ABC7 honors Asian American and Pacific Islander Month and we are highlighting a popular new bakery.
Umaga Bakehouse is called “the Filipino bakery reimagined” and for good reason.
We are celebrating bold endeavors, rich traditions, and the flavors that unite communities. We’re stepping into Umaga Bakehouse on Chicago’s Northwest Side—a modern Filipino bakery born from a dream, a risk, and a deep appreciation for heritage.
“Not a lot of people what Filipino bakeries were,” Kissell Santiago said.
Kissell and her husband set out to change that.
Having relocated from California to Chicago for work, several years later, they decided to take a leap of faith and open a bakery offering Filipino specialties crafted from recipes held close to their hearts.
“This is called pancit malabon,” Kissel said. “This is my dad’s super super secret recipe only my husband and I know it.”
The response? Overwhelming.
On day one, they sold out in two hours. Since then, they’ve built not just a customer base-but a community.
The weekend lines are long, the recipes are sacred and the vibe is always morning sunshine-fitting for a bakery named Umaga, which means “morning.”
“We envisioned ourselves as a small mom-and-pop shop… but the support from Chicago made me fall in love with the city even more because of the backing they provided us,” Kissel expressed.
Kissell says the pan de sal is “a traditional Filipino dinner roll, you can use it for anything.”
They perfected each recipe in their home kitchen first, their goal was to recreate the taste of home.
“This is what started everything,” Kissel said. “So this is ensaymada, it’s a brioche style pastry in the Philippines, the classic one is usually just butter on top cheese and that’s it – from there we did the classic and just made other flavors around it,”
Another wildly popular item… their Senorita Bread- It’s a secret menu item, made to order, and you can only get in person.
“It’s these little rolls with sweet, melted butter inside,” Kissell said.
At every turn there is another traditional Filipino bread, pastry or to-go meal and every bite has a backstory, full of tradition and heart. Kissell still can’t believe their big risk turned in to such a big reward.
“It’s like a pinch me moment still,” she said.
Kissell and her team are working with other companies that use their bread, plus they have started a shipping program for folks who can’t access Filipino bread.
Kissell says her team feels ‘everyone deserves to have access to a snack that feels like home -no matter where you are.
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