The municipality of Los Baños, Laguna, resting on the slopes of Mt. Makiling, is known for many things. Most tourists may recognize it for its wealth of hot springs. It was actually because of these mineral springs that the name Los Baños came to be, as friars in the 1580s established public baths and bath houses in the town.
Los Baños, colloquially called LB or Elbi, was also declared a special science and nature city of the country in 2000, in recognition of its position as a municipality that fosters “learning in the various fields of human knowledge such as the arts, humanities, ecology, socio-economics, and most notably science,” the official proclamation states.
But aside from its scientific, natural, and even historical significance, another reason to visit and explore Los Baños lies in something simpler but no less important: food!
Aside from the ubiquitous pasalubong, buko pie, Los Baños is also home to several bakeshops and cafes. Here are a few must-tries according to locals.
Croissants
Silly Lily Bakehouse
F.O. Santos St. cor. Pearl St., Umali Subdivision, Los Baños, Laguna
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Silly Lily is the other half of Seoul Kitchen in Los Baños. They offer beautiful Korean-style cakes and pastries, like the eye-catching ddalki or strawberry croissant and matcha pistachio wheel. You can order the pastries by piece or by the box.
Coffee
Common-Grounds
Left Wing Centtro Mall, E. Lopez Ave., Los Baños, Laguna
Mondays to Fridays 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Closed on Sundays
Located near the University of the Philippines – Los Baños, Common-Grounds is a quaint minimalist coffee shop where you can try classic brews as well as unique flavors concocted by their baristas. Seating is limited though; customers can share space at the large long table on one side of the cafe.
Local bread
Jerico’s Bakeshop
10467 Lopez Ave., Los Baños, Laguna
Open daily from 4:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Elbi locals are also quick to recommend a stop at the local panaderya. As in many municipalities, bakeries are a dime a dozen. But one of the most popular is Jerico’s, which sits at a corner of the busy Lopez Ave. They have an assortment of almost all the essential panaderya fare.
Buko pie
Lety’s Buko Pie
4030 National Highway, Los Baños, Laguna
Open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
You can’t go home from Laguna without some buko pie. Lety’s is one of the go-to buko pie brands in town, with several branches. They sell their pies quickly, so you might have to queue or even wait a bit for freshly baked pies to come out.
Buko pandesal
Mr. Asado Bakeshop (Buko Pandesal Bakeshop)
National Highway, Los Baños, Laguna
For a buko pastry that’s easier to munch on on the go, look next door to the Mr. Asado Bakeshop, which sells steaming hot buko pandesal. The pandesal is soft, filled with mildly sweet chunks of buko meat inside.
Chocolate cake
Mer-Nel’s Cake
Multiple branches
For something a little more celebratory, the go-to cake is Mer-Nel’s. They’re known for their chocolate cakes, which come in various sizes and shapes. The cakes are decorated with the classic piping and flowers, with a customizable message, too.