Purple Oven’s Lemon Squares

I am a huge fan of lemon squares. I like the tartness and the sugar in one bite. But most of the commercially available lemon squares I have tried have disappointed, many times I don’t think they even use much lemon juice… That is, until yesterday, when guests for dinner brought a box of lemon squares (and a box of another chocolate/oatmeal dessert) that we had for dessert. Finally, a lemon square that had more lemony-ness, if you know what I mean. Still not as tart, nor containing as much fresh lemon juice as would like, but pretty darned good, and I ate several squares until I realized I was supposed to be on a diet with no sugar at all. :) Very nice. Will definitely buy these for myself.

Turns out they were from Purple Oven, a bakery that used to (not sure if they still do) supply several of the baked goods served at Starbucks outlets. They have ventured out on their own with four outlets (the one in Forbes just about to open I gather) listed below. And in a small world kind of way, the owners are parents of a classmate of my daughter, but that isn’t why I am writing about them… :) Nice packaging, hermetically sealed lemon squares, and probably a pretty good price point as well. I am so happy guests brought these with them, now I know where to head when the craving for lemon squares strikes. I have made lemon squares before, recipe here, which were nice and tart, but if you can’t be bothered in the kitchen, then the Purple Oven ones will do nicely, thanks.

Purple Oven
63 Saint Peter Street, Oranbo, Pasig
or
YMCA bldg., 7 Sacred Heat St. San Antonio Village, Makati
or
Solenad 2, Nuvali, Santa Rosa, Laguna
or
San Antonio Plaza Arcade, Forbes Park Makati

Telephone Numbers 631.4221/910.1363/910-1364

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30 Responses

  1. MM, they also have lite carrot cake and banana loaf. They also sell ensaymada at 4 pm onwards. I was so thrilled to find that the Makati branch is just 8 minutes walk from our place. Purple Oven has so many yummy baked goodies that can easily make you forget your diet.

  2. Purple Oven has been our “secret” go-to place for wonderful sweets and I’m glad they’ve been expanding recently. I only hope the quality remains the same.

    I remember those early days when I’d bring friends to the motel row in Pasig, and they’d all start to furtively look around or stutter nervously not knowing that I was bringing them to Purple Oven’s first branch located along that road. I guess back then I WAS introducing them to a kind of “secret” pleasure hehe.

  3. I think they still do supply the coffee chain, but are coy about it. My sister was raving about their pastries, and said that I need to get off the couch and walk over to the YMCA branch. I suppose the walk to-and-fro will justify the extra calories, if I can limit myself to just lemon square

    Glad to know that they’ll be at San Antonio Plaza – convenient stop over when I have to pick-up a host/hostess gift when I pay a visit to a mentor who lives close by.

    (@ Moni, I’m about the same distance away – you were talking about the Y branch and not the Forbes branch, were you?)

  4. i thought the pasig motels offered them. dang, i missed those. they did have the best chinese food that side of edsa.

  5. Hi Moni, how was the banana loaf, if I may ask? I love anything banana (banana cream pie, especially, but will settle for a loaf if it’s good) and the banana loaf in Shangrila is not as good as it was years ago…

  6. wendy darling, I was referring to the YMCA branch in Makati. According to Google Maps, the estimated walking time is 8 min from The Columns Ayala. I would make pre-payments to Meralco just to have an excuse to walk over to Purple Oven. Their salmon turnovers have a fine delicate crust that nearly melts in your mouth. Yummy!

  7. MP, I love banana too and I like Purple Oven’s banana loaf coz it’s tastes like a real banana cake and not too sweet. It’s also the same one I buy at P50-55 per slice at my favorite coffee shop. At Purple Oven, we buy the whole loaf for only P240. I have the price list and I can email it to you if you want. Or you can check it out in their website.Just looking at the price list makes one pine for more of their goodies.

  8. Oh no, the “secret” is out! My then-girlfriend-now-wife actually introduced me to Purple Oven in one of our many a romantic forays in that side of Pasig :) Aside from their lemon squares, I love their chocolate cake and brownies too. My family lives in Dubai and everytime we come home for vacation, we make sure that we visit their Oranbo shop to buy pasalubongs for our friends here in Dubai. In those occasional visits, I’ve observed the company grow through the little improvements here and there in their small Oranbo shop and I can’t help but admire its progress.

