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Goldilocks Bakery and Restaurant

Hey Filipino foodies and lovers of iced desserts!

I recently visited Goldilocks in National City (right next to Seafood City Supermarket) with my co-blogger friend Lora for a sampling of halo-halo and other fun Filipino foods. Goldilocks is an iconic bakery in the Philippines, as deeply imbedded in the culture as McDonalds in America. Filipinos love to party and they love cake (they call it “keyk”), especially Goldilocks’ cakes. They are the best! My favorite is the Black Forest Cake. I remember going to birthday parties and other celebrations in the Philippines and getting excited when I saw that Goldilocks Black Forest Cake sitting on the table. Yum!

Disclosure Statement: I received a complimentary meal in exchange for this blog post and social media shares. However, as always, all opinions are my own. Read full blog disclosure statement.

But Goldilocks serves more than just bakery items. They have a large selection of Filipino food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you’ve ever been to a Filipino restaurant and felt clueless on what to order, this post will show a sample of several dishes and desserts we tasted at Goldilocks.

The Goldilocks brand boils down to simple Filipino values. Thoughtfulness. Care. Love for family. Excellence.

First, the highlight of my visit:

Desserts (surprise, surprise)

Halo-Halo

Halo-halo is a Filipino word which translates to “mix-mix.” It is the name of a popular Filipino dessert made with a mixture of fruit, jellies, tapioca pearls, sweet beans, corn, shaved ice, condensed milk, and ube (purple yam) ice cream. The ube ice cream and ube jam are what gives it the distinctive purple color.

Halo-halo is a Filipino word which translates to “mix-mix.”

Do you know the history of halo-halo? Read my previous post to learn more.

Halo-halo sounds like a crazy mixture of random things, but it’s so good and very famous in the Philippines, especially in summertime. It’s definitely a must-try at any Filipino restaurant. The halo-halo at Goldilocks is served in a wide glass goblet, which I prefer to places that serve it in a tall glass (which makes it harder to mix). If you want to cool off this summer, try the Goldilocks’ halo-halo!

Coconut Jelly Float

This is a popular item made from macapuno ice cream (comes from the coconut), coconut jellies, and coconut juice served in a coconut shell. So refreshing! If you are a coconut lover, this dessert is definitely for you!

Entrees

Pork Sigsig

Sigsig is a favorite dish in the Philippines, make from minced pork cheeks and cooked on a hot skillet. Goldilocks marinates their sigsig in kalamansi juice (Philippine sweet lime), then serves it with an egg on a sizzling platter. It is definitely a very unique item and has a distinctive flavor. Sigsig is a must-try for something new and different!

Kare-Kare

Kare-kare is oxtail stew, cooked with vegetables in a creamy peanut sauce. Kare-kare is one of my favorite Filipino dishes! The kare-kare at Goldilocks was also made with tripe as well. This dish goes great over a serving of white rice as the sauce tastes great soaked up into the rice.

Fresh Lumpia

Traditionally, lumpia is the Filipino version of a fried egg roll. Fresh lumpia is made slightly different and is not fried in oil, making it a great healthy option for those hoping to avoid fried foods. Inside is a mix of sautéed meat or tofu with veggies. The filling is rolled into a crepe-like wrap and served with a sweet peanut sauce. One of my aunties in the Philippines taught me how to make fresh lumpia. The hardest part was the making the wraps! I ended up with so many sad-looking wraps that had gaping holes. It is definitely a skill to master!

The fresh lumpia served at Goldilocks comes with a mixture of vegetables with diced pork, chicken, and shrimp. They added crushed peanuts for the final touch.

Adobo Rice Medley

You can’t even see the rice under all the toppings! This was definitely a new dish I had never tried before. It’s one of their specialties that included a giant serving (and I mean like 4-6 servings giant!) of fried rice and adobo (chicken simmered in soy sauce and vinegar), lechon kawali (crispy fried pork belly), as well as a garnish of fresh cut tomatoes and mangoes (a favorite Filipino garnish served with many of their grilled entrees).

Get your Filipino Food!

Goldilocks has a large selection of Filipino foods from grilled sampler platters, soups, seafood, vegetable side dishes, and desserts. They are located in National City at 1420 E. Plaza Boulevard D-7.

Thank you to Imelda “Mel” Tan, the area manager, for being such a generous host to the Filipino Bloggers Network!