Shane Pow Turns Home-Based Banana Bread Biz Into Café At Clarke Quay

From home bakery to physical café, sort of

Shane launched Taiyo Bread Shop earlier this year from his one-bedroom condo in Upper Serangoon, baking small batches of banana bread from scratch. He started receiving orders after posting pictures of his banana bread loaves on Instagram, and demand quickly grew. 

“I [still] get a lot of inquiries in my DMs asking when I’m going to sell it next, but I can’t always commit because it’s very time-consuming,” Shane says. He tells 8days.sg that the last time he sold his banana bread was in April this year. 

Now, with a fully equipped kitchen at Chef X, he’s able to scale up production. “Here, I have a professional combi oven that can bake up to ten loaves at once, compared to the maximum of two I could make at home,” he shares. “The whole setup is different — once you step into the shop, you’re in work mode. At home, sometimes it’s a bit of an ‘ugh’ kind of feeling.”

How did this opportunity with Chef X come about? “They got in touch and asked if I wanted to do a pop-up for Taiyo Bread Shop,” Shane says simply. 

At Chef X, he will work with a small team of kitchen assistants. “Previously, operating from home was manageable [alone], but for a full café I definitely need more help,” he shares. 

Can fans expect to see him at the café daily? “I’ll be there as much as I can, but I’ve [also] hired extra help for the baking and cooking.” 

At the moment, he’s also preparing to start work on a new television series, which begins filming next month in Malaysia. Will he be gone for the whole of December? Shane assures: “I’ll have to be in Malaysia some days, but I should still be able to be at the café most of the time.”

Camping theme  

The pop-up is designed around a camping theme, featuring a tent, camping chairs, and crates used as tables. The space seats around 20 diners, with additional foldable chairs available when needed.

Collaboration with other vendors

Shane has teamed up with several partners for the residency. Alongside the food menu, the café offers a small selection of coffee and tea priced between $4 and $5.50. Coffee is brewed using De’Longhi machines, while the teas are sourced from local wellness brand Ele Tea, featuring blends such as Immunity, Sleep, and Detox.

Definitely Books, a local book distributor and retailer, will also place books around the café for guests to browse. “I love to read and physical books are a dying trade,” Shane says. “If people can put down their phones and pick up a book, that’ll be nice.” 

He adds that board and card games will be available for customers to enjoy while hanging out.

“The objective of this pop-up is not to make money”

Shane adds: “The objective of this pop-up is not to make money, but more about getting people together and spending the holiday season together. That’s why I roped in partners for this.”

He has even created a mascot for Taiyo Camp Club — a smiling sun designed to spread positivity. “I hope the mascot brings happiness to people. If they’re having a bad day, maybe it’ll make them laugh,” he explains.

Small plushies of the mascot will be sold at the café, with proceeds (after covering costs) going to Care Corner Singapore, a non-profit organisation providing essential social and healthcare services, as well as running after-school programmes for children. 

Chef X’s pop-up concept is rent-free with no profit sharing requirement from the vendor, so Shane keeps the profits after covering expenses such as manpower and ingredients. “That’s why I wanted to make use of this opportunity to raise funds for Care Corner as well, so more people can benefit from this pop-up,” he says.

A cautious approach to F&B after a couple of closures in the past

Shane is no stranger to F&B ventures, with his previous Korean hawker chain Gogiyo and grain-bowl eatery Mojo. Gogiyo, which had four outlets, closed in 2024, while Mojo shut its two outlets in 2020. 

“I'm a bit scared of F&B because I did a few before. F&B in Singapore is tough”

Isn’t he burnt by F&B ventures in the past that didn’t work out? “I won’t say they didn’t work out — I didn’t lose much money and it was more for the experience,” he says. “The hardest part for any F&B biz is how to keep things fresh.”

On whether he might open a permanent café in the future, he says: “I guess I’ve got to see how this pop-up goes. Personally, I'm a bit scared of F&B because I did a few before. F&B in Singapore is tough.”

Going Bananas, $4 a slice; $30 a loaf

The original banana bread that kick-started Taiyo Bread Shop. Two other flavours — Chocoloco (with dark chocolate chips) and Nutty Nana (with walnuts) — are also available, priced at $4.50 a slice or $33 a loaf. Newer bakes include the Belgium Chocolate Cake ($6 a slice), and Carrot Cake ($6 a slice).  

Kohaku Focaccia, $4 a slice

In addition to his signature banana bread, Shane also offers a focaccia baked with burnt butter and cinnamon. 

Where did he learn to bake focaccia? “I had a friend who knows how to bake focaccia, so I learned from them. I also took lessons from ABC cooking studio where I went for a few baking classes to learn more about baking other things besides banana bread,” he shares.

Midnight Ramyeon, $8.50

This hearty bowl of kimchi ramen, served with fried popcorn chicken, is inspired by classic camping meals. It comes in a mess tin to recreate the feeling of eating outdoors, while being enjoyed indoors. 

Golden Drumlets, $10 for eight pcs

Chicken drumlets seasoned with a spice blend and fried until golden-brown. 

Little Dimples, $8 for eight pcs

Boiled gyozas drizzled with vinegar-chilli sauce.

Taiyo Camp Club is located at Chef X @ Clarke Quay Central, #03-103/104, 6 Eu Tong Sen St, S059817. Open Tue to Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 12pm-10pm. Closed Mon. More info via Instagram. 

Photos: Goh Bei Jun, Taiyo Camp Club

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