The Original Luisa And Son Bakeshop Union City

So even though I've tried many things from here, I really only come here for 2 things. Empanadas and Turon fried banana egg roll . This location is also less than a year old, so I literally watched it grow and get established. My first outings here weren't that great, really bare inventory and Turons that weren't executed all that well. They were in their 1st month of operations, so I get it. So glad to report now that well past their 1/2 year mark, that they seem to have found their stride. Empanadas $1.60/ea/4.5* These are the tiny Filipino versions. I like the beef better than the chicken, but that's totally preference. The beef just has more flavor. L S version is better than most. Their crust is super supple and delectable. And the proportion of crust to filling is spot on for me. You won't take a bite that's mostly crust. Every bite will be consistent. I get these often to give to friends/family. They'll box them up nice and will decrease in price, the more you get. A box of 15 will be a little over $20 bucks. A tasty gift with a stamp. Turon $1.60/ea/4* When I got these in their first months, the banana filling was still quite raw and starchy. Definitely not good. But now they are I'm sure where they want them to be. Super crispy exterior with a crackle of a sugar syrup glaze. A little too much glaze for me, but definitely better than most. The bananas are now cooked through and with just a sliver of jack fruit included, just makes for one of my favorite childhood bites. I'm so glad that this is so close to me now. I also got to try their Lumpias $3ish/4.5* on my last out. First time trying them and they impressed me. They aren't the small skinny ones. Rather they are fat and stout. The filling is ground pork and some veggies. Really reminds of the fried Vietnamese egg rolls cha gio only much fatter. I initially thought that the thickness of the egg roll would effect the crispness. But not at all. The fried wrapper maintained a nice crispness even after eating one a few hours later. Very impressed. So most other things here don't pull me as much as these 3 items. I'm not a fan of most Filipino desserts as many are too heavy/starchy for me. But there is always a line here, so there are fans for it. But I'll get in line for my favorites any day of the week. And since those favorites pull me back, rounding up to the fiver. Boom.

Their ensymada's and siopao's are a step up from Red Ribbon,Valerios bakery and Goldilocks.fairly priced for the size n unbeatable in flavor.

First time checking out this Filipino bakery chain. This particular location is inside Island Pacific Seafood Market. Got several goodies. Ube egg pie: The MVP here. The texture of the custard is outrageously smooth; this pie is essentially ube leche flan with a thin pie crust. Wished there was more of an ube taste to it though. Still, definitely worth a try. Ensaimadas: the sugar cream topping is really smooth as well; the sugar is well incorporated into the cream, and I actually like the cream here more than the one on Goldilocks ensaimadas. I kinda prefer the ensaimadas without the buko/macapuno though (there are versions without it); the jarred syrupy coconut strips are used and the gumminess of the strips are just too contrasting to the bread texture of the ensaimadas. The pandan one doesn't have much pandan flavor; get the ube one or go classic instead. Ube pan de sal: tastes pretty much like plain pan de sal. Ube macapuno cake: really similar to the prepackaged ube cupcakes you'd find in the snack aisle at a Filipino grocery store except it's larger and slightly softer. Empanadas: I tried the chicken one and beef one. Both of them are tasty but if I had to choose one, I'd choose beef; it just has a meatier taste and is more hearty (I think Worcestershire sauce is used in the filling). The pastry layer is pretty crispy. The empanadas are small though.....like 3-bites sized. Makes a great snack, maybe right after getting groceries at Island Pacific. Overall I dig this Filipino bakery chain. I think I prefer this one over Valerio's (been a while since I've been to a Goldilocks so can't really compare.....except when it comes to the ensaimadas as I can never forget about those there). Wished there were more locations (I don't live in the Bay Area so can't visit this location often even though this one is the closest from where I live).

The Ube Macapuno Ensaimada is amazing. This fool that gave one star for a turn doesn't know what he's talking about. But I guess he's entitled to his own opinion.The Yema is exceptional. Crunchy outside nice and creamy inside and it is not overly sweet.

I'd only heard about Luisa Son from the mouths of it's many fans who've told me that I absolutely had to try them. The popular items that were highly suggested: Ube Egg Pie Chicken Empanadas I have to say I've never had an Ube egg pie nor have I heard of any bakery that offered it. Absolutely delicious! The filling had the perfect amount of ube flavor, the texture was gelatinous yet creamy and most importantly.... A powerful ube flavor! It may be the FIRST ube egg pie I'd ever had but it doesn't mean it can't be the best. The chicken empanada is also really good. One objection I'd heard about it is that they come pretty small but, for me, they're just the right size. The filling isn't dry either (as some may expect from a chicken empanada) and trust me I've had some dry chicken empanada before. All the rumors are true. Luisa sons shall not be one to ignore. Check em' out!