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Many may know Genevieve Lee as the runner-up of MasterChef Singapore season 1 and the owner of Sourbombe Bakery, which specialises in sourdough-stuffed donuts in its 3 outlets. Starting from 1-31 Oct 2024, she is currently running a popup named “Shio & Sato” (salt and sugar in Japanese) selling her latest project: shio pans.
Yes! Shio pans, that chewy Japanese bread with melted butter, usually topped with sea salt. I have a soft spot for them and I have a favourite bakery to get it from. I couldn’t wait to try Genevieve’s version as we headed to basement 2 of Takashimaya’s food hall.
Running till 31 Oct, her booth is part of Takashimaya’s food fair currently set up outside Cold Storage.
She shared that all these creations have gone through numerous trials and adjustments to calibrate the perfect temperature and baking time.
There are 3 sweet and 7 savoury varieties on the menu, most of which are baked on the spot at the booth itself!
The Matcha Strawberry (S$6) features a bun filled with strawberry cream, dipped in a rich matcha glaze, and finished with a sprinkle of dehydrated strawberry bits.
The Chocolate Caramel (S$6) was carefully researched by Genevieve, who discovered that this sweet duo pairs perfectly with the chewy, dense texture of the shio pan.
The Original (S$3.60) was simplicity at its best. Crispy on the outside with chunks of sea salt, the bun is chewy, dense, and fragrantly buttery all at once.
My favourite has got to be the Green Chilli Onion (S$4.30). A rich, luscious cream cheese is stuffed within and on top, garnished with a generous heap of spring onions for an extra punch of oniony flavour. The bun also has bits of jalapeno, which leaves a mild hint of spice on your tongue.
Genevieve’s personal favourite is the Truffle (S$4.20), which features truffle paste and bits of cooked portobello and button mushrooms. Thankfully, it avoids the overpowering, gasoline-like taste that many other places tend to overdo.
For an interesting mix of textures and taste, the Miso Butter Corn (S$4.30) is topped with juicy kernels of corn and stuffed with rich cream cheese. The surface of the shio pan has a mild hint of sweetness emanating from the miso frangipane— yums!
You can also get your hands on 3 types of Bento Cake: Pistachio (S$13.90), Chocolate (S10.90) and Strawberry (S$12.90). You can also purchase a Set of 3 Bento Cakes at a special price of S$35. They have however stopped selling bento cakes at the moment due to lack of manpower.
If you’re in town, pay a visit to Genevieve and try out her new bakes at Shio & Sato. Who knows? They might just make their way into a permanent bakery in the near future.
