Delectable Local Merienda at Crescencia Café in Baclayon, Bohol

Entering Crescencia Cafe in Baclayon, Bohol feels like a date back in time. It has an old Filipino-Spanish house for a setting, with distinct delicacies that are deeply rooted in the province’s rich culture and tradition. 

Owned by Florencia Pestelos, or Jojie, the charming cafe opened in 2016 to keep her mother Crescencia’s ancestral house—thus she also named the shop after her. 

Said to have been built in 1905, Jojie turned the front portion of the ancestral house into a quaint café that is reminiscent of rich Filipino culture and tradition.

On the outside, the ancestral house stands out among the contemporary homes in Baclayon along the town’s main road. It is also one of the numerous Spanish colonial houses sprawled across the coastal area. 

The coffee shop kept the old house’s dated look and mirrors a classic Filipino theme. Crescencia Café boasts distinct delicacies that represent Bohol’s rich culinary sources.

Snack time at Crescencia Café in Baclayon, Bohol

The café serves local delicacies such as biko ube. This buko ube is topped with lunok, a term in the Visayas region similar to latik or hardened coconut milk that turns into brown curd. 

 

Another yummy offering is puto maya, an unflavored sticky delicacy made of glutinous rice. A bit of ginger taste comes as a mild surprise.

While it lacks the sweetness, it is often topped with grated tableya and muscovado and paired with slices of riped mango. The fruit’s sweetness complement’s puto maya’s flavorless taste.

Pinaypay is another local favorite in Bohol. It is a deep-fried saba partly sliced into three and imitates the look of a pamaypay, or fan. For an added sweetness, roll it with white sugar.

Pair a cup of sikwate, or hot chocolate, to complete that authentic Filipino afternoon snack experience. 

Ingredients of these yummy snacks are available within the town.

These delicacies in Bohol are available upon special request at Crescencia Café. They also cater to larger orders which are served in different bilao sizes.

Food and coffee

Aside from local delicacies, coffee lovers often frequented Crescencia Food and Coffee. Their regular coffee best-sellers are Long Black and Flat White. Crescencia Café also serves Filipino breakfast all day. 

While the café spells and memories, it does not cease to offer something new.

It is a well-loved café by many not only for the food but also for its feed-worthy corners. Hundreds of interesting reads are tucked in a corner shelf, inviting bookworms to come and stay for an hour or two while enjoying coffee and good food.

Visit Crescencia Café in Baclayon, Bohol to have a taste of the province’s local delicacies. For more information, visit Crescencia Food and Café’s Facebook Page.

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This story is part of the Department of Tourism – Central Visayas Bohol Culinary Media Familiarization Tour. For more information, email dot7@tourism.gov.ph or contact (032) 254 6650.