Updated ,first published
Cafe of the Year 2027
Filipino$
This venue is one of Good Food’s 100 Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2026.
Taguan is the home Jose Margo Flores and Vincent Baquiran built after migrating from the Philippines. The partners, who didn’t know anyone when they arrived in Sydney, filled the cafe with familiar comforts – bowls of pork and chicken adobo; coffee mugs modelled after their Pomeranian Yakulto (who, they hope, will soon reunite with them); and trays of soft pandesal rolls.
“Growing up, pandesal was just a breakfast food. Something ordinary,” said Flores. “When I came here, I saw a lot of other breads. Baguettes, focaccia, buns … but Filipino bread was missing.”
Flores wanted customers to order pandesal with their flat white. He wanted community. “Migration changed our definition of hospitality, because when you have to build a new home, you realise that hospitality isn’t just about serving someone well; it’s also about helping them find where they belong.”
At Taguan’s two-storey terrace home, they have succeeded in doing just that – welcoming run clubs, theatre students and artists to host their events; inviting customers to venture into the colourful culinary world of Filipino food; and creating a vital third-space where connection comes easy.
Good to know: The ube matcha might be the most expensive drink, but it’s worth every dollar.
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