The Place There are no lack of bakeries and cafes in Katong but it is always nice to come across a hidden gem for me. Janie The Bakery located at Katong Shopping Centre is one hidden bakery which I only discovered recently. Located on level two, the relatively low-key bakery in the east has been operating for over a year, though it only expanded its space in the past two months to include a Toast Bar concept where diners get to sit down to enjoy the bakes and pastries. 

It is a no frills setting as the Toast Bar is a small and cosy space with a long wooden communal table and a small round table, with an eclectic mix of antique furniture. In fact, the adjacent bakery space is much bigger to cater to the online orders as well. 

Currently, it operates on a twice-a-week, made-to-order basis for pickup/delivery only. Tuesdays and Fridays are the bake days (orders close Sunday noon for Tuesday and Wednesday noon for Fridays), while the Toast Bar is opened daily except Wednesdays and Sundays. 

The Food Janie The Bakery specialises in old-world European style sourdough breads and the occasional pastry, a no-commercial-yeast and no-white-sugar bakery. Fillings, condiments and spreads are made in-house and from scratch. 

From the Toast Bar menu, choose from a range of sourdough toast with various fillings and a selection of bakes displayed in the wooden cabinet.  

I had the Coconut Gula Melaka Bun (S$2.50), a simple looking bun which is delicious. It is generously filled with shredded coconut soaked in Gula Melaka sauce, and the overall flavour is very well-balanced without coming across as too sweet. Highly recommended. 

I also could not resist trying the Sourdough Toast with Homemade Kaya & Butter (S$7). It is an open-faced style where the bread is slabbed with a generous amount of kaya and cubes of butter.

Fresh sourdough taste where the texture is just right for me, though the highlight has to be the kaya which is infused with subtle hints of Gula Melaka, and that makes it different from other kaya toast. 

I also managed to try the Bolo Bun ($4), a fluffy looking crispy bun which is spread with butter within. I like how every bake here is done freshly, and this Bolo Bun spots a crispy crust and is not overly buttery for the bun itself. 

Various drink options are also available such as the Homemade Lemongrass & Ginger Tea (S$1.50) I had. 

Rants The seating space is limited, though you rarely get walk-in crowd here given the obscure location on level two of the complex. 

Will I Return Again? I am glad for the existence of Janie The Bakery in the east and this is probably where I will head to for my bread fix in Katong from now onwards. I like the hole-in-the-wall concept and it also shows that if your food is good, people will hunt it down eventually. Head here for bragging rights of being a Katong insider.  

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3/5
Ambience: 3/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Janie The Bakery 
865 Mountbatten Road 
Katong Shopping Centre, #02-72 
Singapore 437844 
Tel: +65 8807 3527 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Saturday: 09:15am to 15:55pm 
Closed on Wednesday & Sunday 

Ranted by The Ranter