Supporting small businesses is easy and delicious. Order, eat, share, repeat. Here are our new discoveries:

Tsuya PH

This food shop is so new—it’s not even a week old.

Hanna Mari Ando, a Japanese-Filipino who aspires to become a professional chef, has started selling onigirazu out of her home kitchen. Onigirazu is a sushi sandwich that’s popular in Okinawa. It’s similar to onigiri—those delicious rice balls you can find in every Japanese convenience store—but it’s way bigger and is loaded with more ingredients. Tsuya PH’s version is so hefty, you can have one as a meal.

Ando named her business Tsuya, the Japanese word for “shine” or “gloss.” She said, “It’s one of the main qualities to look out for in perfectly cooked Japanese rice: shiny, moist and fluffy. Cooking rice perfectly shows the amount of time and dedication one has put into it…We take pride in cooking our rice perfectly.”

Japanese rice is one of the components of onigirazu. Tsuya PH’s onigirazu is available in two flavors: Kani Spamago (creamy kani, ebiko, sweet and savory tamagoyaki, a thick slice of Spam and homemade teriyaki sauce) and Spicy Tuna (spicy tuna with mayo, hard-boiled egg slices, a thick slice of Spam and homemade teriyaki sauce). “Each bite will give you a feast of different textures and a harmony of flavors,” Ando said.

Both are great but we’re obsessed with Kani Spamago. It’s so good that before we could finish one, we already placed another order. One bite transported us back to the streets of Japan—something we’ve been missing since we’ve been trapped in our homes.

Tsuya PH’s onigirazu is made to order so Ando needs one day lead time.

Facebook: Tsuya PH; Instagram: @tsuya_ph

F Patisserie

F Patisserie’s roster of desserts elevates classic Filipino flavors.

There’s the Bibingka Cheesecake, which melds the creaminess of a classic New York-style cheesecake with the familiar and comforting flavors of bibingka.

Their dark and chewy Benguet Cold Brew Brownies, which they describe as “proudly Pinoy,” are made using Auro’s dark chocolate and coffee beans from Benguet.

Our favorite Pianono Yema is soft and spongy, with a rich yema filling. And here’s the brilliant part—you can choose your level of sweetness (yes, just like your favorite milk tea!).

F Patisserie may enjoy creating new takes on local desserts but they also know when to leave a classic alone. Their Mommy B’s leche flan, which has been passed down through generations, is perfect. No need for tweaks or twists—it’s smooth, creamy, thick. We can’t get enough of that caramel taste.

F Patisserie also serves their version of sapin-sapin, puto and tsokolate cake.

They’re accepting early orders for Father’s Day.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fpatisserieph; Instagram: @fpatisserieph

One More Slice PH

For the past few years, One More Slice sold cakes, but this month, they started offering artisanal cheeses and sous vide steaks, as well. They have a wide variety of cheeses: burrata, fresh mozzarella, asiago, peperoncino, cheddar, robiola, parmesan. They also offer Spanish chorizo, Mexican chorizo, Italian salsicce (with no nitrates and preservatives).

Text or Viber tel. no. (0908) 888-4769; Instagram: @onemoreslice_ph

Papi’s Pinoy Kitchen

Our longtime favorite both for office dinners and parties, Papi’s Pinoy Kitchen was one of the many food establishments that, despite being hit by the effects of the pandemic, were quick to respond to calls for food for the country’s hardworking front-liners.

Papi’s worked with Frontline Feeders PH in bringing food to health workers in Makati Medical Center, Manila Doctors Hospital, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital and San Juan De Dios Hospital.

Wanting to continue to serve their customers during the ECQ, Papi’s Pinoy Kitchen started offering their Papsilogs and Papi-Qs in frozen form. Their Frozen Breakfast Delights have been a hit with families during the different phases of quarantine: Angus beef tapa, chicken tocino, longganisang hubad and Angus corned beef. They also sell ready-to-cook or ready-to-reheat pork BBQ, spicy Korean pork belly, chicken inasal, bangus belly teriyaki, barbistek, laing, tidtad, Papi’s sisig, Papi’s lechon kawali and beef caldereta.

And in case you’re planning a celebration (Father’s Day is coming up) or you have a big family to feed, they have medium and large party trays as well of most of their dishes including their specials: bangus dinakdakan, adobong hipon, Fita-fried chicken fingers, tinolanese, Papi’s bagnet, lengua con champignon and beef caldereta con queso.

Dayap and Guernica Streets, Barangay Palanan Makati; email [email protected]; text or call tel.nos (0956) 310-3833 and (0995) 232-1793; Facebook: www.facebook.com/papis.pinoy.kitchen ; Instagram: @papis.pinoy.kitchen