In Search for Oooh-beh: Chillest Ube Hotspots in Chicagoland!

By: Lou Maningas Cabalona

 

Purple Velvet! That’s the most accurate way I can describe this dessert ingredient that has taken social media and the US by storm. Pronounced “Ooh-beh, Ube, a naturally purple yam grown in the Philippines, have bloggers declaring it “the new most instagrammable food” and “Filipino America’s breakout food”. But don’t discount this trend as solely an eye-candy fad. The velvety creamy purple yam jam, Ube Halaya, its most popular form, is a well-loved traditional dessert among Filipinos.

As a young kid, I remember Halaya being served during holidays and special occasions. I was told it wasn’t easy to make. But I recall my Yaya (Nanny) Doring giving into us, her alaga’s request. (Alaga is a person, mostly a child, being taken care of). One time after lunch, she took out a huge kawali (pan) that almost covered the whole stovetop, and, for the entire afternoon, she checked and stirred the mashed ube with coconut milk and other ingredients with vigor until it became the consistency of a thick pudding.

Thankfully, in my teenage years, my family learned about a convent up in the mountains of Baguio who, in 1957, discovered they could support their advocacy of feeding and educating the youth of the Cordillera region by making strawberry jams. Over many decades, the Good Shepherd Convent Baguio has become a popular tourist destination for local delicacies with Ube Jam topping their list of bestsellers. For my family, as many others, Good Shepherd was the one brand of ube halaya worth bringing home as pasalubong (gift, souvenir). It is also arguably one of the catalysts to the popularity of the purple-hued dessert.

Hearing of so many Los Angeles and New York spots offering up their ube-inspired dessert creations, I had to scout for what local Chicago establishments had to offer! Here are my yummiest finds.

ICED UBE LATTE

A delicious blend of coconut and rich ube topped with a double shot of decadent espresso, the Iced Ube Latte is one of the bestsellers at Brew Lounge, an espresso and boba café in Des Plaines that has been attracting more and more following since they opened last June.

With a ping pong table, huge flat screens for karaoke or game tournaments as well as plenty of seating (yes, couches!), the place is a chill hangout for younger crowds and for patrons on the hunt for the best boba (or ube) place!

Owners Japhlet Aranas, a Filipino American nurse and his best friend, Aleks Hrnjak wanted to incorporate some West Coast vibes into their menu and share Filipino culture with those who have yet to experience it. So, what better way than to put some Filipino inspiration in the mix? For those looking for a lighter beverage, they also offer a Calamansi juice (Philippine Lime) with lychee jelly drink.

In the near future, they hope to expand their Filipino inspired menu

That’s it. I will be coming back to this place over and over again.

UBE CUPCAKE / UBE MACAPUNO CAKE

Late night sweet cravings brought me to this whimsically decorated, cozy chic bakery in Boystown where, owner Jen Vailoces, a self-taught baker since childhood is prepping in the open kitchen. Open since 2017, Jennivee’s Bakery pays homage to her Filipino roots by highlighting tropical ingredients like mango, coconut, guava and ube in classic desserts like cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. The pistachio cream and ube cupcakes we picked boasted of a luxuriously pronounced flavor of its star ingredient without being too overwhelming or too sweet. It was delicious. No wonder, upscale restaurant Sunda is proud to serve her ube and macapuno (coconut) cake she aptly named Purple Velvet as part of their dessert menu.

Vailoces sat down with us to chat in between serving customers. We reminisced about our favorite foods growing up in the Philippines, her experience as a contestant in Netflix’ Sugar Rush. She also shared her dreams of opening up a branch in another state like New York in the future. While that is in the works, Vailoces, who identifies as transgender, is happy to own “a nice little gay bakery” that LGBT people can call their own.

UBE AND CHEESE PANDESAL

Months before its opening in March 2019, there was a lot of buzz and excitement for a new Filipino spot that highlights dishes from its namesake province of Cebu in the Philippines. Today, Cebu Chicago has taken its rightful place as one of the top Filipino restaurants in Chicago and in Illinois.

Still, General Manager and Co-Owner Marlon Tan, humbly hopes to attract people in the city, especially in the Wicker Park area, who haven’t tried Filipino food yet.

And for their loyal fans, Tan’s siblings and Co-owners, Executive Chef Malvin Tan and Pasty Chef Cybill Tan keeps it fresh by seasonally introducing items on the menu like the new Ube and Cheese Pandesal. A fresh take on their side offering Pandesal Bread with Honey Butter, the perfectly soft and mildly sweet purple breakfast pastry can be enjoyed as an appetizer by itself or with their Sisig Omelet or Beef Caldereta stew.

Ube fanatics will have more to savor as Tan swears by their dessert favorite, “Our best seller is definitely the Ube Crinkle Cookie. It’s a moist cookie with a cake like texture, coated in powdered sugar”. Did I mention, they also have ube and ube macapuno ice cream along with guava sorbet, strawberry sorbet, dulce de leche, Banana and honey truffle ice cream which they make in-house?

Tan shares they have some interesting projects coming up for the restaurant including a collaboration with local band SamaSama Project to bring Filipino music to their fans this coming Summer.

That’s what I would call a feast for all your senses!

Here’s a rundown of these ube hot spots again. Try them out and let us know what you think at louellarose@gmail.com

Brew Lounge @ 1062 Lee St, Des Plaines | brew-lounge.com

Jennivee’s Bakery @ 3301 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago | facebook. com/jennivees

Cebu Chicago @2211 W North Ave, Chicago | cebuchicago. com

(Left) Coffee conversations with Japhlet Aranas and younger brother and namesake, Jappy; (Right) My Iced Ube Latte getting a dose or two of Espresso

At Brew Lounge in Des Plaines, with co-owners Japhlet Aranas (2nd fr left) and Aleks Hrnjak (right) and their “best
employee” Japhlet “Jappy” Aranas.

(Left) Jen Vailoces, owner of Jennivee’s Bakery obliges to a quick photo in the middle of prepping in the kitchen;
(Right) Her Purple Velvet cake made of ube chiffon cake layered with macapuno (young coconut strings) and ube
mousse, topped with ube crumbs.

Louella with friend, Paula Arnedo posting with their Ube and Pistachio Cream cupcakes in front of the huge Pride
flag that hangs by Jennivee’s glass windows.

Pastry Chef and Co-owner Cybill Tan bakes a fresh batch of Ube Pandesal; What’s inside the newest side offering at
Cebu Chicago, the Ube and Cheese Pandesal.

Louella with Marlon Tan, General Manager and Co-owner of Cebu Chicago, a Filipino restaurant in Wicker Park.

The Cabalonas, Louella, Baron and 23-month old son, Reign Malaya enjoying their Halo-Halo dessert (with Ube
Halaya, of course!) and Ube Pandesal after a yummy lunch at Cebu Chicago.