Restaurant Background

Everyone loves M Bakery. Known to many as New York’s famous Magnolia Bakery, the Philippine branch has been a favorite since it reached these sunny shores. They are beloved for their banana pudding, Pinoy-inspired desserts (think: ube gelato and calamansi cheesecake), and signature cupcakes.

Brought to us by entrepreneur, Stewart Ong, M Bakery has since opened up multiple branches – first in BGC, and most recently, in Opus Mall. In fact, the mall is now the proud home of M Bakery’s first-ever café.

The Vibe and Venue

Located on the ground floor of Opus Mall, across Manam and beside The Marketplace, M Bakery Café is the perfect dessert destination to visit after dinner. Its inviting atmosphere welcomes guests to see talented bakers in action. Anyone can see how every piece of decadent pastry is made from scratch – you can even observe front-of-house staff ice every cupcake to perfection.

Glass displays showcase colorfully iced treats, tempting diners with cupcakes, icebox cakes, cookies, pudding – and even gelato. “Being in M Bakery is a sensorial experience,” said Stewart, Managing Partner of Phil Jacobe Ventures, Inc. M Bakery Franchisee. “Whatever you see, smell, and experience here is similar to what you would experience in New York.”

How much does it cost?

With everything made from scratch – no flavors, concentrates, or mixes – it comes as no surprise that items at M Bakery come at a premium. Cupcakes start at P130 each, with specialty flavors reaching P165. Mini-cheesecakes go for P295 while icebox pies and bars range from P275 to P1,350. Their best-selling pudding comes at P155 for a single order and can go up to P3,250 for advance orders of 20 pieces.

What is the menu about?

Homey, feel-good food is the answer to this question. Everything at M Bakery is made from scratch; many recipes use local ingredients, but others are made with premium imported items. “We’re not saying we serve healthy food,” joked Stewart. “But everything is made from natural ingredients.”

“We make our own halaya for the ube flavored items, and there are staff [members] dedicated just to squeezing juice from fresh calamansi,” added Chef Kiran Shetty, Corporate Chef at M Bakery. “We do not use any kind of concentrate or flavoring, and [we believe] customers can really taste the difference.”

What We Tried

Gelato

Among the many highlights of M Bakery Café is their gelato. This homemade ice cream utilizes unique ingredients that set M Bakery Café apart from the rest. The best example? Their Ruby Chocolate ice cream utilizes the ruby cocoa bean.

“We’re proud to be the first to bring this unique flavor to the Philippines,” Stewart shared. “This food trend is huge in the United States right now; like its reddish color, the taste of the ruby cocoa bean is unique. For the ice cream, we’ve added a touch of raspberry to enhance the cocoa bean’s natural flavors”.

A personal favorite is their Pistachio flavor, which utilizes pistachio paste imported from Italy. It lends a deep nutty flavor to the gelato that isn’t easily found or replicated. Those who wish for sunnier days can indulge in their Lychee Sorbet, which is another bestseller. Despite its sorbet nature, the ice cream remains creamy, unlike most sorbets which tend to become icy.

M Bakery Café offers twelve flavors of gelato at a time – currently Banana Pudding, Lotus Biscoff, and Roasted Strawberry are their bestsellers – but they do plan on rotating soon so be sure to try these flavors while you can! Of course, you can pair this with a homemade cone that smells as sweet as you can imagine.

Cookie Skillets

Want a little bite to your ice cream? Get it on a skillet! These indulgent desserts come in four varieties and are exclusive to the Opus Mall branch. Options include the Sea Salt Caramel Skillet (salted caramel ice cream atop a chocolate chip cookie), Apple Crumb Skillet (vanilla bean gelato with homemade apple crumble), Double Fudge Skillet (chocolate cookie with chocolate chips topped with vanilla ice cream), and the classic Chocolate Chunk Skillet (chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream). Every bite is ooey gooey and filled with chocolatey goodness, except for the apple crumble, which comes with a kick of cinnamon along with generous slices of caramelized apples.

Our top picks include the salted caramel edition – the salty-sweet ice cream truly elevates the skillet a la mode experience – and the apple crumble with vanilla bean, which offers crunchy and chewy textures, not to mention a sweetness that is hard to forget.

Magic Cookie Bar

Think of all the best things you can put in a tropical dessert, and you get the Magic Cookie Bar. A favorite of Erick Larrios, M Bakery’s Vice President for Franchise Operations, the Magic Cookie Bar begins with a layer of graham crust and is followed by generous chocolate shavings and walnuts. All of this is topped with crunchy, toasted coconut shavings to create a textural sensation like no other. “It’s ooey gooey goodness all in one bite,” Erick laughed. True enough, those looking for a unique kind of snack can rely on the Magic Cookie Bar to deliver exactly what its name implies.

Loaded Jars and Coffee

While we weren’t able to try the milkshakes and coffee, M Bakery Café’s newest menu cannot be left behind. While sinful, the milkshakes – also called Loaded Jars – make for a fantastic treat. Keep in mind, however: they’re addicting. They mix different flavors of ice cream with cakes to create fun desserts with flavors such as Ube White Chocolate Coconut, Ruby Chocolate, and Apple Pie.

Coffees are also available with unique flavors such as Chocnut Latte, Tres Leches Latte, Peppermint Latte, and Campfire Latte. Tea aficionados cannot forgo the English Breakfast Tea Latte and the Matcha Green Tea Latte. Babyccinos are available for kids too!

Location: Ground Floor, Opus Mall, Bridgetowne Destination Estate, Quezon City.

M Bakery Café officially opens to the public on Sept. 7, 2024. The first five customers will win a year's supply of Banana Pudding, while the first 100 customers will receive a free tub of Banana Pudding with a minimum purchase of P500.