For San & Wolves, the Filipino bakery that made a huge splash earlier this year, the first few months were “psycho” and “basically the honeymoon phase,” in the echoed exchanges of owners Kym Estrada and Arvin Torres. Lines crawled down east on 4th Street each morning, seeking things like the space’s Buko Pop Tart, where a vegan coconut custard fills a pastry tart topped with dazzlingly purple frosting. Or ube macapuno cake that has not one drop of dairy, nuts, or soy.
“But when it comes down to it, we’re just trying to offer something inclusive,” she said, with her and Arving both acknowledging the history of spaces like the long-loved Gemmae Bakeshop on the Westside. “And not all vegan food is healthy. I want to remind people of that. It’s still sugar and carbs. Just because it’s plant-based, doesn’t mean it’s a salad.”
How did San & Wolves comes to be?
San & Wolves began in 2017 as a passion project in Brooklyn. Kym, already longtime vegan, tested Filipino classics in vegan form. And she started with her pan de coco, which instantly resonated with partner Arvin. Arvin, originally from the Philippines and Long Beach, moved back to Southern California in 2019, and the pair brought their pop-up roots with them.
Through 2019 and into early 2020, they reactivated the pop-up in Long Beach—showcasing plant-based Filipino sweets like ube buns, buko pop tarts, bitsu-bitsu, and ensaymadas. When the pandemic hit, the demand only grew: lines regularly wrapped down the block, often selling out before everyone at the end could even taste.
Despite initial reservations—Kym recalls thinking she “didn’t come from money” and feared a storefront was unattainable—they leaned into the surge. After attending business classes, hiring a coach, and signing a lease in July 2023 at 3900 E. 4th St. in Belmont Heights, their dream took brick-and-mortar form. Inside the former framing shop, they built out a space drenched in natural light with retro-doughnut-shop charm. And it was complete with vintage Coca-Cola boards. Custom pastry cases. And a vibrant mural. Kym continued baking, now with support from staff and her partner Arvin, who took on general manager duties.
Remaining connected to both their culture and its elders are essential for Kym and Arvin.
“I’ve heard them all,” Kym said, laughing.
This is her answer to a very legitimate question: When it comes to the traditions of any culture that loves its meats, fishes, and dairies—be Filipino or Mexican, Japanese or Italian—being a vegan can be tough. And your elders and cousins alike are likely to nudge a vegan family member’s rib more than any other.
Today, San & Wolves serves up hourly-fresh pandesal. Pan de coco. Ube buns. Buko pop tarts. Pandan cinnamon rolls. Ube crumb cups… All made vegan, nut-free, and soy-free. They even tuck Filipino-sourced Teofilo Coffee behind the counter, proudly offering drinks steeped in roots. For Kym and Arvin, it’s more than a bakery. San & Wolves is cultural bridgework—introducing vegan food lovers to the breadth of Filipino pastries in a way that more traditional spaces can’t.
It was almost going to be named Kym’s Bakeshop, but…
“Honestly, the thought of having my name plastered everywhere freaked me out,” Kym said, laughing. Instead, she opted to go with her love of anime, specifically “Princess Mononoke.” A Hayao Miyazaki classic, the film is a sweeping, mythic epic that follows Ashitaka, a young warrior cursed by a demon, as he journeys to a forest caught in a brutal struggle between industrial expansion and the ancient spirits of nature. At its heart is San—Princess Mononoke—a fierce, wolf-raised girl who defends the forest alongside her animal gods. Ultimately, she clashes with Lady Eboshi, the ambitious leader of Iron Town. The film’s exploration of environmentalism, humanity’s duality, and the complex morality of progress versus preservation.
“The movie has very vegan undertones that always spoke to me growing up,” Kym said. “But I named it that on a whim because when I applied to my first pop-up in Brooklyn in 2017, I didn’t have a name for the business. So I just picked that name and kinda never changed it,” she said laughing.
And we’re glad she never changed it either.
A look into the offerings at San & Wolves.
In the words of Kym, vegan doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. From plays on pandesal to formal cakes, Sans & Wolves has a bit of something for everyone seeking vegan sweets.
Ube “Cheez” Pandesal: House-made ube halaya | Violife grated cheddar | Organic cane sugar | King Arthur Sir Galahad (all-purpose, low-protein wheat flour) | King Arthur Sir Lancelot (high-gluten wheat flour) | So Delicious coconut milk | Breadcrumbs
Buko Pop Tart: King Arthur Sir Galahad (all-purpose, low-protein wheat flour) | Violife butter | Coconut custard filling using Aroy-d coconut milk
Black Sesame Bun: King Arthur Sir Galahad (all-purpose, low-protein wheat flour) | King Arthur Sir Lancelot (high-gluten wheat flour) | Violife butter | So delicious coconut milk | Black sesame seeds
Cheesy Ensaymada: King Arthur Sir Galahad (all-purpose, low-protein wheat flour) | King Arthur Sir Lancelot (high-gluten wheat flour) | Violife butter | Organic cane sugar | Violife grated cheddar | So Delicious coconut milk
Ube Macapuno Cake: King Arthur Sir Galahad (all-purpose, low-protein wheat flour) | So Delicious coconut milk | Organic cane sugar | House ube halaya | Tropics macapuno
Bibingka: Erawan plain rice flour and glutinous rice flour | Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer | Organic cane sugar | Aroy-d coconut milk | Tropics banana leaf
San & Wolves is located at 3900 E. 4th St.
