SEATTLE — A new bakery in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood specializes in a handmade bun bridging a cultural gap: the pinoyshki.
"’Pinoy' for Filipino and 'shki' for piroshki,” said Aly Anderson, who created the snack and owns Pinoyshki Bakery and Café.
She learned how to make piroshkis at a downtown Seattle bakery, where many of her co-workers were Eastern European immigrants.
"We had the same superstitions and the same kind of habits. So it was like, 'Oh you're kind of like family to me,’” Anderson said. "Piroshkis are Eastern European meat buns that are either baked or fried... it kind of reminded me of empanadas and siapaos from the Philippines.”
Born worlds apart, the women realized they were more similar than different and brainstormed to come up with something new.
“I had to get their approval - 'what do you think of this? Does it taste good?'” Anderson said. "They actually really loved the Filipino flavors.
The original pinoyshki is garlic beef asado - filled with meat cooked in a sweet and savory sesame soy sauce. Word started circulating and Anderson eventually found herself being featured on the Food Network.
Her new bakery offers even more pinoyshki options - many of them vegan - along with cases of tempting pastries and cakes.
She also encourages her team to be creative. Pastry chef Jacob Hallberg came up with the bleu cheese and kimchi croissant, and it’s a big seller.
"I think people see it and think, 'Am I brave enough for that? I want to find out,’” he said, laughing. "It's such a great way to show people you care about them, it's such a great way to meet people with something common in between you, it's a great way to share culture. I mean, that's the whole reason this place came to exist. It's beautiful together, it really is."
Early customers get the widest selection because pinoyshkis tend to sell out. After just a few weeks in business, Pinoyshki Bakery already has long lines and return customers.
Shannon Beth, a visitor from Arizona, made two visits in one week.
"Obsessed, it is so good,” she said. “And we're going to be back again! It's so good."
For Anderson, it’s the culmination of a lifetime spent expressing herself through food.
"Honestly, when I was a kid I just really liked to eat. My sister taught me how to bake so I could feed myself,” she said. “And then, trying to feed my family, and then feeding my friends - this is kind of my love language."
Pinoyshki Bakery and Café is open Tuesday – Sunday. It’s located at 715 E. Pine Street.
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