Settling the Filipino Bakery Debate: Kasama vs. Del Sur

By Irene Shin

Almost every tourist or local in Chicago has these two Filipino places saved on their list: Kasama and Del Sur. Kasama has gained a lot of traction through its unique dual service concept, with bakery and brunch menus in the day and tasting menus at night. Del Sur, a relatively new bakery in the Lincoln Square area, has also gained a lot of attention for their creative mix between Filipino flavors and their own unique Midwestern charm.

Having heard a lot about both, I decided to go on a little bakery crawl (if you can’t decide between two, why not both!) First up: Kasama. I probably had scrolled through 30 Beli reviews of this bakery left by my friends, so I knew what I was walking into. I decided to order ahead on the Toast app, which was pretty easy to navigate. Once I arrived, I immediately thanked myself for that decision, because the line was quite long at 12:30 p.m. (peak lunchtime).

I was startled by the open kitchen layout, where I could vividly see busy chefs and patissiers making some of the best Filipino pastries right in front of my eyes.

Kasama Pastries: Black Truffle Croissant, Ube Huckleberry Basque Cake

I first started with the Black Truffle Croissant, which was a croissant with truffle cream on the inside and honey, black truffle, and truffle oil on top. As it was one of the pastries that Kasama was known for, I had high expectations… and needless to say, those were met! Every bite was so buttery, and the honey added a perfect balance of sweetness to the savory truffle flavor. I will admit: the truffle cream was a little too much for me, and towards the end, the ratio of truffle cream to the actual croissant was about equal, which I didn’t particularly enjoy.

The other pastry I tried was the ube huckleberry basque cake — a soft cake with ube cream and huckleberries (a more tart version of berries). This one was a pleasant surprise, as I liked the texture of the pastry, and huckleberry was a first for me, but I very much enjoyed it. Nonetheless, after a while, I found the huckleberry was too strong and overpowered the ube flavor.. Despite their high price of $27 after tax, they, overall, taste-wise, lived up to the hype, and I can see myself getting them again when I feel the need to splurge for myself.

The next day, I went to Del Sur’s pop-up (I’m still waiting for their actual location to reopen!) at Ravenswood Event Center, which was in the Lincoln Square area. I pre-ordered the pastry box, which included one of each of the following: Turon Danish, Longanisa Croissant, Calamansi Chamomile Bun, Pandan Basque Cake, Ube Oatmeal Cream Pie, and Toasted Rice Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Del Sur Pastries: Longanisa Croissant, Calamansi Chamomile Bun, Pandan Basque Cake, Turon Danish, Ube Oatmeal Cream Pie, Toasted Rice Chocolate Chip Cookie

We started with the Longanisa Croissant, which is a croissant with their house-made longanisa (Filipino sausage), soy caramel, and salted yolk. The texture of the croissant was a bit different from the truffle croissant at Kasama, since this one felt a little flaky and the Kasama one was more on the buttery side. However, my roommate and I really enjoyed this pastry, since it had a perfect savory kick and the texture of the dough was top-notch. The sausage felt a tad salty, but overall, the balance of the pastry was excellent.

Next, we tried the Calamansi Chamomile Bun, which had calamansi curd inside laminated dough, and which also happened to be one of my other friend’s favorites. While definitely being on the sweeter side, this was one of my favorites! The calamansi curd was extremely fresh, and the laminated dough was so satisfyingly chewy.

The Turon Danish is another highlight, which was a danish with caramelized banana jam and vanilla flan. This was the star of the show for me, since it was perfectly crispy, not too sweet, nor savory, while having that perfect hint of plantain. The Pandan Basque Cake was a nice end to the tasting experience, since it has a sweet Pandan cream on top with a seasonal jam. I actually liked the Basque cake here better than the one at Kasama, since this had more flavor that I could actually taste, which was executed to perfection.

The Ube Oatmeal Cream Pie and the Toasted Rice Chocolate Chip Cookie were my least favorites out of the spread. There was too much ube in the pie for my liking, and the chocolate chip cookie didn’t taste unique to me – just your normal dark chocolate cookie.

To settle the debate, I enjoyed Del Sur’s pastries more, not just because I had tried a wider variety of their offerings, but also because the flavors were better executed and unique. They truly didn’t resemble anything else I’ve ever tasted before (though this makes sense since this was also one of my first times trying Filipino pastries). However, I will say one of the most important aspects of going to a bakery is the atmosphere and overall vibes, which was something I didn’t get to experience in either place. I’d be very much willing to try the Filipino breakfast at Kasama, and go to Del Sur once they reopen to feel myself in the moment instead of just picking up pastries like last time.

Regardless, though, if you ever feel the need to eat some tasty, unique Filipino pastries, both places should be added to your list!