Rob and Kissel Fagaragan both grew up helping in their parents' bakeries, met in 2007 while working at a Filipino bakery in California, moved to Chicago to bake in Jefferson Park, and in April 2024 opened their own shop on Foster Avenue, right across from Seafood City. They describe it as a tribute to family and a celebration of their culture. The pandesal is the signature: soft, lightly sweet rolls that work for breakfast, as a sandwich, or one after another out of the bag. From there the case runs to about 70 items. There's ensaymada (get the ube one), pan de coco filled with sweet coconut, buttery señorita bread and siopao, plus Spanish rolls and hopia.
On the savory side are longaniza rolls and Ilocos-style empanadas, the orange-crusted kind stuffed with egg and longganisa, which come out of the kitchen in batches. Desserts lean celebratory, with sans rival layered meringue cake and sapin-sapin, and the drinks are ube horchata and halo-halo. Grab a box for the office; the bakery also does catering, wholesale and shipping. Umaga opens at 9am on Mondays and closes at 6pm, and opens at 8am the rest of the week, staying open into the evening. Delivery and online ordering are available.
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