Pawa Bakery

($3.80) finally tried their bagel after they opened new store at plaza singapura. So I think it's quite not that hard to chew thru. I didn't expected tat they got mochi with red bean inside the bagel. But the matcha taste was still ok 👌 and but I will be coming back for more flavour and probably in future if got bagel craving ?

Found out all about this new bakery that had recently opened its doors at the ground level of PLUS in the early part of 2024. For those whom are not familiar with the name of the building, PLUS is essentially what used to be known as 20 Cecil Street that is linked to CapitaSpring and Republic Plaza. PLUS had been seeing the entrance of quite a few new players in the F&B scene in the last couple of months — this includes the likes of Aunty Fatso Coffee & Toast 肥嫂咖啡吐司 that had opened its doors at the corner unit of the building which used to be occupied by a now-defunct outlet of Fun Toast. Pawa Bakery is located right beside Aunty Fatso Coffee & Toast, taking up a space that used to be tenanted by the now-defunct Flash Coffee. Pawa Bakery actually dedicates much of its interior space to their food preparation area; as such, the establishment operates as a takeaway bakery much like what one would be familiar with in the heartlands — the only difference here being the Pawa Bakery bearing a look that is more upscale than its neighbourhood counterparts to fit in to the vibes of a bakery situated in the Central Business District. The interior comes with a white aesthetic and fittings with metallic finishings; one can also find furnishings that carries a wooden accent as well to help balance the look and vibe of the space. Pastries and breads are stocked up all around, with items such as bagels, chilled breads with cream filling, eclairs, buns, egg tarts and bread loaves filling the display shelves, cabinets and chillers for patrons to pick and place on the tray themselves. Interestingly, Pawa Bakery does serve up espresso-based coffee served out of a hotel-style coffee machine, which sets it apart from most bakeries of its type.

Had ordered quite a number of items during our visit to Pawa Bakery considering how we had dropped by during lunch hour and intended to have their offerings as a meals. We were quite spoilt for choice when it came to what to go for, but the Chocolate Mochi stands out for being something which we found to be rather different from what is expected from its name. Based on the namesake, one would expect the Chocolate Mochi that is a soft bun that comes with a stretchy mochi filling within that comes with chocolate flavour. One look at the Chocolate Mochi however and it was clear that this isn’t quite that; instead, the looks resembles that of the Brazilian cheese bread which is also known as Pão de queijo — all that whilst being speckled with chocolate chips all around for a chocolate-y note. Chewing into the Chocolate Mochi, that was indeed what it was; no doubt that there is a lingering hint of bittersweet chocolate that goes around the tastebud as what chews upon it — there is a also a soft yet chewy texture that goes around, not to mention the light hint of savouriness that forms part of the underlying flavour for the Chocolate Mochi. We have had it when it at a time where it has been sitting on the display for quite a while; the texture would definitely work better if this was served warm. The knobs of chocolate chips helped to further enhance the chocolatey notes of the Chocolate Mochi.

Meanwhile, the Cream Bun itself came with bread which came with a consistency that is pretty close to that of a typical bun that one can obtain from the neighbourhood bakery; it even comes with a glossy sheen, and is piped with fresh cream in the middle and dusted with icing sugar — this is also one of the few items of which are stocked in the display chiller rather than in the open or in cabinets. We were being told by the staff behind the cashier to consume the Cream Bun as soon as possible to ensure the freshness of the fresh cream — sure enough the fresh cream here was the highlight being all smooth and aptly dense. There is a bit of a luscious mouth feel for the fresh cream without being too heavy; we were initially a bit concerned if the Cream Bun will carry a heavy note of buttermilk, but we found our worries unfounded. The bread itself was light and airy, though carries a good bite when chewed apart. We also tried the Egg Tart — the Egg Tart here seemingly coming with the layered crust that one would expect it to be buttery and flaky.

The ones here does look a little bit closer to that of Portuguese-style egg tarts with its egg curd coming in speckles of browned, but certainly delivered in terms of those aforementioned expectations, whilst also being not particularly greasy and hence were a delight to eat; the egg curd was a little runny — exudes just the right touch of sweetness whilst still carrying an eggy note. Overall, Pawa Bakery does serve up some really decent and quality bakes in the Central Business District; one would usually think of such bakeries in town needing to be a touch above what most neighbourhood bakeries have to offer, and it seems that Pawa Bakery has got that right at least based on the items that we had tried. The prices of their offerings do vary, though most of their items, including the bagels, are priced at $5 — the only exception we noticed were the Mini Chicken Burgers that are sold in pairs that are priced at $5.80 per box. Given the level of quality of items that they have to offer, Pawa Bakery does seem like a promising spot that office folks would appreciate having around to grab a light bite before the head into office for the day.