Recently I got a gift from my neighbors Wesley and Kaye Gonzales. Inside the light orange box were individually wrapped cheese breads. They were light, fluffy, delicate and absolutely delicious.

The bread was soft and the play of saltiness and sweetness just made me hum away. The surface was brushed with butter and topped with a light dust of sugar and finely grated cheese. When I took a bite, there was a slight crunch from the sugar.

It was the sort of pastry that made me think of my family. When I was watching my kids try it, in fact, I was smiling as if I was the one who baked it.

They were best eaten toasted lightly or consumed within five days without refrigeration.

Later on, I found out the pastry maker was Joy San Gabriel. She also makes a queso de bola version of the cheese bread, which is also delicious.

She makes a mean ensaymada that has the same characteristics as the cheese rolls. When you see the packaging, you’ll know that a woman with good taste is behind this. But the beauty doesn’t stop there, the product matches the quality of the presentation.

Joy San Gabriel Cheese Rolls, Ensaymada, Pimiento and Queso de Bola; tel. 2114820, 5851107, 0917-5278837

My next Japan food tour (Fukuoka-Hiroshima-Osaka) will be on Nov. 25-30. E-mail [email protected].