Best shio pan in Singapore
Carb lovers, this one’s for you. We recently visited and ranked the 10 best bakeries for fresh shio pan in Singapore! In case you don’t know, shio pan is a type of Japanese bread featuring a lightly salted crust with a buttery, fluffy, and slightly chewy middle. Also known as salt bread, this trendy bun is known for its simple yet delicious flavour. It’s been on the rise lately, with local bakeries coming up with their own renditions of the bake.
A disclaimer before I get started: as with most snacks, the components of a good shio pan can be subjective. Some like theirs light and fluffy, while others prefer a dense and chewy crumb.Â
Regardless, I’ve finalised three criteria: taste, texture, and price. A good shio pan should have a pleasant flavour. It should be buttery and savoury, without being overly rich or greasy. Next, the texture: we want a slight crunch on the top and bottom of the bread, giving way to a light and chewy middle. Bonus points if the base of the bun is visibly crunchy and buttery. Lastly, we’ll compare the price of one plain shio pan across the board.Â
For a fair test, we ordered two shio pan from each bakery: one plain, one flavoured. Some places only offered the plain version, so for those, we got two plain shio pan instead. Â
Do also note that prices are subject to change.
Table of Contents
10. The Lunar Rabbit Boulangerie
The Lunar Rabbit Boulangerie is a cosy bakery and cafe located in Katong and Bendemeer—we visited the latter. They specialise in French-style pastries and croissants, but also offer whole sourdough loaves, baguettes, cakes and more.Â
Interestingly, the bakery’s shio pan comes in an unconventional, square-like shape.
Unfortunately, I was let down by the Sea Salt Shio Pan ($3.70). There wasn’t a discernible butter base, and the bun was rather dry on the outside. For $3.70, I was expecting something more.
The Kinako Mochi Shio Pan ($4.70)Â fared better. The roasted soybean powder added a lovely fragrance to the otherwise plain bun. I wish there was more mochi in the middle, though.
Perhaps we caught the bakery on the wrong day, as online reviews of their other pastries seem to be largely positive.
Taste: 2.5/5
Texture: 2/5
Price: 2.5/5
Total: 46%
Website | Full list of outlets
The Lunar Rabbit Boulangerie is not a halal-certified bakery.
9. Bakery 1946
Bakery 1946, a popular Korean bakery at Suntec City and Bugis Junction, is most known for their cute fruit-and-veggie-shaped buns. I held high hopes for their shio pan as Bakery 1946 is a big name in Korea.
While these buns were the largest ones we’ve tried, they were also the priciest. A Plain Salted Bread cost $4, which I felt was too steep for any type of plain bun. The crumb was light and airy, but without much of a bite, and the crust of the bun was weak without much structure. The salted bread was very buttery, but I felt that the flavour was rather one-dimensional.
The Garlic Butter Salted Bread costs a whopping $5.90—NGL, I gawked when I saw the price. Unlike the plain version, this garlic butter-filled bun was much heavier and denser. The garlic middle was too sweet for my liking, too.Â
Taste: 2.75/5
Texture: 2.75/5
Price: 2/5
Total: 50%
Read our Bakery 1946 review.
Website | Full list of outlets
Bakery 1946 is not a halal-certified bakery.
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8. Bae.gal
Bae.gal by homegrown chain Swee Heng is known for their wide range of bagels and breads, all at wallet-friendly prices. The Century Square bakery also offers a small selection of shio pan.
Their Sea Salt Butter ($2.50)Â was surprisingly buttery, though it lacked that crunchy bottom I was looking for. This bake tasted just like any other neighbourhood bakery bun, just more buttery.
I preferred their Taiwan Taro ($2.50)Â flavour. This shio pan came with a dab of sweet orh nee paste in the middle that paired well with rich, buttery notes.
For what these buns lacked, they made up for with their affordable prices. At just $2.50 a pop, I’m not complaining.
Taste: 2.25/5
Texture: 2.25/5
Price: 4/5
Total: 56%
Read our Bae.gal feature.
Address: 2 Tampines Central 5, #01-032A Century Square, Singapore 529509
Opening hours: Daily 8:30am to 9:30pm
Website
Bae.gal is a halal-certified bakery.
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7. SL Bakehouse
For affordable breads, pastries, and cakes in Jalan Besar, visit SL Bakehouse. The no-frills bakery also offers Shio Pan, priced at $2.80 a pop.
This shio pan was shaped like a puffy crescent. The exterior of both buns looked rather uneven, adding a rustic charm to the handmade treat. I particularly enjoyed the generous specks of sea salt chunks dotted on top of the bread, so you get a burst of flavour in each bite.
