Silay City in Negros Occidental is famous for mansions and good food. El Ideal Bakery is both. Housed in a National Heritage Site, El Ideal is also famous for its heritage recipes which it has served since the 1920s.
El Ideal is more than just a bakery, it’s an institution, a cultural heritage, a story entirely on its own. El Ideal Bakery was established in the 1920’s by the late Cesar Lacson Locsin and his sisters. Some recipes served today were served years ago. In the late 1950’s, he handed down El Ideal to his daughter, Mrs. Alice Locsin-Villanueva. She added a refreshment parlor to the bakery and another brick oven. Currently, El Ideal is managed by Maritess Villanueva-Sanchez and husband Enrique Sanchez.
El Ideal is famous for classic Ilonggo cookies and biscuits such as quinamoncil, sinambag, biscocho principe, broas, favorita, lubid-lubid, quinihad, etc.
More recently, it became famous for guapple pie which has become its trademark product. You haven’t been to El Ideal if you haven’t tried their guapple pie which is even ordered and sent to Manila and as far as the U.S. for pasalubong.
With the opening of the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City, El Ideal has become very accessible to travelers. El Ideal is located at Rizal St. a block away from Silay City Public Plaza.
When you visit El Ideal, take home with you some of the best delicacies you’ll find in Negros. And remember, you are also bringing home a piece of Negrense history.
Photos courtesy of El Ideal