Aling Mary’s Filipino Store

Small place that is known for its best bread… in my language we called the dinner roll as PANDESAL… freshly baked in here the smell will make you drool and the taste is just so so awesome… eating it plain is so so good how much more if you put a jam or meat or anything…
aside from bread the place also sells filipino goodies… from chips to canned foods to pork rind and sauces… cooked fooods are available aswell plus native cakes… from rice cake to other pinoy desserts…
location is at the heart of main street… parking at the rear and street parking aswell, wasnt able to check if wifi is free, decors are simple filipino inspired… no public washroom. noise level is average… the place accepts cash, cards, debits… US dollar is okay too…
Service is homey… pricewise is reasonable… i highly recommend the bread. PANDESAL come early and wait for the newly baked one… i assure you guys it taste heaven…
Palm corned beef is available at alltimes and it comes in different flavors… the only thing that i didnt find is the bottled aligi… crab fat…
good place to shop pinoy goodies…

I never knew what Pan De Sal is, and I never had a proper Filipino pastry. My good friend who grew up on the stuff told me that if I wanted to experience what an authentic Filipino pastry was, I must go here.
Like others that have already commented on it, my anticipation grew tenfold as I enter the store and the fantastic smell of freshly baked goods engulfed me. And as soon as I arrived at to the counter, a friendly lady gave me a mom-​like smile and said «a dozen?» before I even said anything. Telepathy? When I said yes please, she went to the back to grab a fresh dozen of Pan De Sal, which were put into a paper bag and then inside a plastic handle bag. It was quite hefty and nicely warm. I could not believe I paid only $ 3 for them!
And after the first bite into the warm, soft pastry, I was a bit disappointed. My anticipation was perhaps too high? However, as I sat down inside the nearby café with a cup of tea, I realized that the bag was noticeably lighter. Then after closer examination, I have found that four Pan De Sal has mysteriously evaporated from the bag, and my stomach was suddenly too full to even finish the tea I just ordered.
The stuff was freaking addictive…
By the time I got home, only three Pan De Sal survived, and they did not make it through the night either. How can a sort of typical white bun be so addictive?
To sum it up, go here for Pan De Sal, even if you do not really know what it is. And consider buying two dozen.

Meh!
Prior to visiting Rain City, I compiled a list of places to go. This was near the very top based off of its high rating and rave reviews. Being Ilocano, I love Filipino food and do my part to support local Filipino owned businesses.
My buddy and I came in about an hour and a half before closing on a Sunday. The storefront was hard to find and gives you the false impression that it is closed with its tan window shades. Walking in, you immediately smell the aroma of pan de sal baking in the oven. Oooh, the anticipation… I was giddy with excitement and cheerfully said hi, we came from Washington to try your pan de sal. You would think, the person would respond with something like oh wow, welcome to Vancouver; you will love our pan de sal. Noooo, she just gave me a blank stare and showed us the pan de ube wrapped in plastic. I said, by any chance, do you guys have any fresh ones right out of the oven. She unenthusiastically said, suuuuuure, let me get some. As she walked back, I looked at my buddy with an ummm, yeah look. We got a dozen pan de sal buns and 2 pan de ube.
The moment of truth was here. Drum roll please…
Womp, womp, woooooomp… Nothing out of the ordinary. We dipped the pan de sal with the bilo-​bilo we had next door and it tasted so much better. The pan de ube was worse — old and bland.
Unfortunately, this Filipino establishment gets 2 thumbs down. Average tasting pan de sal buns combined with blasé attitudes equals a one-​time visit for me. Perhaps, lifting up the blinds and getting some good ol’ Vitamin D would pep up their spirits.

BEST PANDESAL IN VANCOUVER!!! Their cassava cake is also very good, the best I have tasted so far.

Very nice to find some honest to goodness Filipino baked goods in Vancouver. Aling Mary’s seemed authentic, right down to the dark purple Balot sitting by the cash register and the stern photo of (presumably) Aling Mary who monitors the front cash wrap area.
Pandesol was yummy, but more on the savory side than some I have had (will rely on others to declare what is the more «authentic») — we didn’t buy enough. Not sure, but I think they had some soap with the oddly branded name of «Placenta», which might be something that could use more research. It did make me think of the Jane Curtin-​Dan Ackroyd skit on SNL («Placenta Helper»). [Update on research — there is apparently a whole lineup of health related products in the Philippines being sold under the brand of «Renew Placenta».]
Cash only, so we had to go find an ATM (not many around); when we used our cash, they couldn’t change it. But life is full of little hassles and Aling Mary’s was worth it.

best pandesol ever! so soft, sweet, & fresh off the oven… heaven

If your blood contains any Filipino, you’ve been here. If you haven’t, get your ass in gear.
Come for the always fresh (no BS) pandesal (slightly sweet buns), bibingka (rice cake) and cassava cake. Good for you? Heck no, but oh so good.
They also sell your standard Filipino staples, both dry and frozen.
I still feel kind of dumb every time they assume I speak Tagalog. I just smile and say salamat.

