A new patisserie has opened up without fanfare in Canning Garden, and has garnered a devoted following for those in the know – the ones like myself, who have had the privilege of tasting the delectable desserts which Jackie Yau would bring to private lunches and dinners.
Located in a bungalow at 6, Persiaran Woods, Canning Garden, Jackie and her two partners, Wai May & Elaine Lim are baking up a storm with yummilicious cakes, pastries, cookies, tarts and all manner of things sweet. And the occasional savoury.
Called 5 Loaves, with the sign being terribly inconspicuous, the bakery is spotlessly spic and span with a warm and welcoming interior where you can sit and wait to pick up your order. Regrettably you can’t sit and eat there as space is limited and they are not geared for service other than to fulfil your orders.
As the readers of my column may be aware, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but on the day I went to talk to the 3 partners, I found myself irresistibly drawn to their temptations which they had laid out on the table for me to photograph. And did I ever succumb, with or without sweet tooth.
For starters, what I really appreciate is that all their pastries are made with butter….not with trans fat laden margarine or shortening which most commercial baked goods are notorious for. And they are generous with it, giving all their pastries that dairy, moist mouthfeel that only real butter produces.
I can rave on about every single item in their repertoire but here I will single out some items which I had the pleasure to taste. Their Cempedak ‘loaf’ which is a pound cake chockful with that most fragrant cousin of jackfruit, is moist and melts in the mouth – RM18. Other ‘loaves’ include carrot and plain butter at RM16 per loaf. Add RM2 for cheese cream frosting.
The one cupcake which I tasted and thought I had died and gone to heaven was their Durian Hokkaido Cupcakes which are sold in portions of 16 pcs at RM3.50 each. These are an extra light and extra fluffy cupcake base using less flour and filled with a generous dose of durian cream. I ordered some once for a friend’s birthday and they were wolfed down in a jiffy with people clamouring for more. Orders in excess of a portion can be in multiples of half a portion, e.g., 1.5 portion of 24 pcs. Only during durian season. Otherwise their original Hokkaido Cupcakes cost RM2.50 each and selling at the same portions as the Durian cupcakes.
Of course, one of the drawing card of cupcakes is their versatility in having the most creative of decorative toppings. Again made from pure butter, cream or cream cheese, these toppings can be fashioned to appeal to all ages and esthetics. The cartoon cupcakes featured here were made for a children’s party while the more whimsical topping with the carrot told of its more prosaic base of carrot cake, elevated to gourmet standards with its moist nuttiness. Another one, the chocolate banana cupcake was oozing banana with the chocolate providing a delightful bitterness. All cupcakes come in small, medium and large sizes at RM2.40/RM3.75/RM5 each. A minimum order of 30 pieces for the small and 20 pieces for the medium and large is required. These can be topped with your choice of decoration.
On the savouries, they are beginning to test the market with chicken curry tarts which I can vouch for, having tasted a few and finding them to be even more interesting than regular curry puffs, which tend to be filled with potato and little chicken. These curry tarts are small but the filling is full of chicken chunks and the tart shell is wonderfully crispy crumbly, remaining so even after 2 days in the fridge. Which was how long I kept them after bringing them home. They also have beef tarts and lemon meringue tarts and other sweet tarts. Minimum 20 pieces at RM1.80 each.
The range of baked goods from 5 Loaves is extensive, from cookies to cakes to tarts and if this creative trio will continue to experiment and bring out new items, we can look forward to a cornucopia of delectable pastries from 5 Loaves.
5 Loaves No. 6, Persiaran Woods, Canning Garden. For orders: 012 512 3977; 012 500 7792; 012 648 4802. Some items can be picked up the same day but a 2-day notice is preferred.