Hits after hits, Rosemead Bakery Signature Box ($38) was well worth the wait (and calories) in my opinion. Like breakfast for champions, all five freshly baked pastries were distinctly different and oh so good.

Jolted by the rich flavour at first, I enjoyed the textures of the honey-glazed Sobrassada Babka immensely. The lamination was on-point! After a quick pop into the air fryer, the flaky-crisp texture was not too heavy and the taste of the dough was very complementary to the slightly savoury minced meat. Though moreish, the heat from the spiced pork filling was a little too much for me.

And so to douse the fire from the spicy Spanish sobrassada, the Tiramisu Croissant was the perfect treat. Filled generously with creamy mascarpone filling and laminated with cultured butter, the handmade French viennoiserie pastry was buttery and not too sweet. The icing on the cake was the aromatic fermented coffee glaze which delivered that umami oomph.

Similarly, the Meyer Lemon Croissant came with a beautiful caramelised finish. No lip-puckering action here as the curd was zesty-sweet. The refreshing, bright number was well stuffed as well!

Turning up the sweetness was the Marshmallow & Peanut Butter Cookie. A fun snack to bite into, the sudachi lime vanilla-bourbon marshmallow was surprisingly fluffy. The base, on the other hand, was a contrasting traditional chewy cookie. Layered in between was a lovely mix of caramel and peanut butter flavours that was pronounced but not too overwhelming.

A little like having their signature house rolls at the comfort of my own home, the Apple-Kombu Glazed Shokupan was bangin’. Though I shouldn’t compare it to having the exact rolls at the restaurant as the smoky aroma gifted from the kiss of the hearth was somewhat halved, the air frying did bring back a bit of the crunch and char. Fluffy in the center, the milk bread was just perfect with the savoury butter.