Where to find the best buttery shio pan in Singapore

Shio pan (translated into English as “salt bread”) is a buttery, crispy-on-the-outside but chewy-on-the-inside bread roll that is slowly gaining popularity among Singaporeans. Originating from Pai Mason – a bakery in the Ehime prefecture in Japan – it is a relatively new global hit that only came about in late 2014.

The typical shio pan is brushed with butter and topped with salt flakes for an extra layer of savoury goodness. Most bakeries in Singapore, however, have added their own twist to the beloved treat through various types of fillings. Some examples include peanut butter, green onion and cream cheese, wagyu beef, and more.  

Sounds interesting? Keep scrolling to find the best places to get your hands on some delicious shio pan that everybody in the family will love.

1. Shio & Sato

If you have been keeping up with the ever-growing shio pan craze in Singapore, you would know about Shio and Sato. It is the brainchild of Masterchef Singapore 2018 runner-up Genevieve Lee, who is also the founder of the popular Sourbombe Bakery. She became “obsessed” with shio pan after trying it at a local bakery and has since experimented extensively to get the texture just right. 

Despite only having had a few pop-ups since its launch in September 2024, Shio and Sato has made quite a name for itself after going TikTok viral. In October, its pop-ups were synonymous with hour-long queues that never seemed to end. 

While past pop-ups were only around for a few weeks at a time, Shio and Sato’s current pop-up at The Centrepoint is a long-term one set to stay open until December 2025. There are currently eight shio pan flavours on sale, including the original Sea Salt Shio Pan ($3.60), which is crispy all around and the Garlic Herb Cheese Shio Pan ($5.50), which has a balanced flavour profile. Kid-friendly alternatives include the Tamago Shio Pan ($5.50) made with Japanese mayo and the Chocolate Shio Pan ($4.80) full of creamy chocolatey goodness.

Shio & Sato’s pop-up is at The Centrepoint, #01-33F/G, 176 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238843 till Dec 2025. Visit its website for more information.

2. Butter Town

What started as a humble home-based business in 2022 quickly grew into a beloved shio pan hotspot with two outlets around Singapore, and for good reason. Started by sister-duo Serene and Danielle as a hawker shop in Holland Drive Food Centre, the business grew at a pace that necessitated opening other outlets to handle the workload — including a shio pan ATM that the brand has in Woodleigh, which was launched in January 2025 and became a huge success. Even now, the original outlet at Holland Drive Market sees queues before it opens.

When we visited, Butter Town had six different shio pan flavours on display. We tried the OG Shio Pan ($2.20) that was super buttery and chewy on the inside, the Chicken Floss Shio Pan ($2.60) that was surprisingly tasty, and the Lemon Glazed Shio Pan ($2.50) that was sweet, tangy, and salty all at once. Flavours change monthly, so remember to keep an eye on Butter Town’s Instagram page to stay up to date.

Butter Town is available at 44 Holland Drive, #02-35, Singapore 270044, and 114 Lavender Street, CT HUB 2, #01-38, Singapore 338729. Visit its website for more information.

3. Hvala

Tried Butter Town’s shio pans and loved them, but want something with extra flair? Butter Town and Hvala have collaborated to launch a shio pan series in Hvala’s Raffles store. For the indecisive, you can get three mini shio pans of different flavours for $23.90. The three flavours include smoked salmon, spicy mentaiko sauce on scallops, and chicken chasu. Those looking for something unique can try the Chuck Wagyu Beef ($20.90) shio pan topped with a spicy meat sauce that really adds that extra kick of flavour.

Apart from the Raffles location, Hvala’s flagship store in Odeon has its own lineup of shio pan outside of the Butter Town collab. From Tofu and Mushroom ($15.90) shio pan paired with flavourful teriyaki sauce to the Wagyu Oyster Blade ($22.90) version, which sees medium-rare beef topped with matcha sauce, there’s something for every adventurous foodie out there.

Hvala is available at Raffles Specialist Centre, 585 North Bridge Road, #01-01, Singapore 188770, and Odeon 333, 333 North Bridge Road, Odeon Towers 333, #01-11, Singapore 188720. Visit its website for more information.

4. Gokoku Bakery

If you want shio pan from Japan, Gokoku Bakery is a popular bakery chain originating from Japan. With bread made from premium Japanese ingredients, the chain has been serving customers for more than 60 years. 

They have four flavours of shio pan, all of which are palatable flavours that both children and adults will love. The original is the Shio Butter Pan ($2.00), which the brand dubs as “probably the best shio pan in Singapore”. The other three flavours are the Rennyu Shio Butter Pan ($2.30) filled with sweet, not-too-overwhelming condensed milk cream, Peanut Shio Butter Pan ($2.30) that comes with a generous layer of peanut butter, and An Shio Butter Pan ($2.40) with chunky sweet red bean paste from Hokkaido, topped with sesame seeds that gave it a nice crunch. 

