VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — In 1988, Angie's Bakery opened in Virginia Beach.
The spot made a name for itself within the Filipino Community, and now it works to broaden everyone's taste buds.
The current owner, Kenneth Garcia Olaes, told 13News Now it was his uncle that started it all.
"My uncle named this after his late wife, Angie. I heard from Angie's cousins that this was one of the first places to get pandesal," Olaes said.
Pandesal is a type of bread roll you'll see in the Philippines.
"I make two variations of that. The original recipe and ube-flavored pandesal, which is purple in appearance," he said.
Olaes believes it's his honor to provide for the Filipino community in Hampton Roads.
He said he loves that the most.
"The fact that it's giving people a taste of home and feel of comfort again, ya know?" Olaes said.
However, for the bakery, it's bigger than just the Filipino community. It's about teaching the culture, too.
"I just thought that the best way to teach someone's culture is through coffee and bread," Olaes said.
Oh yes, we know. Garcia Olaes does a fantastic job teaching through the food at Angie's Bakery.
Ube is a common flavor used in the Philippines. It's made from boiled and mashed purple yam. But the ube doesn't stop with the bread.
Olaes came up with the idea that has taken Hampton Roads by storm,
"So, an ube latte came about because it was inspired from the recipe of my ube pandesal," he said.
Yes, you read that right, an ube latte. Its beautiful purple color with just a slight ube flavor brings new excitement to coffee. If that's not your thing, they have regular coffee options, too!
Maybe pandesal isn't your favorite, either? You're in luck, because this bakery is busting at the seams with goodies.
"We have what we call ensaymada. It's a Filipino brioche style of dough. It's very fluffy," Olaes said.
But that's not the best part about this treat.
"We coat it with butter and sugar. And I bake that fresh every morning," he explained.
It is delicious.
They also bake fresh hopia.
"Hopia is like a small biscuit-shaped pastry. It's filled with flavors like ube, baboy," Olaes said.
He also said they use his mom's recipe, which was the first pastry he learned to bake.
Then, for my friends who like things a little less sweet, there are savory hopia options, and they also have a bigger treat.
"[We have] a pepperoni bread, that's pretty famous, that's been around for a while...If you're going to get anything, you must try the hopia. The hopia is like the gem, I would say," he said.
Olaes reminisced as he told us how important Angie's Bakery is to him.
"One time, there's a grandfather that would come in and get pandesal and bring it to the grandkids. As the years come by, I noticed that it was that grandfather's son coming here with their kid, and now they're bringing that pandesal to their grandfather. It's just that tradition that keeps going, you know? And I want it to stay in the minds of people my age that this is part of your family. Maybe as I get older here, I'll see that son grow up and do the same thing," he smiled and nodded.
If you want to visit Angie's Bakery, they are located in Virginia Beach at 3501 Holland Rd Suite 102.
"It's more than just a bakery. It was more of a tradition for the families and the community," Olaes said.