A fresh wave of Filipino-French baking is rising in the Bay Area as Eric Esmeria, a Fairfield-raised pastry chef trained at Berkeley’s famed Fournee Bakery, unveils Esmeria Bakehouse—a bold pop-up debuting August 9 at Albany’s Oaktown Spice Shop. Melding childhood flavors with French finesse, Esmeria’s creations like the tocilog croissant and calamansi-Thai basil Danish are drawing early curiosity. With more events lined up, including September 6 at Of All Places, this promising venture hints at a rich, flavorful future for Bay Area pastry lovers.

🔍 STORY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Pop-Up Debut: August 9 at Oaktown Spice Shop, Albany (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

• Menu: Fusion of Filipino flavors with classic French baking

• Star Items: Tocilog croissant, calamansi-Thai basil Danish, quinoa polvoron cookies

• Upcoming Date: September 6 at Of All Places

• Current Role: Baker at Lawton Street Andytown Coffee

• Long-Term Goal: Permanent bakery rooted in Bay Area

• Inspiration: His Filipino upbringing and a decade at Berkeley’s Fournee Bakery

In a city like San Francisco, where culinary creativity meets cultural heritage at every street corner, it takes more than just skill to stand out—it takes a personal story. That’s exactly what Eric Esmeria is offering with the launch of his new pop-up venture, Esmeria Bakehouse, where the soul of Filipino comfort food meets the finesse of French patisserie. For Esmeria, it’s not just about baking—it’s about baking with memory, meaning, and a fresh sense of direction.

A Decade in Dough and Discovery

Esmeria’s path wasn’t a straight line to the oven. Born and raised in Fairfield, California, he ventured into the culinary arts in 2013 by enrolling in cooking school in Sacramento. His early days didn’t point directly to baking as a future. But an internship at Berkeley’s well-known Fournee Bakery began to shape his understanding of precision, patience, and pastry. He spent ten years there—learning, practicing, and quietly refining a craft that would eventually find its own identity.

Despite the momentum, Esmeria stepped away from the kitchen for a while, spending time in warehouse jobs, unsure of whether baking would remain central to his life. But it didn’t take long before the idea of combining the nostalgic dishes of his Filipino upbringing with the classical techniques he had mastered pulled him back into the fold.

A Pop-Up That Speaks From the Heart

Now, with the official debut of Esmeria Bakehouse scheduled for August 9 at Albany’s Oaktown Spice Shop, Esmeria is putting his signature spin on the Bay Area’s thriving pop-up scene. His flavors are unapologetically bold, uniquely layered, and built on memory.

Take, for example, his tocilog croissant—a reinterpretation of the beloved Filipino breakfast dish that traditionally includes cured pork (tocino), garlic rice, and egg. Esmeria folds sweet tocino pork belly into flaky pastry, adds a garlic béchamel, and finishes with a salted cured egg. It’s not fusion for novelty—it’s fusion born of familiarity.

Or the calamansi-Thai basil Danish, where the punchy Filipino citrus pairs with vanilla bean cream cheese and a crisp, herbaceous basil tuille. There’s also a savory mushroom croissant—a tribute to local sourcing—stuffed with soy-glazed oyster mushrooms from Solano Mushroom Farm, layered with shiso panko and finished with a shichimi tōgarashi-spiced soubise.

And then there’s the understated but essential pandesal, the Filipino bread roll Esmeria elevates by using a sourdough base—a move that nods to Bay Area baking culture while staying close to his roots.

Between Cultures, Between Layers

Esmeria sees his role as part of a growing movement—Asian American bakers bringing new dimensions to an already diverse food landscape. The likes of Breadbelly, Neighbor Bakehouse, and b. Patisserie have already proven that there’s room, and hunger, for culturally informed pastry work. Esmeria Bakehouse is adding another thread to that tapestry, one that speaks both to tradition and to innovation.

He’s not looking to reinvent the croissant or the cookie. Instead, he’s asking: What do these classics taste like through my lens? Through a Filipino childhood? Through a Bay Area upbringing? His answers are both delicious and deeply personal.

Learning From the Old, Building Toward the New

Currently working at Andytown Coffee’s Lawton Street location, Esmeria continues to refine his daily routine in the pastry world. But it’s his time under Frank Sally, the pastry chef who welcomed him during his earliest days at Fournee, that he credits most. “He really helped me find my place in baking,” Esmeria says, with quiet respect.

But now, Esmeria is ready to move from apprentice to architect. A permanent bakery is the long-term goal, although he acknowledges it’s still a few years away. In the meantime, he’s content letting the pop-ups speak for themselves. “Since I started baking, I wanted to open my own place,” he says. “I’m starting to realize I’m getting tired of baking other people’s things, you know?”

A Taste of What’s Coming

His next pop-up is already on the calendar—September 6 at Of All Places, with additional events in Oakland and San Francisco in the works. For those lucky enough to attend, it’s a chance to experience flavors that blend geography, technique, and memory into each bite.

Eric Esmeria isn’t trying to change the Bay Area’s pastry scene overnight. He’s simply baking what he knows best—and letting it speak louder than words ever could.

Eric Esmeria’s entry into the Bay Area’s competitive pastry scene is more than a pop-up—it’s a personal narrative baked into every flaky layer and citrus glaze. With Filipino childhood memories guiding his French techniques, and a clear vision for a permanent space ahead, Esmeria Bakehouse is carving its own flavorful niche. As croissant lovers and curious food seekers line up for tocino-filled pastries and basil-crowned danishes, one thing is certain: the East Bay’s bakery landscape just got a whole lot more vibrant—and far more delicious.

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