-nutty Matcha Black Sesame Cookies (P600/pack of five, P1,200/box of 10), and more.
More than their great breads and pastries, what really sets The Daily Knead apart from the many other bakeries around is the sense of community they foster. If you follow them on Instagram, you’ll often see Francesca and Francine pop up themselves on their Instagram stories, personally saying hi to their regulars, talking about the process and inspiration behind different products, and sharing snaps of the team behind the scenes. And you can't beat that human element—which brings them closer not only to our dining tables, but ultimately, to our hearts.
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