Pan de Flores: When history met Ingenuity

(photos courtesy of DigitalCircles.Asia  facebook page)

I knew Mr. Wilson Lee Flores as one of the most admired columnists in the country, but it was through, my friend, the late Jeffrey Valisno that we personally got introduced a few years ago during one of the events we attended.
As Mr. Flores approached us, with his wide smile, I remember Jeffrey saying, kilala mo na ba si Sir Wilson? Mabait yan.”

Jeff introduced me to Sir Wilson who immediately asked for my business card and asked me to save my number on his Blackberry.

I couldn’t remember who we interviewed that day, but I do remember him pulling out his yellow pad and pen, and while the rest of us took out our voice recorders, he wrote down detailed notes—longhand.

But what impressed me more, besides his old school ways, was his humility and diligence throughout the interview. Here was a veteran journalist, and award winning writer, (who was probably more famous than the one we were interviewing) yet he seemed the most interested listening to every word and taking each answer down.

We saw each other again at another event a couple of weeks after that, and I remember Jeff whispering, “pustahan tayo, he will again ask for your card and your number.” And he was right! Sir Wilson did, even though he already recognized me.

I don’t know if he kept losing my card or if he just likes collecting them, but it would happen almost every time we’d see each other—and I would tell him, si Sir naman baka ilang duplicate na ang name ko jan sa phone mo!”

When I left the Manila Times in 2013, I saw less of sir Wilson, and we only reconnected in January of this year, ironically at the wake of Jeff– the same person who introduced us.

He brought several bags of bread to share with Jeff’s family and guests, and that was the first time I got a taste of what Kamuning Bakery was all about.

I was the one who made the tribute video for Jeff, and after it played Sir Wilson approached me and complemented me for what I had done for our friend. He said it was very touching and Jeff would have loved it.

I guess that was the thing he’ll remember me for. Because six months after, when I finally got to visit Kamuning Bakery, he was still complementing about that tribute video. “Kilala ko to! Grabe yung ginawa mong video nakakatouch talaga,” he said while we shook hands.

INDIE PAN DENSE DAY
It was June 12, and while everyone was enjoying the long weekend, Mr. Flores invited me and a few other bloggers for a bit of historical food trip at “Kamuning Bakery.”

As we ordered our meals, the ever vivacious, Flores shared some of the history behind his newest business venture.
“I learned about Kamuning Bakery from a newspaper article and from the coffee table book of the late Dr. Doreen G. Fernandez, one of the Philippine’s top food critic entitled ‘Palayok,’ he began.

Fernandez, Flores added was his Ateneo college paper Guidon’s moderator in the 1980s.
Flores said he knew he had to try the traditional pugon-baked breads all made without preservatives and additives, and to see for himself why Fernandez included the bakery in her book.

A self-confessed history enthusiast, it was Kamuning Bakery’s storied history that piqued his interest and took him to the QC landmark. “I’m a foodie and a history buff so I went to Kamuning Bakery to see and try it out. There I discovered that the 76-year-old Kamuning Bakery continued to serve its old clients in true artisanal, pugon-style baking.”

It was love at first bite and from then on Flores became an instant “suki,” enjoying his pan de sal and countless cups of coffee in the quaint Spanish-inspired interiors of Kamuning Bakery. He had no idea, that one day, his love for the place would lead to a very big decision.

BAKERY BEGINNINGS
Kamuning Bakery first fired up its pugon in 1939, and was documented as the very first bakery to be established in what was then a developing Quezon City. The area was once called Project 1 and took the name Kamuning after the flowering trees that once flourished in the area.

It was built by Atty. Leticia “Letty” Bonifacio Javier and her husband Marcelo Javier Sr. upon the suggestion of their friend Don Alejandro Roces.

Atty. Letty’s parents Miguel and Jovita had operated the famous Los Baños Bakery in Singalong Manila before the war. During World War II, Letty’s father, husband and brother-in-law, died fighting the Japanese military invaders.
Letty, left on her own to raise their three small kids, (Beth, Ted and Elo), took over the bakery and made it flourish through good service and delicious breads—over 350 different kinds–including the Pinoy original Pan De Suelo and other best sellers such as the Pan De Coco, Biscocho, Pan De Limon and many others.

