The tale begins with a family where two sisters and their in-law opened a small bakeshop in Makati, Philippines. The first Goldilocks store that opened in 1966 was not much to look at, in a small apartment with two display cases and a few tables and chairs.
The Leelin sisters, Milagros and Clarita, along with their sister-in-law, Doris, started this team long before there was a bakeshop. They began in the family kitchen, with their family as their first “customer.” And when they decided to open a full-fledged bakeshop, another sister suggested the name Goldilocks. The fairy tale character, they agreed, seemed to suggest luck. On the first day of operation, all Goldilocks products were sold out. It had a little to do with luck, of course, Goldilocks’ brazo de mercedes, sansrival, marble and butter slices, among other bestseller goodies, were sold just as fast they could bake it.
To date, Goldilocks has 18 stores in U.S. and Canada, all of which are frequented by Filipinos and Americans alike. Since Goldilocks opened in Las Vegas, Nevada and San Diego, California in 2005 and 2006 respectively, they have become popular destinations for Filipinos who are always craving for a taste of home.
I haven’t had Goldilocks treats since my last trip to Philippines back in 2005… so finding Goldilocks while driving through Vallejo, California, was a great surprise! We were ready for an afternoon snack so we got ourselves…. Sago Gulaman ~ It has sago, gulaman, sugarcane and ice. Sago is a form of jelly like starch derived from sago palm trees. Gulaman is also known as agar agar – it’s a form of jello made from seaweed. So you take crushed ice, sugarcane, and put in alot of chewy jello-like chunks and – dig in!
Halo Halo ~ An “everything but the kitchen sink” dessert, with crushed ice, milk, sugar, red beans, jackfruit, flan, ice cream, a little sago, and a few other fruits thrown in. Don’t let the myriad ingredients throw you.
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