Janie The Bakery isn’t exactly a new establishment at this point of time. Situated at Katong Shopping Centre, Janie The Bakery is pretty much a hidden gem on its own — located at the second floor of the shopping centre, Janie The Bakery is an establishment that prides itself over bread-making, and is named after the founder’s mother as she has been their biggest supporter in their journey of bread-making. Occupying a pretty large-sized shop unit at Katong Shopping Centre, Janie The Bakery is segmented into two sections — one that is dedicated to the bakery which deals with pre-orders, and the other being their toast bar which serves walk-in patrons. The layout of Janie The Bakery as an F&B establishment can be said as a little atypical — patrons will see the small dine-in section for the toast bar first upon finding Janie The Bakery; the dine-in section being designed in a pretty rustic theme with antique wooden furnishings against cement-esque walls and tiled flooring. Items from the bakery available for dine-in at the toast bar are also prominently displayed in the wooden display shelf as well. It is also noted that the dine-in space is a little bit on the smaller side; comprises of one dining table good for two pax, and a high table that is good for three pax. To make an order, one would need to enter the bakery section that has been segregated by a glass door — the counter being the same one that one would make orders and pay from, as well as make their collection for their pre-orders from the bakery. Specialising in old-world European-style sourdough breads, the toast bar menu features open-faced sourdough roasts coming in various spreads; intriguing spreads offered include a Homemade Hummus, Anchovies & EVOO, as well as Fermented Beancurd. Drinks available on a daily basis include hot tea, as well as bottled Santa Vittoria-branded beverages for those whom would prefer something cold; available on a rotation basis would be a variety of homemade teas.

Having skimmed through the menu of Sourdough Toasts that they serve up at their toast bar, we found ourselves going for the Sourdough Toast with Homemade Kaya & Butter — one that had undeniably caught our attention considering our love for kaya and butter toasts and the rendition of the Sourdough Toast with Homemade Kaya & Butter comes with homemade kaya. Prepared upon order, the sourdough toast arrives the table all warm — features a slice of their sourdough toast that is sliced into two pieces, spread with a serving of their homemade kaya and topped with a cube of butter on each slice of the sourdough toast. Considering how we had actually hit Janie The Bakery up as a second location for lunch, we hadn’t got much stomach capacity and thought that our experience here will be compromised as such; we actually found their rendition of the Sourdough Toast with Homemade Kaya & Butter so wonderfully done that it was still especially enjoyable even though we were not that hungry to begin with. The sourdough toast is wonderfully made and really shows how they know their stuff — the crusty exterior is what one would expect out of such European-style breads, all that whilst the interior of the bread comes all fluffy and chewy; comes with a bit of tension to pull apart whilst carrying a noticeable tanginess from the fermentation process in the making of the sourdough. All is on point with the toast — textures, flavours etc., while we were actually pretty surprised with how they have created their very own Hainanese-style kaya (i.e. brown kaya) as opposed to the Nyonya-style kaya (i.e. green kaya) that most establishments making their own kaya would do. The kaya here comes with a glossy sheen; nothing near to the gloopy and dull commercially-made kaya we are used to seeing. There is a prominent hint of coconut and Gula Melaka that can be detected without being overly sweet; there is also sufficient butter to go around to provide a smoother texture without being unnecessarily salty.

We came to Janie The Bakery hearing positive reviews of their sourdough loaves and breads served out of their bakery and we must say that they are sort of a hidden gem that is waiting to be uncovered. That being said, some residents in the area have come to know of Janie The Bakery’s existence with a small handful of patrons trickling in every now and then to pick up some bread during our visit. Having tried both the Sourdough Toast with Homemade Kaya & Butter and the Sesame Castella, it really seems that the folks at Janie The Bakery seem to know what they are doing — their sourdough toasts are especially stellar; one that we would think is comparable to more established names in the bread-making scene such as that of The Bakery by Woodlands Sourdough, MICRO bakery | kitchen and Starter Lab. We also think that their homemade elements are a showcase of their passion in food; one that could speak about the time and effort that they have put into the craft, and their dedication and sincerity in serving up only their very best to their patrons. Considering how much emphasis they have placed in the details on everything it serves as a bakery, it is also little wonder how Janie The Bakery is of a scale that seems to be smaller than the other more established names in the bread-making scene; Janie The Bakery does seem like that spot that is especially fixated and obsessed with quality control, and being of this scale ensures that whilst making the operations still manageable for the folks behind it. For those who are still looking out for spots serving up simple yet sourdough toasts, Janie The Bakery is the spot to hit; just note that the dine-in space is fairly limited here. We wish the folks behind Janie The Bakery all the best in what is to come; we would also probably be back to give the Sourdough Toast with Fermented Beancurd a go some time soon!