When Letty died two decades ago, it was her children’s turn to manage the bakery. But with the entry of bigger and modern bakeries and restaurants, running the bakery became too tough that Ted and his siblings decided to close shop and sell what was now a prime property.

By then, Flores was already one of Kamuning Bakery’s regulars and had become somehow close to the owners. As Flores was also an expert in real estate, he recalled that Ted told him about their problems and consulted him about selling Kamuning Bakery.

After hearing the family’s dilemma, it was then, Flores said he realized, that he could not bear seeing his favorite panaderia close down.

“I tried to convince Ted to keep the business but to no avail, especially when their mother died, at that time Kamuning Bakery was already being managed by non-family members,” Flores related.

It was one of the biggest decisions Flores made in his life, and the risk of running a business he barely knew anything about was even bigger, but by December 2013, the iconic Kamuning Bakery had found a savior and a new owner in the veteran journalist.

“I love tradition and I believe that we should also cherish good traditions, and I believe not all old things or traditional ways are bad or inferior or passe. I believe the history of a nation or a society are not only stories in history books or artifacts in museums, but also in the way we prepare and eat our food, such as the old baking traditions and traditional breads, biscuits and cakes,” Flores was quoted in one of his interviews.

Flores said he promised to continue with the Philippines’ old panaderia traditions, even if artisan pugon baking is more time-consuming and labor-intensive, because it was what made him fall in love with the humble bakery in the first place.

FROM BAKERY TO CAFÉ
While Flores vowed to continue the baking traditions of Kamuning Bakery, the businessman also made sure that customers will have something more to come back besides the bread.
“I tried to keep the bakery area open was so that our regular suki from the neighborhood, and the students, would not feel indifferent, but I decided to add a café so that those who come from farther places can have a place to eat and not just drop by to buy bread.”

And that is why he came up with the Kamuning Bakery Café which opened just last March 20, 2015.

“Kamuning Bakery Cafe serves all-day Filipino breakfast meals which showcase our pugon-baked pan de suelo, pandesal and other breads. We also have rice meals, pastas, and sandwiches, plus artisanal coffee drinks like frappuccino using the finest coffee beans from the highlands of Benguet in the Mountain Province, as well as from well-known coffee producing countries like Brazil, El Salvador, India, Costa Rica, etc,” he enumerated.

We were able to sample some of the dishes and worth mentioning are the fried chicken basket, four generous portions marinated and breaded before being fried to crisp to perfection. I also liked the Tawilis Pasta (185) and Chicken Sisig Pasta (170) as well the Pan de Suelo burger.

Other items that I would definitely want to try are the Longganisa Pasta (190), Pomodoro Pasta (160), Bolognese Pasta (180) and Chicken Pesto Pasta (170).

Besides the food, the restored café takes diners back in time with antique local furniture, such as a pre-war telephone, a grandfather’s clock and some other valuable pieces. The Café has already become a favorite hangout of writers, newsmen, showbiz celebrities, business folk, and even politicians who gather at the Kamuning Café for a quick meet up or to just relax and share stories.

Since he took over, Kamuning Bakery has been feature in several newspapers, and even Kris TV (as former president Cory Aquino was a regular customer) but while the exposure has greatly helped promote his business, Wilson is also making sure that his bakeshop is well updated with the times.

For the first time in 76 years, the bakery now has credit card facilities for convenience, free wifi, a website and an active presence in social media via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Flores is even encouraging his customers to upload their photos and share their experiences on their social media accounts.

“It’s not just for promotion but also so that our pugon bakers, staff and management can communicate directly and immediately with customers to address their feedback,” he explained.

ROASTING SOON
For now, Flores says he is concentrating on fully restoring Kamuning Bakery to its former glory before deciding to put up a few smaller branches.
But he is, however, considering of adding more items to his basket, “We have another big oven, that hasn’t been used for years and we are thinking of serving pugon-baked pizza, pugon-roasted chicken or maybe even pugon cooked lechon.

He says he wants to serve uniquely Filipino flavored pizza with toppings such as longganisa, chorizo or even laing!
If you’re looking for a comfy and quiet place where there’s fast and free Wi-Fi, you definitely should checkout the Kamuning Bakery Café who knows you might even bump into a celebrity or two!