While the bread was not as fluffy and chewy as I’d wished for, I spied a light crust at the bottom of the bun. The texture of the crumb bore a slight resemblance to a baguette, but it was more buttery and tender overall. Not bad for $2.80.
Taste: 2.75/5
Texture: 2.75/5
Price: 3.75/5
Total: 61%
Check out our SL Bakehouse feature.
Address: Block 637, Veerasamy Road, #01-121, Singapore 200637
Opening hours: Wed-Thurs 12pm to 8pm, Fri-Sun 10am to 8pm
Tel: 9631 7466
Website
SL Bakehouse is not a halal-certified bakery.
6. BreadTalk
Who knew BreadTalk had shio pan game? Well, not me, until I tried their $2 Shio Pan at my nearest outlet: Tampines Mall. For just $2, this plain salt bun ranks as the cheapest on this list.
I was pleasantly surprised when I tore into the bread. The crumb was buttery and chewy; the flavour was decent, not the tastiest, but not the worst. Similar to SL Bakehouse’s rendition, this shio pan had a texture similar to a baguette. All I needed was a crunchy butter base to seal the deal, but alas, that was lacking.
I preferred the Red Bean Shio Pan ($2.60), slathered with thick red bean paste and two generous slabs of butter for extra richness. I couldn’t recall if the butter was salted, but it went extremely well with the sweet red bean paste. For under $3, I thought this combination was excellent.
Taste: 2.75/5
Texture: 2.5/5
Price: 4.25/5
Total: 63%
Website | Full list of outlets
BreadTalk is not a halal-certified bakery.
5. Fan’s Cafe
We hate using the term “hidden gem”, but Fan’s Cafe is exactly that. Tucked in the basement of Far East Plaza, the newish cafe specialises in shio pan, freshly baked in small batches. We ordered the Original ($3), but were given the Hamu ($3.80) shio pan instead, so we’ll review this bakery based on what we got.
While I enjoyed the savoury ham layered in the middle of the bun, I found the bread slightly too dense for my liking. Thankfully, it was buttery but not overly so. I think I’ll prefer the original version as online reviews have raved about it.
The highlight of my visit was the Kohi Choco ($4), which boasted specks of coffee grounds throughout, topped with a bittersweet chocolate glaze. The fragrant coffee notes paired beautifully with the rich chocolate topping, finished with a hint of salted butter that tied everything together.
Taste: 3.5/5
Texture: 3/5
Price: 3/5
Total: 63%
Read our Fan’s Cafe feature.
Address: 14 Scotts Road, #01-41, Far East Plaza, Singapore 228213
Opening hours: Daily 8:30am to 9pm
Tel: 9183 0183
Website
Fan’s Cafe is not a halal-certified eatery.
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4. Gokuku Japanese Bakery
Gokuku Japanese Bakery scores for its affordable shio pan; its Butter Shio Pan goes for just $2 a pop, making it the cheapest bun on the list, alongside BreadTalk. Besides the OG version, the popular Japanese bakery chain also has flavours such as Peanut Butter ($2.30), Rennyu ($2.30), and Red Bean ($2.40). Their shio pan also appears longer than most of its counterparts.
While the crust of the plain shio pan was softer than I’d liked, the bread was pleasantly chewy in the middle. It was also sufficiently buttery, without being overly greasy.
The standout flavour from the bunch we tried was Rennyu, AKA condensed milk. The filling, which tasted more like sweetened butter than condensed milk, elevated the bread and gave it another layer of richness. The sweet and rich cream filling paired beautifully with the saltiness of the shio pan.
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 3/5
Price: 4.25/5
Total: 68%
Website | Full list of outlets
Gokuku Japanese Bakery is not a halal-certified bakery.
3. Baker’s Bench Bakery
Baker’s Bench Bakery is known for their yeast-free, sourdough breads and pastries, all baked in small batches. The menu includes seasonal offerings, though there are certain mainstays, including their sourdough croissants and sandwiches.
Their 100% Sourdough Shiopan ($3.50)Â looked like a cute little pillow. It was a little pricey for its petite size, but this shio pan was packed with flavour.
The bun had a slight tang from the sourdough starter and was markedly more flavourful than the others I’d tried. I was impressed with its crunchy bottom, which cracked when I tore into the bread. The sea salt flakes that crowned the bun added a lovely savouriness, complementing the buttery notes.
The only gripe I had was that the crumb was a tad too dense and doughy.
