Ensaymadas, cheese rolls and more: What to expect at Mary Grace cafe in Singapore

There’s a sweet aroma wafting out of a new establishment at Tras Street. Mary Grace bakery and cafe, beloved in the Philippines, will open its first overseas outlet in Singapore on March 13.

In addition to the famous ensaymadas and cheese rolls synonymous with the brand, the cafe will also serve food, like the beef and rice plate that’s the top seller in the Philippines; desserts like their signature mango layer cake; and drinks. The menu also includes a few Singapore-exclusive items. (What’s an ensaymada? More on that later.)

Fitted out in a homely, cottage-y vibe, the nostalgic interiors mirror Mary Grace’s over-140 branches across the Philippines, with Tiffany lamps, tiled floors and and walls adorned with family photographs personally selected, framed and laid out by the founder herself. There are also whimsical painted murals by Filipino artist Amanda Lapus Santos and Singaporean artist Eunice Hannah Lim.

Here’s everything else you need to know before your visit.

WHO IS MARY GRACE?

Yes, Mary Grace is a real person. Mary Grace Dimacali started out baking at home for her five children, creating bespoke cakes for each of their birthdays and sharing her brownies and lemon squares with friends and neighbours. Eventually, she took a baking course in the US and founded Mary Grace as a home business in 1994.

She set up stalls at bazaars and local markets, and eventually opened her first takeaway kiosk in 2002, with the first dine-in cafe opening in 2006. Before long, Mary Grace had become a household name in the Philippines.

Today, it’s still entirely a family business, with all of her five children taking on roles in the company. The Singapore outlet is helmed by her oldest daughter, Chiara Dimacali-Hugo, whose husband is also involved in the business. The couple has called Singapore home for the past eight years.

The first product that Mary Grace sold was actually fruitcakes at Christmastime. But, it was her ensaymadas that launched her to fame.

ENSAYMADAS

Ensaymadas are a classic Filipino pastry that evolved from the Spanish ensaimada, a dense, coiled bread sprinkled with powdered sugar typically enjoyed at Eastertime. The Filipino ensaymada is made with a richer dough and sprinkled with grated cheese.

When Mary Grace developed her version, she wanted to bake it with a softer texture, which her children preferred. “It took her a long time… maybe a year,” daughter Dimacali-Hugo said, recalling that her mother would cry at her failures. “The judges were her family. If the children liked it, then she was happy with it.”

The final product, known and loved for the past few decades, is a very light and airy bun, almost melting in the mouth, with a sprinkling of aged Edam cheese. Each one is priced at S$5.50.

After Mary Grace’s bakes became famous, the definition of an ensaymada in the Philippines moved from the traditional, bready version to the kid-approved, fluffy one, Dimacali-Hugo explained.

"People say Mary Grace’s is very soft, and they love that we have Edam cheese on top. A lot of ensaymadas use cheddar cheese, and they may use buttercream, whereas we use 100 per cent real butter. It’s really up to the baker. But, my mum chose real butter and Edam cheese,” she said.

Salted egg is a logical flavour pairing for the Singapore-exclusive ensaymada (S$6.50), which is available for dine-in only. Filled with molten salted egg cream and topped with a nutty crumble, the flavour was chosen after a long R&D process in which many options like coconut and gula Melaka were trialled. “Every time my mother would come over, we’d present them to her, and she would say, ‘Not yet’. It was back to the drawing board.”

Eventually, they hit upon what they feel is a winner. Dimacali-Hugo said: “Salted egg works so well with the Edam cheese on top, because it’s savoury.”

CHEESE ROLLS

The cheese rolls (S$4.30) are soft, elongated buns with a bar of soft cheddar cheese running through the middle. They are an original creation that Mary Grace shaped especially for little hands. “Children like cheddar because it’s mild. And the cheese roll is smaller than the ensaymada, so children can hold it in their hands,” Dimacali-Hugo said.

Dip them into the hot chocolate (S$7.50), which is made with Belgian cocoa and rich without being overly sweet.

A Singapore-exclusive kaya pandan cheese roll (S$5.30), available for dine-in only, has a filling of very fragrant, house-made kaya and a coating of caramelised coconut sugar.

“In the Philippines, there’s always this debate: ‘Are you Team Ensaymada or Team Cheese Roll?' It’s very fierce,” Chiara said, with a laugh. Go ahead, pick a side.

OTHER FOOD ITEMS

When it comes to the mains, the Angus beef tapa (S$25.50) is the most representative Mary Grace dish and a must-order: Angus beef slices with a savoury-sweet glaze topped with garlic chips, served with fragrant rosemary rice or garlic rice and eggs your way. Mix and match the accompanying condiments of mango atchara, vinegar and fresh tomato and onion for a stellar taste combination. This heritage dish is a bestseller at Mary Grace cafes and “Filipinos eat it morning, noon, night – all day,” Dimacali-Hugo quipped.

Chicken inasal is another quintessential Filipino dish, but here, it’s served as a sandwich instead of with rice, between slices of freshly baked focaccia (S$19.50). “It’s sort of a fresh twist,” Chiara said. The tender grilled chicken is cooked in a garlicky achuete-spiced marinade that packs a flavourful punch.

Exclusive to Singapore is a crabcake brioche (S$27), featuring a fried crabmeat and prawn patty with melted cheese atop brioche made from the same dough as the ensaymadas.

Don’t sleep on the light-as-air cassava chips with onion dip (S$12) – the dip is so addictive that customers have begged Mary Grace to sell it in jars. And, for another taste of a Mary Grace favourite, there’s a halloumi salad with calamansi vinaigrette (S$18).

The rest of the menu features cafe classics like eggs Benedict (S$22), Caesar salad (S$18) and wild mushroom soup (S$12).

In May, the team plans to launch more of the rice dishes that are famous in Manila, as well as pastas.

CAKES

A selection of nostalgic cream cakes fills the display cases. Most popular is the Mango Bene (S$14.50 for the “petite” size) piped with fresh cream concealing layers of crisp meringue and fresh, cold mangoes. Fun fact: This cake was named after Mary Grace’s beloved dachshund, Bene – see if you can find his picture on the wall.

There’s also the very retro toasted almond sans rival (S$13.50), a meringue cake coated with cream and almond flakes; a strawberry basil shortcake (S$12.50) and a Valrhona chocolate truffle cake (S$12).

WHAT ELSE?

On the retail side, the ensaymadas and cheese rolls are available to take home, with gift boxing options available. (When you dine in, you can choose to have them toasted.)

There are also cookies. Butter Lengua Thins (S$21) are subtly sweet, while Queso de Bola Lengua Thins (S$24) have the cheesy aroma of Edam.

For the thirsty, there’s an array of iced drinks created for Singapore that aren’t available in the Philippines, including Ube Coconut Cloud (S$10), Drinkable Tiramisu (S$12) and Frozen Hot Chocolate (S$12), in addition to coffee and tea options.

If the response in Singapore is good, “Who knows? We could also open kiosks. Maybe that would make us more accessible in other areas of the island. But, there’s nothing like a cafe. It really gives you the full experience,” Chiara said. “Let’s see. I’m sure things will unfold as we go along.”

Mary Grace Singapore is at 52 Tras Street.