Ling Nam reopened in Union City on September 26 as a bakeshop. The kitchen half hasn't arrived yet. The family's new Ling Nam Express at 1760 Decoto Road sells señorita bread, empanadas, siopao and desserts seven days a week. Its own menu page says hot foods are "coming soon." A coffee bar pouring Philippine Barako is set for its ribbon-cutting on Alvarado Boulevard this Saturday, October 17. For pork adobo, lechon kawali and all-day breakfast plates, you still go to the supermarket food counters, one of them on Dyer Street.
So for now, a Filipino breakfast in Union City is a route with three stops. Each address does one part of the morning well, and the order you visit them matters.
A Return After Three Decades
Ling Nam is a Daly City name. Tony Lim opened the original restaurant there in 1990. Its señorita bread, sold in a green box, became the item the business is best known for, KRON4 reported in its coverage of the Union City opening.
For Union City, though, this is a homecoming. The Union City Chamber of Commerce's account of the grand opening notes that Ling Nam ran a full-service restaurant in Union City in the 1990s. The Chamber closed its write-up by welcoming the family "back to Union City."
The Chamber described a large opening day. Longtime customers drove in from Daly City. Guests got an all-you-can-eat buffet of Ling Nam dishes. West Coast Lion Dance of Daly City debuted a newly commissioned lion painted in Ling Nam's colors and performed it alongside two other lions. Mayor Gary Singh joined the ribbon-cutting. Tony Lim's son, Alexson Lim, runs the Union City location. He told KRON4:
"This has been my dad's legacy. He started this in 1990, and we are just now expanding it."
Union City got the first Ling Nam "Express," the bakeshop-only version of the brand, per KRON4. The Chamber says another location is planned for South San Francisco.
What the Express Format Means at the Counter
The "Express" label explains why the plate is missing. KRON4 reported that two Facebook clips from its Ling Nam interview passed a combined 3.5 million views. Those clips featured the Filipino breakfast served at the Daly City restaurant. That breakfast is the dish getting the most attention, and Decoto Road doesn't serve it yet.
Here's what the counter does have, according to Ling Nam's Union City digital menu, which still carries a "Soft Opening" heading:
- Señorita bread, baked fresh daily, at $0.80 apiece for one to nine pieces. Ten pieces cost $8.00, and the price scales evenly to $40.00 for fifty.
- Empanadas in chicken, beef or pork, per KRON4.
- Siopao, leche flan and ube cookies, also listed in KRON4's rundown.
- Drinks to round out the order.
The shop is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The early start is the useful part. You can pick up bread before work, or first thing on a Saturday, and carry it to the next stop.
Barako Arrives on Alvarado Boulevard
Estorya Coffee at 31866 Alvarado Boulevard covers a different part of the morning. The Union City Chamber has scheduled its grand opening and ribbon-cutting for Saturday, October 17, from noon to 1 p.m., according to the Chamber's event listing. Regular hours weren't posted in the material we reviewed. Treat Saturday as the date to circle and check the shop's own channels before you plan a weekday visit.
The draw is the bean. Estorya's menu says its coffee is brewed from organically grown Philippine Liberica, the variety known as Barako, along with select global origins. The shop describes the house Barako as "bold and full-bodied" with "smoky notes, and a smooth finish." The menu also lists espresso, lattes and Americanos, and it pairs the coffee with desserts "made to be enjoyed anytime of day."
That pairing fits the Ling Nam stop. One shop sells sweet bread by the piece, and the other pours a bold, full-bodied coffee with desserts. Ling Nam hasn't added hot food yet, and Estorya's posted menu lists no cooked dishes.
The Plate Is at the Grocery Store
The hot food was already in Union City before this fall. Daniel O'Donnell's Tri-City Voice feature on international supermarket food halls, published September 15, 2026, names two Union City grocery stores with in-house food counters.
Island Pacific Supermarket, 4122 Dyer St. Island Pacific's store directory lists two vendors at this location. Philhouse serves "Authentic Home-Cooked Filipino Meals," and San Honore sells freshly baked Filipino breads and pastries. Tri-City Voice says the Philhouse counter serves pork adobo, lechon kawali, lumpia and pancit. The paper also describes a coffee shop and a second food stall in the dining area. Its must-try is the arnibal latte, which mixes taho with espresso and milk. Taho is silken tofu with sweet brown sugar syrup and chewy sago pearls.
Grill City inside Seafood City Supermarket. Tri-City Voice describes Grill City as serving Filipino grilled fish and meats, stews and other traditional dishes. Its recommendation is one of the four all-day traditional breakfasts. "All-day" makes this the stop for anyone who wants breakfast after the noon ribbon-cutting on Alvarado.
So the cooked part of Union City's Filipino breakfast is still served inside supermarkets. The new storefronts add the bread and the coffee.
Putting the Morning Together
| Stop | Address | Known for | Hot food | Hours confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ling Nam Express | 1760 Decoto Road | Señorita bread, empanadas, siopao, leche flan | Not yet, "coming soon" | Daily, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Estorya Coffee | 31866 Alvarado Blvd. | Barako coffee, espresso drinks, desserts | Not listed | Ribbon-cutting Oct. 17, noon to 1 p.m. |
| Island Pacific: Philhouse and San Honore | 4122 Dyer St. | Adobo, lechon kawali, lumpia, pancit, arnibal latte, Filipino breads | Yes | Not posted in sources reviewed |
| Seafood City: Grill City | Union City | Grilled fish and meats, all-day breakfasts | Yes | Not posted in sources reviewed |
For a Saturday sequence, especially this Saturday:
- Decoto Road first. Ling Nam Express opens at 7 a.m. Get señorita bread by the half-dozen or the ten-pack, plus a few empanadas for later.
- The grocery counters for the plate. Order one of Grill City's four all-day traditional breakfasts inside Seafood City. Or go to Philhouse at 4122 Dyer St. for pork adobo, lechon kawali, lumpia or pancit, with an arnibal latte from the same dining area.
- Alvarado Boulevard at noon on October 17. Finish at Estorya's ribbon-cutting with a Barako and the bread you brought from step one.
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar is also new on Dyer Street, at 32170 Dyer St. in Union Landing. KRON4 reported its soft opening began March 20, 2026, with a grand opening on April 3. Kura's location page lists indoor dining and pickup, so it works if the route turns into dinner.
What to Watch at 1760 Decoto Road
Ling Nam's Union City menu page still reads "Hot foods coming soon." No timeline is posted. If the Express adds a hot line, the cooked breakfast featured in KRON4's 3.5-million-view clips could be served on Decoto Road too. Until that happens, a full Filipino breakfast in Union City takes stops at Decoto Road and the grocery food counters, and starting this weekend, Alvarado Boulevard.
Is señorita bread from Decoto Road already part of your weekend? We'd love to hear which Union City stop you'd add to this route. If you're also curious what your home is worth, or you want to start a search close to the streets you already use, Moni Shah is happy to talk, in English, Hindi, Punjabi or Urdu.
