JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Get ready for ube!
The Baker's Son by Valerio's is an authentic Filipino bakeshop that opened up this week in the Atlantic North Shopping Center in the Kernan area.
Jun Valerio is an owner and a Navy veteran. His motto? “Make good bread and they will come.”
"Throughout my 20 years plus of baking experience, I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded with people who have inspired me," Valerio says on the company's website. "I take pride in waking up at 3 a.m. and start my first batch at 4 a.m. making sure that our early morning customers get their bag of hot pan de sal and our famous bicho-bicho."
Valerio actually grew up going to go to the original restaurant in San Diego.
And with lines around the building this week for the soft opening, one local food influencer says it's worth the hype.
Nate, also known as NateDoesFood on Instagram, is a social media manager and marketing whiz.
He stopped by the new bakery in Jacksonville on Thursday for the soft opening and says it didn't disappoint.
"The ube brioche is amazing," he tells First Coast News.
The bakery has an impressive menu. They offer everything from halo-halo, to freshly made bread and even ube infused treats.
Nate says Jacksonville is ready for ube.
But what exactly is ube? It's a wildly instagramable food that the Food Network has called "Filipino America’s breakout food'. It's essentially a lovely purple yam that's used in a variety of dishes in Filipino cooking.
Translation: Baker's Son is as legit as it gets. But come early, they were sold out of all ube by 10 a.m. on Friday.
"Coming from 3 generations of bakers it is with pride and humility that we offer a new generation of Filipino Americans a new way to enjoy their baked goods and breads that stays authentic to our roots yet at the same time reaching out and going mainstream to cater to thrill-seeking, adventurous eats-young generation," says Valerio.
Address: 11957 Atlantic Boulevard, Suite 101.
