Assorted buttery shio pan & decadent sourdough cakes from hawker stall

Our little island’s line-up of hawker bakeries is everything a bread enthusiast like me could ever wish for. From simple confectioneries selling old-school favourites to contemporary ones selling pastries and trendy bakes all for cheap — it’s like, what can’t they do?

Just as I thought I couldn’t be floored further, I stumbled upon Butter Town while scrolling through social media. This humble stall located at Holland Drive Food Centre prides itself on an array of shio pan and sourdough bakes.

You might recognise Butter Town yourself. The stall, helmed by a sister duo, first appeared in the media when it opened in mid-2023. It quickly gained traction for its out-of-the-box offerings, racking up queues and selling out hours before it was set to close for the day.

I know, I’m late to the party. But hey, I was greeted by just a small crowd and had free rein over a full range of bakes. Not sure if I’d have the same luck on the weekend, though.

The glass-fronted counter housed 2 simple shelves of bakes — a 7-flavour assortment of shio pan lined up neatly in wooden crates on the top, and carefully plated cake slices on the bottom. Oh, what a sight to behold. I witnessed as several passers-by let their sights linger on the display; I would’ve as well.

All that you find at Butter Town is made from scratch and baked on-site. Yes, all that within the confines of a hawker stall. You can’t tell me that isn’t impressive!

What I tried at Butter Town

Well, they’re called Butter Town; of course, I had to start with their shio pan. I must’ve mulled over the selection for a good 5 minutes before I settled on the 3 I wanted to try most: O.G. (S$2), Scallion (S$2.40) and Maple Bacon (S$2.60).

These golden brown-hued breads were served on a plate bearing the stall’s name in their signature font — how cute! They seemed to have been briefly toasted as well, as they were warm to the touch.

For the uninitiated, shio pan is a Japanese-style salt bread that’s shaped like a crescent. When done right, it has a texture reminiscent of a cross between a croissant and a bread roll.

Having tasted authentic shio pan from its motherland, my expectations for Butter Town’s O.G. Shio Pan were pretty high. However, it bore a closer resemblance to a plain buttered bread roll you’d find in a traditional bakery. Hmm…

And how quickly my initial scepticism was proven wrong! The bread went down with an audible crisp as I tore it apart, giving way to a simultaneously stretchy and fluffy interior that unfurled like croissant layers would.

The bread was well-balanced in flavour as well. The delicate salt flakes that adorned its surface provided a pleasant contrast to the incredibly buttery bread, which carried subtle sweet undertones reminiscent of tangzhong.

With a pillowy soft interior complemented by a perfect crisp on the outside, this shio pan was impressive and, dare I say, surpassed several versions I’ve sampled from authentic Japanese bakeries.

As a huge fan of Taiwanese scallion pancakes and bread, I eagerly dug into the Scallion Shio Pan next.

To my dismay, the bread itself lacked the sharp onion-like aroma of scallions that I was hoping for; only the parts embellished with scallion flakes came close enough. However, I understand that crafting uniquely flavoured dough for each type of shio pan would be quite labour-intensive. In that regard, I deem it rather satisfactory.

While the Scallion Shio Pan was underwhelming in flavour, one thing’s for sure — Butter Town has a really solid shio pan base. Its butteriness and crispiness were spot-on all around.

“Looks like the O.G. Shio Pan got a suntan,” I quipped as I picked up the Maple Bacon Shio Pan, my final piece. It sported a darker shade than the rest, which I presume was due to the caramelisation of the maple syrup; its deep brown underside seemed to confirm this.

Bacon and maple syrup… It’s brunch in a compact bun! No wonder this is one of their best-sellers.

I was intrigued by how the slice of turkey bacon within was cleverly woven between the layers of dough. What a thoughtful choice to ensure that we get bites of equal parts bacon and bread!

I enjoyed the flavour contrast between the savoury bacon, buttery bread and the sweet drizzle of maple syrup that pleasantly punctuated every bite. However, I did wish that the bacon imparted more of a smoky nuance, which would’ve elevated the shio pan as a whole.

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Harking back to what I said in the beginning, what can’t hawker bakeries do? Get this — Butter Town offers chicken curry sets such as the Chicken Curry & Butter Corn Rice Set (S$4.50/S$6.50) and Chicken Curry & Shio Pan Set (S$7). Having already eaten my fill of shio pan, I opted for a small portion of the former.

The Hainan-style chicken curry was served in a large bowl, accompanied by a plate of white rice topped with several sweet corn kernels.

Boy, was I surprised by the curry. It was aromatic, robust and surprisingly spicy, balanced out by the creamy coconut milk. Above all, I was thoroughly impressed by how a bakery could nail the complexities of a curry just like the pros do.

I couldn’t resist dipping the shio pan in the curry. Not only did the pairing work perfectly, but I also managed to sop up every last drop of that delicious curry.

I’ve had so much praise for the curry itself that I forgot to mention that it was loaded with ingredients: a whole chicken drumstick, a succulent mid-joint, 2 sizable chunks of fork-tender potato and a single carrot. I particularly enjoyed the chicken — the meat, thoroughly infused with the delectable curry flavours, fell off the bone at the prod of my fork.

In retrospect, it’s almost unbelievable that this entire set cost me just S$4.50. I’ve paid more for smaller (and subpar) versions elsewhere.

Oh, did you think I was done? Nah, time for dessert! The raging chocoholic in me went straight for the Triple Chocolate Sourdough Cake (S$4.80).

My first forkful can only be described as out of this world. This decadent treat was soft and spongy yet dense and moist, with a bittersweetness that was perfectly complemented by crunchy chocolate balls and a layer of creamy ganache. 

The best part? It isn’t too sweet nor jelak. Trust me, even the 0% sugar enthusiasts will polish off the whole slice. You know what? I’ll just get the Whole Cake (S$38) on my next visit.

I was about done for the day until I laid eyes on the Gula Melaka Pistachio Pandan Sourdough Cake (S$3.50). This little light green creation looked like a lush garden in chiffon cake form, with a smear of brown gula melaka topped with crushed pistachios and edible petals.

The cake was cottony soft and moister than most others I’ve tried. It was fragrant and pleasantly sweet, with pronounced notes of pandan and coconut that perfumed every mouthful.

However, a gripe of mine would be how out of place the pistachio felt in this. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the crunch. It just felt like a completely discrete element flavour-wise, neither subtracting from nor complementing the cake.

Final Thoughts

And there we have it, another hawker bakery that has left me thoroughly impressed. One of the things I loved most about Butter Town has to be the sheer range of bakes on offer; I mean, shio pan, sourdough cakes and curry chicken? You could take care of breakfast, lunch and dessert here.

Several stand-outs I’ll definitely return for include the dreamy Triple Chocolate Sourdough Cake, Chicken Curry and, of course, the O.G. Shio Pan, which could easily contend for one of my personal favourite takes on shio pan. These aside, the other bakes aren’t shabby either and offer great value for money in terms of quality.

Expected damage: S$2 – S$7 per pax

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