Malaya Bakery’s roots traces back—surprise, surprise—to the quiet days of the pandemic. Siblings Andrea and Simon Te had time (lots of it!) and when she asked him what he craved for at that moment in time, his almost-instant reply was nostalgic: “calamansi muffins, like the ones from Boracay.”
Eventually, that impulse started a micro-business that became wildly successful. “What we made back then was a big hit, we ended up selling thousands of muffins to friends, friends of friends, and strangers online,” Simon says.
But that success was cut short when the siblings returned to their pre-pandemic routines—Andrea to university, and Simon to his career as a director and brand consultant. Good thing the oven didn’t stay cold for long.
A Boracay Bestseller Gets A Makeover
In July 2026, they revived the concept under a new name: Malaya, in honor of their late grandmother, a woman who, despite not being a baker, had a wonderfully peculiar palate. “We would find her with combinations of food that don’t usually go together. She’d have us try them, and more often than not, the flavors were delicious,” he recalls.
Today, Malaya is focused on mastering one niche but unforgettable item: the CalamansiCalamansiA small, tart citrus native to the Philippines, with thin green skin and juicy, sour-sweet flesh. Squeezed into sawsawan, marinades, noodle dishes, and cold drinks, calamansi brightens everything it touchesGo to Calamansi Glossary Madeleine. Evolving from their original pandemic-era muffin, the dainty pastry is a result of multiple trails and errors.
“We wanted to make something that we’d be tempted to eat fresh out of the oven every time,” says Simon. “Sadly, our family wasn’t really big on heritage and passing things down. So we wanted to create recipes that we could pass down ourselves. ‘Creating new traditions’ is the heart of what we do here at Malaya; this stemmed from the question, ‘When do family traditions begin?’”
Slow But Steady
Malaya Bakery is now a Kapitolyo-based, small-batch bakery making traditional treats with a modern hand. Each batch is baked in small quantities, a few days a week, based on the simple belief that food worth sharing should be good food.
They currently limit orders to fewer than 200 pieces a week. “At our current scale, we want to keep a close eye on the quality of what comes out of our oven. Sold out each time. We’re thrilled because we also just secured our first cafe partner!”
Aside from the Calamansi Madeleines, they are also working on a couple more products that they will be rolling out soon.
While owning a brick-and-mortar space remains the ultimate dream, Andrea and Simon are in no rush and are taking their sweet time. For Malaya, the goal isn’t just to open a store; it is to build a menu of time-tested treats that deserve a home of their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Their signature product is the Calamansi Madeleine, a French-style pastry with a local citrus twist. It evolved from our popular pandemic-era calamansi muffins, inspired by nostalgic Boracay flavors.
Malaya began during the pandemic, when Andrea asked her brother Simon what he craved and he answered calamansi muffins like the ones from Boracay. The siblings sold thousands of muffins to friends and strangers online. In July 2026, they revived the concept under the name Malaya.
While they do not currently have a standalone physical store, their products are available through online orders and at select partner cafes.
Siblings Andrea and Simon Te revived and renamed their bakery in July 2026 in honor of their late grandmother, Malaya. She was known for her unique food pairings, inspiring their philosophy of creating delicious, new traditions to pass down.
Andrea and Simon are in no rush to open a physical store or sell more than their Calamansi Madeleines, stating that their next steps are to build a menu of time-tested treats that they would be proud to serve.
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