Taste: 4/5
Texture: 3.5/5
Price: 3/5
Total: 70%
Address: 6 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089820
Opening hours: Wed-Fri 8:30am to 5pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am to 4pm
Tel: 9457 1593
Website
Baker’s Bench Bakery is not a halal-certified bakery.
2. Butter Town
Google “shio pan Singapore” and you’ll most likely see Butter Town in your top searches. This homegrown bakery, which started as a Holland Village hawker stall in 2023, recently launched a novel shio pan ATM machine in Woodleigh that’s been blowing up all over social media!
Their OG Shio Pan ($2.20), while on the smaller side, had everything I was looking for. Made with premium Japanese flour and butter, the bun boasted a shiok butter crust at the bottom, complementing the milky and chewy bread. The few specks of sea salt offset the subtle sweetness of this shio pan beautifully.
We also tried the Black Sesame Mochi Shio Pan ($3), which had a fragrant black sesame paste within. The mochi was soft and chewy, contrasting with the salty crust of the bread, but I wished there was more of it. I also found this shio pan denser than I’d liked.
Taste: 4.25/5
Texture: 4.25/5
Price: 4/5
Total: 83%
Read our Butter Town review.
Website | Full list of outlets
Butter Town is not a halal-certified bakery.
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1. Pawa Bakery
I couldn’t decide between Pawa Bakery and Butter Town—they were equally good in their own way—so I crowned them both as winners. Pawa Bakery is a relatively new addition to bakeries in Singapore; they currently have two outlets, Plaza Singapura and Raffles Place. We visited the latter.
Pawa Bakery’s plain Shio Pan ($2.30)Â came with a beautiful golden-brown butter bottom, giving way to a crumb that was way lighter and fluffier than other bakeries. Each shio pan is made with Japanese bread flour, Anchor salted butter, and sea salt, so there’s good flavour in each bite.
My colleague and I were on the fence with the Sweet Potato ($3.20). While I enjoyed it, he felt that the buttery notes were clashing with the earthy sweet potato. On the other hand, I appreciated the natural sweetness from the paste, which was the perfect complement to the salty bun.
Taste: 4/5
Texture: 4.5/5
Price: 4/5
Total: 83%
Read our Pawa Bakery feature.
Address: 20 Cecil Street, #01-02, Singapore 049705
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am to 6:30pm
Tel: 8606 4986
Website
Pawa Bakery is not a halal-certified bakery.
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Honourable mentions for shio pan in SG
Shio & Sato
Image credit:Â @yeoogooey
Online bakery Shio & Sato has been making waves online since its debut as a temporary kiosk at Takashimaya in 2024. Shortly after, they did another pop-up at Tom’s Palette Bugis to much fanfare.
Most recently, the brand launched at The Star Vista, and now they’re located at The Centrepoint. At previous pop-ups, their Truffle ($4.20) and Kombu ($4.20) shio pan were popular picks for their savoury, umami-packed flavour profile. We recommend you join in the queue early, as stocks are said to sell out quickly.
Address: 176 Orchard Road, #01-33F/G, The Centrepoint, Singapore 238843
Pop-up hours: Daily 12pm to 6pm
Website
Shio & Sato is not a halal-certified bakery.
Shio & Sato Pops Up At The Star Vista, Queue Early For Fresh Shio Pan
1816 BakesÂ
Image credit: @eatbooksg
Previously an online-only bakery, 1816bakes has since opened a physical store in Ang Mo Kio for customers to collect their orders. Their signature Salt Bun is available in five flavours: Original ($2.30), Garlic Butter ($2.80), Truffle Butter ($3.30), Maple Milk Cream ($3.90), and Speculoos Cookie Milk Cream ($4.50). We recommend the OG shio pan, which boasts a buttery base and a chewy middle, complemented with coarse salt for a savoury finish.
Do note that the bakery is only open for pre-orders and not walk-in purchases.
Address: 183 Jalan Pelikat, #B1-78, Singapore 537643
Website
1816bakes is not a halal-certified eatery.
Best shio pan bakeries in Singapore
The next time you’re craving shio pan, AKA Japanese salt bread, you know where to go!
For more bakeries worth visiting, check out our master guide to the best bakeries in Singapore. Otherwise, we’ve got our hawker bakeries guide for affordable breads, cakes and more.
50 Best Bakeries In Singapore, Including Old-School Bakeries And Artisanal Pastry Cafes
Photos taken by Marcus Neo and John Lery Villanueva
This was an independent article by Eatbook.sg
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