INQUIRER - Plants and pastries meet Filipino culture at this Portland bakeshop

By Andrea Podadas

Christmas is right around the corner. Naturally, so is the urge to buy desserts and other heartwarming gifts for our Filipino families around the world. 

Some of them even went viral such as the ube cheese pandesal treats and variants that took the country by storm.But thanks to Botanical Bakeshop in Portland, you can try these Pinoy-style treats with your friends and family together with a variety of Filipino-style pastries, all while seeking a new houseplant for your abode.

Botanical Bakeshop is a collaboration between new Filipina-owned businesses Shop Halo-Halo—Geleen Abenoja’s bakery that showcases Filipino specialties and flavors—and Daphne’s Botanicals, a houseplant service founded by Daphne Peters. 

Abenoja and Peters took the opportunity to team up after participating in North Portland’s Gold Evening Market. Since The Botanical Bakeshop’s grand opening in July, its two founders have worked towards their joint venture of honoring their Filipino roots and providing a slice of Filipino life in every bite and visit. 

Shop Halo-Halo adds a taste of home to signature Filipino baked goods, desserts, and beverages. A few standouts on their menu are ube crinkle cookies, lavender calamansi shortbread, and the sampaguita milk tea latte. 

They also offer classic Filipino snacks like bibingka, biko, and cassava cakes. The famous shaved ice dessert halo-halo is a staple at Botanical Bakeshop as well. 

According to Aboneja, Shop Halo-Halo’s menu consists of family recipes passed down to her through the years. 

Meanwhile, creativity thrives in Daphne’s Botanicals where houseplants aim to add joy and delight in every home and space. Peters told Fox 12 Oregon back in August that her plants aim to match the budget, vision, and overall living spaces of whoever buys them. 

Their bestseller, the Philodendron Painted Lady, is a hit among shoppers. 

Besides plants and pastries, Botanical Bakeshop operates on Aboneja and Peters’ shared vision of creating a space for Filipino and BIPOC creatives and lifestyle enthusiasts with a wide variety of plants, food, and gifts. 

Originally posted on INQUIRER by Andrea Posadas