Gokoku Bakery has multiple outlets around Singapore. Click here for its store locations.

5. Bakery 1946

If you are looking for imaginative shio pan flavours, make Korean bakery Bakery 1946 your go-to. While it sells other things like croissants and bagels (they’re famous for cute fruit-shaped bread), a quick visit to the Suntec outlet showed that salt bread is its bread and butter (pardon the pun).

There are a multitude of flavours to choose from, including interesting options like the Buldak Sausage Salted Bread ($5.90) with an intensely spicy kick, Okonomiyaki Salted Bread ($5.90) topped with bonito flakes, and Green Onion Cream Cheese Salted Bread ($5.90), which has the perfect amount of sweetness from the cream cheese to balance the bread’s saltiness. Overall, the flavours are amongst the most unique of all the other shops we tried. 

Bakery 1946 is at Suntec City, Tower 3, #01-604, 8 Temasek Blvd, Singapore 038988, and Bugis Junction, M01-K1, 200 Victoria St, Singapore 18802. Visit its Instagram page for more information

6. Baker’s Bench Bakery

Since the pandemic, sourdough bakes have taken Singapore by storm. It shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise, then, that there is a bakery selling sourdough shio pan. Baker’s Bench Bakery specialises in all things sourdough, so it makes sense that it has managed to incorporate the distinct tang of sourdough into its shio pan.

There are two options available: Plain ($3.50) and Garlic ($4). The sourdough flavour is more noticeable in the plain version, but both still achieve the crisp outside and chewy inside that is quintessential in a shio pan. Once there, you can also try its 100 per cent sourdough bagels and croissants. 

Baker’s Bench Bakery is available at 6 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089820. Find out more here.

7. Butter & Friends

Fans of The Flour Department will be happy to know that every Wednesday is shio pan day at the Everton-located bakery. The new concept, named Butter & Friends by The Flour Department, recently launched in April 2025.

During our visit, we tried the Pistachio Strawberry Shio Pan ($3.80), which was stuffed with strawberry cream, had a dollop of jam, and was topped with pistachio crumbs. The menu changes weekly with shio pan prices ranging from $3 to $4, so make sure to keep an eye on Butter & Friend’s Instagram for updates about the latest flavours. Previously, they also had flavours like Matcha Pistachio, London Earl Grey Milk Tea, Sea Salt Dark Mochi, and Black Truffle.  

The Flour Department is located at 5 Everton Park, #01-36, Singapore 080005. Visit its Instagram page for more information.

8. 1816bakes

1816bakes is a small cafe (it was once a home bakery) that focuses on pre-orders with walk-in events from time to time. It is popular among those in the know, with fans having to rely on fast fingers to pre-order in advance. The menu changes from month to month, but there are three staples that never leave the menu: The OG shio pan that is so buttery and soft on the inside ($2.30), the Garlic Butter shio pan ($2.80) that masterfully combines the strong garlic flavour with the saltiness of the bun itself without being too overwhelming, and Truffle Butter ($3.30) which features a generous serving of truffle. 

With the ever-changing flavours, there’s no knowing what will be on the menu for the next month until it is posted on 1816bakes’ Instagram account. However, you can expect unique and out-of-the-box flavours if past creations are anything to go by. We are talking options such as Maple Milk Cream, Oreo Milk Cream, and Kaymak (a rich dairy product with roots in Turkey, the Balkans, and Central Asia).

1816bakes is located at 183 Jalan Pelikat, #B1-78, Singapore 537643. Order here.

9. Sugar Thieves

Another bakery that works on a pre-order basis is Sugar Thieves. While it serves other bakes such as its viral watermelon cake, the mix box of shio pan is a constant fan-fave, and for good reason. Sold in a box of six for $32, flavours are ever-changing. Some staples are the Original Salt Bun, the Spring Onion Salt Bun, and the Truffle Salt Bun. Other more varied flavours include Garlic Corn Cheese, Mentaiko and Milk Cheese, and more. 

While the bakery is only open on select days, fans rave about the shio pans and dub them worth the wait. You can get the shio pan flavours included in the month’s mix box ala carte, subject to availability.

Sugar Thieves is located at Block 333 Kreta Ayer Road, #01-23, Singapore 080333. Visit its Instagram page for more information.

10. Pawa Bakery

Pawa Bakery may seem unassuming at first, but it is quite well-known amongst bread enthusiasts, especially since it is located conveniently in the CBD. While it happens to specialise in bagels, the original shio pan is not to be missed. It uses Japanese bread flour, Anchor salted butter, and sea salt in order to achieve that perfect salty flavour. It also recently came out with a Sweet Potato Shio Pan ($3.20) that, when pulled apart, reveals perfect swirls of purple sweet potato paste. The sweetness of the paste perfectly complements the saltiness of the bread, making for a delicately balanced combination.

Pawa Bakery is located at 20 Cecil Street, #01-02, Singapore 049705. Visit the website here.

This article was originally published in Singapore Women’s Weekly.