  9. Oh, thank you for this post, MM! I love lemons squares too but could not find a decent version. The ones I’ve tried usually lack the tartness that I want. I will surely venture into trying this lemon square.

  10. Ended up passing by the Sacred Heart branch because of this post. Ate a sinfully delicious cinnamon bun slathered with creamy frosting.

  11. I love the chocolate revel bars, little chocolate lava cake and chocolate dome cake of Purple Oven. YUM!*:)

  12. @ Moni – at last, a fellow MM fan within (my current physical) community! Am on the opposite side of you tho’ (San Antonio Village, I live right beside the seminary). Maybe we can plan an informal “MM’s Fans’ Eyeball” when you’re back in the country :)

    MM – I should thank you for widening my world :) You’ll certainly be more than welcome to join us for the fans’ eyeball, if you happen to be in town

  13. @wendy, that will be great. We can have coffee and lemon squares. Did you know that a small group of us MM fans who had attended the lechon eyeballs in Cebu bonded together and went on to have a Bacolod food tour in March 2012 — joey pacheco, chris bautista, lee & jenny santiago, ging berdon, edik dolotina, marla and roy, and lynell gaston. The next food tour will be in October 17-21 in Davao with millet, joey, lynell, lee and jenny, edik and ging. Those of us who will be unable to go to Davao have agreed to get together for Hainanese chicken dinner at Tao Yuan.

  14. Ooh… I love their lemon squares, revel bars, cheesecake, choco cake, and more! :))) I look forward to receiving a box of their goodies during Christmas!

  15. off topic watched Give Up Tomorrow last Sunday on PBS SoCal it was late though at 11:00 pm after Upstairs Downstairs …

  16. It’s so close to our place in Pasig; Their ensaymadas are really and I always buy 2/3 dozens for pasalubong for my family in SF. Looking forward to the next trip. Warm regards to you and yours, MM.

  17. I have been buying from them as long as I can remember…love their cakes, bars and cookies. I don’t mind going to their store in Pasig every December. The goodies never fail to bring a smile to my clients. One time they agreed to pack the bars in boxes we specially ordered for our corporate gifts. Bulk order was never a problem. I must say…I love Purple Oven!! Glad to hear they have more stores now.

  18. @moni and wendy- I don’t live in the area but friends do. I love it. Apart from Purple Oven my destinations are Taj, HK Roast, New Hatchin, Brera, Wabi-sabi, bread shop near tint shop :) , etc.

    Am eyeing a coffee shop in Sampaloc St (green sign) but haven’t ventured in.

  19. @marissewalangkaparis and Kasseopeia, alternatively we can have some roast beef or Wagyu sandwiches at Melbourne Prime on Makati Ave and Valdez St, near A.Venue another time. Chef Chris Bautista, of French cuisine fame, will be demonstrating the use of prime Aussie beef for sandwiches these coming weekends.

  20. @moni – Am always on the lookout for decent Hainanese chicken, for which (other than bagnet, zubuchon and “sinigang and adobo days”) I am willing to stand back from my usual diet. We definitely need to get together (and grab a few MM fans or even MM himself?) and compare foodie notes over coffee and pastries.

    @cheeseheadeatsushi – yep, HK Roast is on my list too, particularly when I don’t want to drag myself out to the mall.

  21. Thanks for posting, Marketman! My personal favorite is the Campfire cake — the chocolate lava is a close second. :-) Hope to catch up with you and Mrs M sometime soon!

  22. Their lemon squares are outstanding. So is the coffee. Wasn’t too happy with the doughnuts, though. This is still a secret of sorts given not everyone is willing to brave the motel row in Pasig :P
    – Ray

  23. Ohhhh…! I love Purple Oven. My faves are the revel bars, lava cake, ensaymada and quiche. My friends and I always order from them for our Christmas goodies. We just call to place our order and they deliver always on time. Payment is COD so it’s hassle free. :)

  24. New to this site. So luv it. I’m a fan of Purple Oven’s chocolate cake and brownies. Isnt it obvious, i’m biased towards chocolate pastries?
    Just want to ask if any of you are familiar with the cheesy yummy bars of Blue Kitchen? I am looking for the baker because that stuff is so addicting – oh, this is an exception to my chocolate preference. They are being sold in BK in small plastic containers which i can finish off in a sitting. Trying to locate it so I can buy it in a bigger packaging and maybe for a cheaper price. Please help me find them….

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