Purple Potato Bakery
BBQ Chicken Hand Pie – Barbeque Chicken, Potatoes, Onions, Green Onions, Cilantro
Beef Caldereta – Slow-cooked Beef, Tomato, Olives, Potatoes, Onions, Peas
Nutella-Turon Hand Pie – Banana, Jackfruit, Nutella
Chocolate Chip & Walnut Banana Bread
Calamansi Funfetti Cookies – Calamansi, Rainbow Sprinkles, White Chocolate Chips, Butterscotch Chips
S’mores Layered Donut – Toasted Marshmallow, Dark Chocolate, Graham Cracker Crumbs
Oreo Tiramisu Layered Donut – Oreo Crumbs, Coffee Ganache, Whipped Cream
Leche Flan Donut- Brioche Donut, Leche Flan Cream, Classic Polvoron
Calamansi Donut – Brioche Donut, Calamansi Curd, Citrus Polvoron
Strawberry Donut – Brioche Donut, Strawberry Jam, Vanilla Cream, Meringue, Strawberry Polvoron
Choco Butternut Donut – Brioche Donut, Chocolate Cream, Pretzel, Choco Butternut Crumbs
Salted Yema Donut – Brioche Donut, Salted Yema, Cinnamon Crumbs
Coco Pandan Donut – Brioche Donut, Coco Pandan Cream, Coconut Polvoron, Sesame Seeds
Young Coconut Pie – Young Coconut Meat, Custard, Coconut Streusel, Butter Crust
Ube Coconut Cream Pie – Coconut Cream Filling, Ube Jam, Butter Crust, Whipped Cream, Toasted Almonds, White Chocolate
Calamansi Cheesecake – Calamansi Curd, Calamansi Crumbs, Graham Cracker Crust
Calamansi Pie – Calamansi Custard, Meringue, Butter Crust
Named after a popular crop in the Philippines, and a favorite snack of Chef Ramir Bolanos DeCastro, Purple Potato unfortunately shut its doors in the middle of 2019, the closure after just 21 months largely a result of location rather than Food as the healthy Bowls and quick-casual Sandwiches were almost universally well-received.
Now three years older and wiser, COVID-19 having entirely reshaped an Off-Strip dining scene that Chef Ramir helped to initiate with Yonaka in early 2013, Purple Potato marches on as a bakery at 6370 W Flamingo Rd #20 featuring donuts, cookies, Ube-based treats and Filipino Pastries.
Previously offered for delivery or takeout only, but now brick and mortar with pre-orders available online, it was Friday that seventeen items were procured for tasting, Savories including Beef Caldereta in Puff Pastry rich and hearty while Hand Pies include Barbecue Chicken or Nutella-Turon with Bananas and Jackfruit.
Scaling back “Monster Cookies” to approximately 4”, Calamansi Funfetti featuring a crisp rim and soft center, heterogeneity throughout and taste not dissimilar to Key Lime Pie, Banana Bread is an unexpected highlight thanks to a moist crumb and the complex interplay of Walnuts with Chocolate Chips.
Never actually gone from the local food scene, the rebranding of Yonaka and Purple Potato followed by a consulting gig at McCarran, Chef DeCastro’s current lineup continues with Donuts, this day featuring a dozen varieties offering a delicate crumb and fillings ranging from Flan or Strawberry to Chocolate.
Unafraid to be creative, a Coco Pandan Donut with Sesame Seeds almost more savory than sweet, it was after indulging in Salted Yema and Calamansi that “Layered Donuts” were tasted including more American ideas such as S’mores or Oreo Cookies.
Not forgetting Pie, or Cheesecake that adds bright Citrus notes to velvety Cream Cheese atop a robust Graham Cracker Crust, fans of Coconut will be torn between lavish Young Coconut or lighter Ube Coconut Cream while those who favor Lemon Meringue will find something better in Purple Potato’s Calamansi Pie.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS: Unlikely to be stumbled upon inside Phoenix Plaza the success of Purple Potato Bakery will depend largely on word of mouth, and based on this first visit plus prior experience it is safe to say Chef Ramir Bolanos DeCastro’s Desserts are better than ever with no lack of creativity.
RECOMMENDED: Beef Caldereta, Chocolate Chip & Walnut Banana Bread, Leche Flan Donut, Salted Yema Donut, Coco Pandan Donut, Young Coconut Pie, Calamansi Pie.
AVOID: Choco Butternut Donut has an odd aftertaste, and the Mango-Cran Oats Cookie needs to be brought back ASAP.
TIP: Open 10a-6p Tuesday through Sunday, online ordering available via Instagram or contact@purplepotatolv.com for more information.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.purplepotatolv.com