Kanto

Pandesal, ube and a Korean side to the case

Read the case and the whole idea becomes clear: pandesal, ube pandesal, ensaymada, Korean garlic cheese bread and a kalamansi cinnamon swirl. Pandesal and its ube version are the Filipino bakery staples, soft and not too sweet; ensaymada takes the enriched, buttery route; the kalamansi swirl brings a sharp citrus note that keeps the sweet end from flattening out. Korean garlic cheese bread supplies the other half of the house language, and it is not the only savoury bake: tocino mushroom focaccia and a gochujang tuna melt take the counter into lunch. Everything is made by hand, which is why the case looks different from one visit to the next.

Cambridge's Filipino bakery, with matcha beside it

Kanto calls itself "our corner", and it is built on thoughtful flavours, soft textures and coffee worth slowing down for. It is Cambridge's first Filipino bakery, and the Filipino and Korean influences run through the drinks as well as the bakes. Matcha does a lot of the work here: blueberry matcha, iced matcha and fruity matcha lattes, plus an ube float and a turon cream cold brew that pull the drinks list back towards the same flavours as the case. The room is compact, closer to a bakery counter than a dining room, so what is out that morning shapes the visit. The Good Food Guide has named Kanto Cafe and Bakery among Britain's best bakeries.

Order the ube pandesal first

Take the ube pandesal if it is there, since it is the clearest signature in the case, and add a plain pandesal to see the foundation it is built on. Ensaymada covers the buttery, sweet end of the list, and ube cheesecake is the other route into ube when the case has it. On the savoury side, Korean garlic cheese bread is the standout, with tocino mushroom focaccia or the gochujang tuna melt when you want something closer to lunch. Keep the kalamansi cinnamon swirl for a visit when you want brightness rather than richness. Pair whatever you choose with a matcha latte, an ube float or the turon cream cold brew, so the drink stays inside the same flavour language as the bake.