Japanese Bakery Asanoya Opens in Singapore

Industry stalwart and celebrated Japanese bakery chain Asanoya will officially open its first-ever outlet outside of Japan, right here in Singapore, on Queen Street come 15 November 2014.

Founded 1933 in Karuizawa, Japan, the Singapore bakery-cum-cafe outpost will not only feature its rustic, stone oven-baked Japanese-style bread with a European twist, range of wines and Japanese beers, but also a retail corner of imported products. 

We didn't manage to try everything, but highlights definitely include the moreish Bacon Quiche, sinfully studded with rich cubes of cream cheese, and the signature Karuizawa bread (a whole loaf spans about 55cm in diameter and weighs more than 1.2kg, priced per slice by weight) that comes in a variety of flavours—ranging from caramel and raisin to sakura.

Other noteworthy items to try include the savoury Anchovy roll, fluffy Bonjour buns made from cream cheese dough (our favourite was the version filled with a thick chocolate paste), and the Cranberry & Cheese Campagne.

If you're eating in, do ask the extremely polite staff to have your items toasted, especially those containing cheese, as that really helps elevates the entire experience—softening the denser breads, deepening the aromas, and lending a slight crustiness to the sweeter buns.

Asanoya Bakery Singapore 15 Queen Street, Wilby Central Singapore 188537

Tel: +65 67038703

Operating hours: Daily 8am to 10pm