Thank God for ensaymadas.

Dear friend,

The ensaymada began a long way from here. On the island of Mallorca, bakers coiled a rich dough with lard and named it the ensaïmada, after saïm, their word for the fat. Spain carried it to the Philippines, and the Philippines made it its own: butter in place of lard, a softer and sweeter crumb, and a crown of grated cheese, most often the red-waxed Edam that Filipino families keep for Christmas. It was eaten at merienda, in the slow middle of the afternoon, with coffee or thick hot chocolate.

That is the bun we bake. Shukr means thankfulness, and we make a single thing: a soft brioche, enriched with egg yolk and butter, left to sleep overnight, baked low and slow, then finished with vanilla buttercream and a snowfall of Edam and mature cheddar.

One dish, every day, is a promise rather than a limit. The same dough and the same crown, every morning, kept honest by the fact that there is nothing else to hide behind.

There is no counter and no queue. Every order is boxed, stamped and sealed like registered mail, then posted across the city the same day, or collected from the kitchen door once we message you.

In Dubai, home to one of the world’s great Filipino communities, the ensaymada is not a novelty. It is a memory. We hope this one tastes like yours.