For as long as I can remember, Cebu La Fortuna Bakery was churning out all manner of hopia, tikoy and other native delicacies. As you exit the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino on the way to Magellan’s cross, you can’t miss the bakery/carinderia/restaurant/ convenience store. 
It is a local landmark and I can’t decide if their intentional nonchalant demaeanor regarding the dowdiness of their premises is endearing or just cheap. On the one hand, you want to feel like it has been there for centuries, but on the other hand, get a makeover, perhaps? At any rate, I decided to go a little wild and picked up nearly a dozen different types of goodies under the La Fortuna Brand/Packaging. They also carry other goodies from Titay’s rosquillos and otap, etc. We ended up with several kinds of hopia, tikoy both plain and flavored, masa real, polvoron, ampao, etc. While it was nice to get a taste of these childhood favorites, I got the feeling there was some compromise on the quality of the ingredients in some cases…somehow it just seemed so mass-produced these days…
17 Responses
I love La Fortuna’s Masi!
Sweet crunchy peanuts enveloped in soft fresh tikoy,
Yum!
Hi Marketman.. I think this is going to be a start of you writing more frequently of things, places, food finds etc. all over the country…
MM on a national tour =) …
anyone who seconds that motion? =)
You’re quite right MM. Both in La Fortuna’s “… noncholant demeanor” and the taste of their, supposed, good-ies … and sadly so….
this brings back childhood memories.My grandma and I used to go on a boat trip from Ormoc to Cebu just to watch movies.My grandma was a movie fanatic.Then we’d go to La Fortuna bakeshop and load up on their products before taking the boat home again.Those days it used to be an overnight trip.Nowadays it only takes 3 hours on the Supercat.This is making me really homesick.
Supply and demand – more people now than our grandmother and mother’s era. Also people are more on spending spree than our prewar parents. Gone were the days save save! Now it is spend spend!! Plus, the addition of sophisticated packaging materials make it more easy for them. I love tikoy with batirol made flaming hot tsokolate of ground roasted peanuts and cocoa beans.
Salamat for the recent posts, MM. I’ve taken so much of Cebu for granted, and you’re helping me rediscover my roots.
The tikoys today seem to be loaded with too much sugar and artificial coloring. The hopias have less filling, more cardboard dough.
i was introduced to La Fortuna in the 70s and was a loyal customer when I frequented Cebu in the 80s. But you’re right, MM, now their products look “professional” but taste like they’re all made of paste, sugar and flour. the hopia filling tastes like it was extended with leftover hopia crust dough. haven’t bought their stuff since then (about 4 years ago). sayang!
The Chinese characters above the “La Fortuna” sign, read “Diao Eng Chay” in Fukien. I wonder if this is owned by the same people who own the DEC chain in Manila.
I went on a holiday vacation in Cebu 2 years ago together with my Mom, my sister, nephew and cousin and had a great time in Plantation Bay Resort but I can’t believe the price of food in Plantation Bay like 5,500 pesos for one morning of buffet breakfast!!
We learned our lesson and bought our food supplies at La Fortuna on our way to the basilica and Lord I can tell you all, we saved alot of money from the food we bought that last for few days while in Plantation Bay. Thank you so much to La Fortuna. Amazingly cheap and good food!!! The lechon manok along the way to Plantation is excellent.
Am not a Cebuana but recently spent almost a month there for the Summit (yeah, I can hear the groans of the Cebuanos re: traffic rerouting, etc. Hehe!) Everytime I would go back to Manila, I had to go to La Fortuna to buy their thin chicharon! Hubby n kids demanded it! Sarap!!
OMG… I grew munching on La Fortuna goodies. Your post brings back sweet memories. I miss Cebu.
…i really love the product of la fortuna bakery…
specially the dice…i love it…!!!during my vacant time in school, i would probably go to that bakery to just to buy their special products!!!hm…keep up..la fortuna!!!
gusto sanang mag order sa inyo ng cake kaso nsa aboad ako jan ko sa sa cebu ipahatid papano ba ako mka order
gusto sana mag order ng cake kaso lang malayo ang dumaguete.paano ba ma ipadala ang order ko.thank mwaah…………
Hello Everyone! I was in Cebu for the weekend. On our way to Basilica Manor de Santo Ninyo, we decided to stop by La Fortuna Bakery and Diner (for obvious reasons.. Proximity to the Church). The food was good enough but the serving was bad. If you are a traveller who pays much attention to value-for-your-money, then this La Fortuna is not the place for you. To my dismay, when I was asking for Glasses to be used for the Soda and Bottled water, they apparently DO NOT HAVE any and your only option is to buy a plastic cup for THREE Pesos each! And since my camera’s battery is already drained, the freakin rude guard approached me and said that it would have a COST of TWENTY pesos per FIVE Minutes. WHAT A WAY TO ROB TOURIST AND PARISHIONERS.