Ijo Bakery Viennoiserie and Uniqo Patisserie: Croissant and Desserts Worth Driving to Lipa City For

I love breads and pastries, especially a buttery and flaky “kwasong” (LOL). So when I watched Laureen Uy’s vlog of her Lipa City stopover to a bakery (and she loved the croissant there), I knew I had to make a visit there someday. That bakery is Ijo Bakery.

I did some research and found that Ijo Bakery is a fairly new and rising establishment founded in 2021, opening in the midst of community quarantines and dining restrictions. It’s helmed by Joaquin Katigbak, a Lipa City native and a Michelin-trained pastry chef, with experiences at Spain’s Miramar and Thailand’s Gaggan.

Ijo Bakery started online with only Chef Joaquin onboard, accepting pre-orders and baking once-a-week. Today, they have a brick-and-mortar store and a big team, meeting a growing demand with customers and orders as far as Metro Manila.

Of course, we had to try their Plain Croissant, which is the base for all the croissant. It’s buttery and super flaky! If they got this right, then the others would be good for sure!

We also tried their bestselling Dulce Banana Croissant (has a creamy filling), Flan Brulee (which is like a Portuguese egg tart on steroids albeit sweeter), and Ham and Cheese Croissant (which has a generous piece of ham and cheese on top).

They also offer Handcrafted Ice Cream, which I will definitely try next time!

As I was researching on Ijo Bakery, I also found that it has a sister patisserie—Uniqo Patisserie. Located in The Square Lipa, a food park that’s only a few minutes away from Ijo, Uniqo serves top-notch French desserts.

What I like about their desserts (at least the ones we tried) is that they’re all perfectly sweet. We tried their Choco Tart (has smooth mousse and sandy crust), Eclair, Strawberry Tart (has tart strawberries and a nice crust, like the Choco Tart), and Vanilla Choux (has creamy filling).

Left to Right: Strawberry Tart (PHP135) and Choco Tart (PHP165)

Left to Right at Front: Vanilla Choux (PHP145) and Eclair Dulce (PHP110)

They ran out of Coffee Entremet, which is a bestseller. I will try it next time!

The items at Uniqo is best paired with coffee. Good thing there’s the nearby Nitoro, which offers good cold brew. I wished they had hot drinks but I’m not complaining!

Ijo Bakery Viennoiserie and Uniqo Patisserie are definitely among the best bakeries in the Philippines. Their croissant and desserts are absolutely worth driving to Lipa City for (just typing these words make me salivate!). I highly recommend both spots to you!

And before I end this article, I just have to ask this question: Is Chef Joaquin a unico hijo (only child/son)? One thing I’m sure of: He makes really, really good stuff! Kudos to you, Chef!

Which of the items above have you tried or would like to try? Comment below!

P.S. A viennoiserie refers to either breakfast pastries that are Vienna, Austria-style, or the store offering viennoiserie.

Ijo Bakery Address: Big Ben Complex, President Jose P. Laurel Hwy., Lipa City, Batangas | Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-6PM | Contact Nos.: 0945-7295257 (also their Viber); 0927-6811728 (for Lipa delivery) | Instagram

Uniqo Patisserie Address: The Square Lipa, President Jose P. Laurel Hwy., Lipa City, Batangas | Operating Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11AM-9PM; Friday-Sunday, 11AM-10PM | Contact No.: 0956 852 9542 (also their Viber) | Instagram