I was over at a grocery store in the area and they were selling Aling Mary’s pandesals there. I thought to myself why buy it in the grocery store when you can get it fresh right out of the oven. So off to Aling Mary’s I go. It always smells sooo good walking in there. My sister-​in-​law was with me on this trip and she usually buys her pandesal from another bakery in the area. But now I got her hooked on the pandesal here. She absolutely loved it and bought 3 dozen to bring home. Still $ 3.50 a dozen.
They also have a turo turo and desserts such as bibingka, cuchinta, espasol and pichi pichi. This place is actually a little store with Filipino goods. But the pandesal is the star of this store.
I will never leave Vancouver without bringing home some pandesal from here.

So I came here for one reason and one reason only, the pan de sal. It’s the closest Filipino grocery store to where I live.
I parked my car in the back of the store and started my trek to the front. As I pass the back corner of the store, I smell it. The addictive aroma of those tasty bread rolls! I’m not thinking of the damage it will do to me right now, I just need to get my hands on them.
I walk in and I smell even more of it. This store has a bunch of Filipino groceries of which I’m not familiar with. I’m sure other Filipinos can attest to it. I’m certainly no expert.
I got my pan de sal and some pan de ube (yam bread). The pan de sal was hot out of the oven and I devoured 3 as I was driving to my destination. =) I didn’t need butter. Some peeps like it that way, but I don’t need butter when it is this soft and fresh.
The store also has a hot food section, as well as other baked goods with a couple of tables and chairs if you choose to eat in store.
A few Filipino friends that I have, swear by this store. They live in Richmond, Maple Ridge, and Surrey, and they all get pan de sal from here.

Aromas of freshly baked pan de sal permeate the atmosphere of this charming little Vegan market with loyal patrons lining up to partake in a beloved communion of Filipino bread and Filipino snackies.
Approaching this place I didn’t think much of it, but once you open the door you’ll just waft yourself right in!
The bread is mouth wateringly addictive and best to eat hot!

My review is based on the pan de sal alone.
My Auntie told me about this place and said that they have the best pan de sal EVER! I hate going to places with such high expectations but Aling Mary’s did not dissapoint. Driving by the place you can smell the fresh pan de sal baking. My mouth was watering before getting into the door. My sister and I ordered 2 dozen and wished we had gotten more. The first bite was heavenly. The pan de sal had a hint of sweetness and it wasn’t full of air (not like some filipino establishments in San Diego). When we got into the car, I ate 3 before we could get the car started. They were that good. Gosh I’m totally drooling while I’m typing this review.
I can’t wait to go back to Vancouver and get some of Aling Mary’s pan de sal. Next time I’m going to order 4 dozen and bring them home.

Don’t let the hole in the wall store intimidate you. I wouldn’t bother looking around. Go there for one thing and one thing only — the freshly baked Pan de Sal. It’s Filipino-​style bread rolls that’s light, airy and soft. The dough is rolled in fine bread crumbs which gives a that rough texture of crumbs.
It’s definitely best to eat it straight out of their oven. But don’t fret when you get home and you still have a dozen or so left over for now it’s time to split it into two for some toasting which creates a crunchy outer layer and a chewy inner portion.
Spread some butter and eat with hot chocolate for simple breakfast or afternoon delight. Or top it with thin slices of Edam cheese (Queso de Bola) and sprinkle some sugar then toast altogether. Simple and filling.
They only sell it in packs of a dozen. That’s $ 3.50 for a dozen to you. Don’t be surprised when you see people walking out with so many bags in tow. It’s that cheap and that good.

Aling Mary’s specialty is Pan de Sal and their’s are the best I’ve had. Pan de Sal are bread rolls that literally translates to salt bread. But the rolls here are certainly not salty but suprisingly have a slight sweetness. When I visit Vancouver I make stops at various specialty food stores to pick up baked goods I can’t get in Seattle and Aling Mary’s is one of my stops. I buy at least a dozen (sometimes two dozen) pan de sals when I visit. They always come fresh out of the oven warm and steaming. They are best eaten this way. Or dipped in hot chocolate like I used to do when I was a kid. =) Sounds weird but give it a try.

I went to Aling Mary’s because its pan de sal was on the list of 101 Things to Eat in Vancouver in the Vancouver Magazine, and it did not disappoint. It’s baked fresh daily, and a dozen of those little bites of heaven are only $ 3.49! Even though they’re awesome warm, they taste even better cold. I didn’t try other things in the store; it looked like a little grocery store with special Asian sauces and other knickknacks.
Goodness gracious each of those heavenly buns has 3 grams of trans fat!

For those craving some Filipino treats, this is the place to go. Stacks of warm pan de sal sit alluringly on baking trays, waiting to be snapped up. Other baked treats are displayed behind the glass with the rich scent of toasted coconut wafting up and around the air. They also sell other snacky junk food type stuff bound to trigger nostalgia from their Filipino clientele.
I usually come here for the aforementioned pan de sal. Heat radiating through the packaging, it’s impossible to stop myself from devouring two little buns by the time I make it back to the car.