Shinfuni: Taiwanese bakery with taro-stuffed polo buns & choux puffs from $2.50 in Bugis Junction

Taiwanese food is one of the best cuisines out there, in my opinion. While most people recognise the usual mains like lu rou fan and giant fried chicken cutlets, Taiwanese bakes and desserts are not to be overlooked, as they are equally as impressive as their savoury counterparts. For a taste of Taiwan, I headed down to Shinfuni in Bugis Junction.

If the bright yellow storefront and pastries at Shinfuni look familiar, that’s because the takeaway store is a sister brand of Kazo, another Taiwanese bakery that has taken Singapore by storm in the last few years. However, Shinfuni offers a different menu with more breads and buns, differentiating it from Kazo.

The store’s menu consists of all sorts of delectable baked goods, ranging from crispy choux puffs to buns filled with taro and mochi.

What I tried at Shinfuni

I got my hands on the Taro Polo (S$4.90), which was the most expensive bake on the menu. Unlike most other polo buns that consist of regular bread topped with a cookie crust, this polo bun had a croissant-like interior with flaky and airy layers, plus crackly, buttery cookie bits on top. This made the polo bun a lot more buttery and light with a pleasing texture.

The taro filling had a light, creamy texture with a mild coconut aroma. While the taro flavour was earthy and moderately strong, it may not appeal to those who prefer denser and richer taro purees.

The generosity of the fillings was commendable, and I was surprised at how filling the bun was. Not too bad for S$4.90!

To further fuel my taro-loving stomach, I opted for the Taro Orh Nee Donut (S$2.90) too— this hefty little donut was filled with the same taro cream in the Taro Polo.

Like the Taro Polo, the amount of taro filling in this donut was super generous, allowing for each bite to be well supplemented by the light and earthy cream. The donut itself was fluffy and not too oily, making it well worth its S$2.90 price.

The final taro treat I got at Shinfuni was the Taro Mochi Lava Bun (S$3.80), which came filled with taro, salted egg filling and mochi. The taro in this bun was a lot denser and thicker with a noticeable taro taste. The salted egg filling complemented the earthy taro nicely with its umami flavours while the stringy mochi was sweet and stretchy, making for a satisfying and texturally exciting bun.

I moved on to the Shinfuni Signature Hokkaido Cream Apple Pie (S$3.80), a golden brown pastry shaped like a leaf and filled with cream plus apple filling.

The lightness of the milky cream paired perfectly with the dense, sweet apple filling, and the flaky, buttery pastry acted as a great base for the 2 fillings. If you’re in search of a great apple pie that isn’t too jelak, definitely give this a go.

Hou Lah: Taiwanese cafe with unique puff pastry thick toasts, milk noodles & pan-fried egg crepes

While the Nutty Choco Banana Croissant (S$3.80) at Shinfuni looked rather unassuming at first, like any other chocolate croissant you’d find in most local bakeries, I was surprised by how simple yet indulgent this creation was. Cutting open the chocolate-topped croissant revealed a large chunk of banana within, paired with creamy nutella.

The crisp and flaky croissant was buttery while the banana and nutella combination was sweet and fragrant— the sweetness wasn’t too overwhelming, with there being just the right amount of fillings to pair nicely with the croissant.

The Chocolate Crispy Puff (S$2.60) was priced a little steep, given how tiny the actual puff was. Size aside, as someone who prefers crispy puffs to soft puffs, I couldn’t get enough of this. The choux pastry was super crisp and aromatic while the chocolate filling was rich yet not too jelak. This delightful little treat was gone in two bites!

For something a bit more filling, go for the Yuan Yang Kazu Kazu (S$4.50) at Shinfuni— you’ll get to choose 2 types of cream to be piped into this cream horn-esque pastry. I opted for matcha and chocolate cream, which balanced each other out nicely. The matcha cream was a little lighter in taste with a floral aroma while the richer chocolate was sweeter and more intense. The crispy pastry held the fillings together well, making this a very satisfying dessert.

Finally, I indulged in the Cheese Tart (S$3.80), with a golden brown cookie crust and dense cheese fillings.

The cheese filling had a creamy, cheesecake-like texture and was pretty rich in taste. The cookie crust was super buttery and complemented the cheese portion nicely. My cheese tart cravings were well satisfied by this dessert.

Final thoughts

Each of the bakes at Shinfuni was charming in its own way, and managed to be delightful desserts while not being too overwhelming or overly sweet. Though some bakes were a little steep in price in relation to size, the quality did not falter, and they were consistently generously filled with ingredients.

Do give this Taiwanese bakery a visit if you ever find yourself in need of a quick cream puff or pastry while in Bugis.

Expected damage: S$2.50 – S$5 per pax

Good Day Bakery: Neighbourhood Taiwanese bakery has taro floss mochi rolls, seaweed truffle floss cake & fresh buns from $2