Loriz Pilipino Bakery & Convenience Store

Review #6 of Unilocal’s 30 Day Challenge 2012
This place never fails to bring back memories of my childhood when I’d man (and most of the time munch on what I was selling) our own bakery in the Philippines during summer. The smell of freshly baked bread in this place is enough for me to forget that I’m supposed to be on a low-​carb diet. Just thinking about those freshly-​baked ensaymada and spanish bread is making my mouth water. If you don’t know what I’m talking about I suggest you start driving to Loriz and be ready to enjoy some buttery, sugar-​dusted bread.
This is my go to place for most of the Filipino treats I crave every now and then. Aside from fresh bread, they sell a variety of Filipino products from instant noodles to juices to processed meat to chips to snacks to pasta sauces and some other stuff that even I’m not familiar with.
Aside from how close this place is to my house and the aroma of fresh bread, I think I keep going back to Loriz a lot because it makes me feel like I’m actually in Manila where you’ll see several bakeries and convenience stores (or we call them sari-​sari store) in one street and you know almost everyone who comes to the store.

Lori’s is good. In fact any Filipino grocery store has a special place in my ashy heart. Really, I remembered when I was a kid, how we had to drive to the other side of the city just to stock up on our Filipino products. I couldn’t wait to get my fill of Skyflakes, buko popsicles, anchovy fish chips, and the powdery chocnut. Now, Lori’s is close by and we always make a stop here for their baked bread.
You can also get TFC subscriptions here, even if you aren’t Filipino and are bored with your HBO and SHOWTIME programming I suggest you do it and subscribe to watch my homelands variety show programming.
¹⁸⁄₃₀ Underdog Challenge (whhooops)

²⁴⁄₃₀
PANDESAAAAAAAAAAL. As a vegan, many Filipino eatables are out of reach for me. Becoming a vegetarian at the age of 9; my Mom was completely stumped as to what to make for me for dinner because everything requires some type of meat stock as a base. «I can’t even make you Pansit! Or Lugaw! I thought Sinigang was your favorite! What, you’re not going to eat that anymore? See how long you last eating GRASS!»
So, for me, when I think of warm, cozy Filipino comfort food; I don’t think of things like Adobo, Kare-​Kare or Nilaga. Sure, I learned to make vegan versions of those later, but what gets me thinking happy fuzzies are Filipino baked goods! And Loriz has my childhood all wrapped up in their Pandesal rolls.
Did you just buy a bunch of dinner rolls from Safeway?
Good. Now throw them out.
Pandesal, especially Loriz’s Pandesal will make the average dinner roll taste like spackling paste. Be the life of the next party you go to by bringing a Buko (Coconut) Pie with you. This is not the same cloyingly sweet, artificial tasting Coconut Cream pie you’re used to. This is a pie filled with slices of sweet coconut meat. Never be kissed again when you stock up on Boy Bawang… it’s like Corn Nuts that have been smacked in the face with a ton of roasted garlic. You’ll have garlic coming out of your pores for a week. Become an honorary Filipino by filling up a basket with Nagaraya Nuts, Mama Sita flavoring pouches, dried mangoes, salted eggs and Mamon (sponge cake!).
The family that runs this place is incredibly sweet and even though Manila Convenience Store has a bigger selection, this place definitely makes up for it with quality goods.

What a glory to step into this place! To have your nostrils be filled with the gooey scent of freshly made bread, a counter full of Filipino pastry goodness, and to browse the tightly packed shelves for a jar of baguoung or a bag of Boy Bawang garlic bombs. Delicious ube enseymadas, sponge cakes, mamon, freezers full of tocino and longanesa — my mouth is watering already. I think I prefer Manila Convenience Store close to Canadian Tire, but this place will do in a pinch.
²³⁄₃₀

Stepping inside this place reminded me of the Philippines. The fresh aroma of pandesal, the Filipino station on the tv, the brands I’d only seen when we were in the Philippines earlier in the year. Ahh…
Sure it’s small, but after strolling thru you’ll see a lot a variety here from the frozen meats at the rear of the store, to the spices and many canned goods lining the aisles.
I picked up some chippys for my children, fresh warm pandesal (seriously good) & I even found imported buko pie! This place has been here for ages, how did I miss it?

Loriz is a bit of an overwhelming experience, but it’s definitely worth it.
Half convenience store, half bakery, you walk into Loriz and all you smell is fresh bread. it’s a heavenly smell, and it makes you want to buy every loaf of bread in the store.
Although the store itself is cramped and a little disarray, their products are good.
They specialize in Filipino foods and ingredients, and I can tell you first hand that their bread is exceptional.
I wish the store was bigger and a little less busy, but I suppose it’s all part of the charm and the experience.
Happy Shopping!