Nanding’s Bakery is famous for its sweet, buttery Spanish rolls, but its reputation reaches far beyond sweets.
The bakery is also a great place to pick up snacks or a full-on lunch. Quite a few rolls are stuffed with savory meats like hot dogs, lup cheong (Chinese sausage) and the Filipino staple, pork adobo.
Nanding’s has three bakeries scattered across Oahu, the first opening in Kalihi about 18 years ago.
The Spanish rolls — a simple pastry with just a swipe of sugary butter through its center — are the most popular item at all three locations, not surprising, since you get three soft, chewy, skinny rolls for only $1.20.
NANDING’S BAKERY
>> Kalihi: 918 Gulick Ave.; 841-4731. Open 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily (except Sundays when it closes at 6 p.m.)
>> Waipahu: 94-216 Farrington Highway; 678-0828. Open 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
>> Kapahulu: 3210 Martha St.; 367-1172. Open 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Prices: From less than $1 for many pastries, to $4 for a wide variety of flavored breads. The most expensive item is a pecan pie at $12.
Although the cost went up from three for a dollar in January, they’re still affordable enough that you can get a whole box to share with co-workers or at family gatherings.
Roman Paez, a co-owner and baker at the newest shop, in Kapahulu, said his small bakery makes about 2,000 Spanish rolls a day. The Waipahu and Kalihi locations are much busier than Kapahulu, Paez added, and no one’s totaled how many all the outlets produce in a day.
ABOUT THE BUSINESS
Paez’s parents came from a line of bakers, and all the kids all grew up learning the trade in the Philippines. Brother Fernando Paez immigrated to Hawaii in 1996 to join his wife and family. Fernando started baking an everyday bread — pan de sal — before actually opening a shop, selling the bread mostly to Filipino hotel workers waiting to catch the bus.
He opened a bakery on Gulick Street about three years later. That outlet today is run mostly by their brother Jhun, but Fernando still helps, Roman said. His nephew Carlo Paez runs the Waipahu store, which opened in 2007.
Roman moved from California a year ago to run the Kapahulu site, assisted by his son Jonthan . The newest location is close to Zippy’s and draws a lot of tourists, he said.
ABOUT THE FOOD
Pan de sal, which Roman likened to a plain dinner roll, is the second best-seller. It can be eaten as a morning pastry with butter, or made into any kind of sandwich.
The pork adobo and hot dog rolls go fast at $1.50 each; as does the bibingka rice cake, made with ube, or purple sweet potato. A vivid accent, ube also is used in bread, puff pastry, the well-known sugary ensaymada and a cake roll.
The newest additions are a cheeseburger roll and M&M’s cookies, which debuted in late August.
Usual desserts — brownies, macadamia nut cookies and custard pies, for example — are sold alongside Filipino treats like hopia mongo, round, flaky bread rounds filled with sweetened mungo beans for $2.60; and balintawak bread, with its bright pink pudding-like filling for 95 cents.
The bakery’s siopao — a Filipino version of Chinese steamed bao, which locals call manapua — sells for $5 for a box of six. The buns are filled with bola-bola pork meatballs, and pork or chicken asado.
GRAB AND GO
Seating is next to nothing at the bakeries. Order at the counter and call a day ahead for large orders. The Kalihi and Kapahulu locations have a few parking stalls, while Waipahu shares parking in a strip mall.
Grab and Go focuses on takeout food, convenience meals and other quick bites. Email ideas to crave@staradvertiser.com.
