Long Queues Seen At New Shio Pan Stall Opened By Sourbombe Doughnut Baker

Why shio pan?

It’s safe to say that Gen has perfected the craft behind her sourdough bombolinis. Her version of the Italian doughnuts are deliciously soft and chewy, and stuffed with rich handmade cream fillings like lavender lime mascarpone and Basque burnt cheesecake.

With three outlets islandwide after first starting out as a home-based biz, the MasterChef runner-up feels like it’s time for a new challenge: “Actually, after four years with Sourbombe, I feel that I’ve already stabilised and created loads of variations [of the pastry]. I wanted to break away from it a bit to delve into other parts of the baking scene. I want to be known as a baker who can juggle multiple concepts, instead of focusing on just one hero brand and product,” she explains.

Gen tells us that she decided on selling shio pan, as it’s one of her favourite types of bread. “There wasn’t a particular reason [for selling shio pan], other than it being my own personal preference. Shio pan perfectly represents the kind of bread I love - crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and with that irresistible flavor of butter melting as it bakes. Plus, the recent trend in savory breads influenced me to lean into this style that resonates with my taste,” she says.

Long queues, customers limited to six buns per pax

A week into Shio & Sato’s launch, and it’s already gotten an overwhelmingly good response. “Business has been really crazy, and the demand was completely unexpected! But as always, we’re very grateful for the immense support and our team is working harder each day to pump out more buns to feed everyone. We had quite a few return customers,” Gen says. She adds that she sold about 1,000 shio pan daily on weekdays last week, and 1,500 per day during the weekend. 

Shio pan loaded with sweet and savoury toppings

On the menu: shio pan with a variety of sweet and savoury handmade fillings. Her selection of Japanese-inspired savoury shio pan fillings include Green Chilli Onion ($4.80), Miso Butter Corn ($4.80), and Crab Salad Kombu ($9), while sweeter offerings include Hokkaido Cream ($5.50), Chocolate Caramel ($6), and Matcha Strawberry ($6).

A good shio pan, she describes, “is super crispy outside, almost like banh mi baguette”, but with a “moist, chewy, very buttery inside”. To achieve this soft texture, Gen says she uses a high quality Japanese flour.

Besides shio pan, she also sells cream bento cakes - cream cakes packed into clear boxes. These are available in three flavours: Pistachio ($13.90), Chocolate ($10.90), and Strawberry ($12.90).

Is a permanent shop on the way?

If you’re looking to get your hands on Gen’s shio pan after the pop-up ends this month, fret not – customers will still be able to buy a limited selection of Gen’s shio pan at her Sourbombe outlets. 

Given the response so far, Gen says she’s looking to open a permanent shop soon: “We are definitely looking to open soon, we just want to concretise how the shop is going to be and what other products we can present to customers”. 

Shio & Sato’s pop-up will run till 31 Oct 2024 at B2 Civic Plaza, 391A Orchard Rd, S238873. Open daily 10am - 9.30pm. More info via their Instagram. 

Photos: Instagram/Genevieve Lee, Shio & Sato

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