Pantry Story has been all over my feed lately. It turns out this pretty shop is right near my place, and I’d never noticed it, because I’d only ever walked past at night. Every time I said I’d buy something, and every time I missed it. I thought it was just an Instagram place, and it turned out to be really good.
It’s an Asian-style bakery on Parramatta Road in Stanmore. The shop is a bit small and a bit out of the way, and there were so many people that the queue went out the door. It smelled great and I was really satisfied while I was eating. After, I was a bit over on calories for the day. A happy calorie bomb.
We went on a Saturday around lunchtime, and the queue was okay. The display sits on a big round white table in the middle of the shop, with everything they’ve got that day. While you queue you can look at it and decide what you want, so when you get to the counter ordering is quick. Basically once you’ve ordered you get it straight away.
Items were $6 to $15 each. Six items and a coffee came to $60, and we picked up a few more things on top of that.
Even so, I’d go before 9am if it’s a weekend. Otherwise it’s a long queue and things can sell out. People come from all over for it, locals and tourists both. It’s about a ten minute walk from Stanmore station, and there are buses too.
The shop
The decor is really pretty, and the whole place is comfortable. It smells good in there. The little breads are pretty, and so is the latte art. It looks so Korean that I wondered whether I was still in Sydney or in Seongsu-dong. It cured my Seoul sickness for a little while.
Sitting down in the morning and taking your time over a pastry would be lovely. I’m a working person and don’t have the time, so I took mine away. There’s somewhere to sit if you want to. There’s no wifi, but you can charge your phone.
The savoury ones were the best
I didn’t expect the best things in a bakery to be the savoury ones, but they were.
Beef pie. The beef and the beef sauce are blended well, and the beef comes in big soft chunks. The pastry is really crisp. One bite and I was satisfied.
Prawn and chicken roll. The seasoning is very close to the prawn dumplings at Cantonese yum cha, mixed with chicken. It’s a bit like siu mai. I was so hungry I forgot to photograph the cut side. I’d recommend it.
Spinach croissant. The filling was fine. What stood out was how crisp the pastry was.
Kimcheese focaccia and mushroom focaccia. Both are greasier than a traditional focaccia, and the bread is really soft.
The sweet ones
Pandan bun. The outside is a bit sweet, but it isn’t cloying. Crisp shell, soft inside, a bit like a cinnamon roll. The more you chew, the more fragrant it gets. The green is very bright. It looks like food colouring.
Chocolate croissant. If you like chocolate, just buy it. The chocolate is rich and the pastry is flaky. Really good.
Black sesame cheesecake. Black sesame, mochi and cheesecake is a combination I like. The pastry on the outside is very crisp, and you get a proper crack when you bite. The black sesame is a runny centre with lots of sesame crumbs in it, very rich. The layers go sesame crumbs, then cheesecake, then mochi, then pastry. The chew of the mochi, the creaminess of the cheesecake and the richness of the sesame go well together, and it’s a bit addictive.
Coffee
Flat white. It’s listed as a white at $4.50, and we were charged $5. No idea why. It was a warm, comforting cup.
Would I go back?
I wouldn’t make a special trip for it. If I’m passing, I’ll go and try something new. The laminated pastry is done really well, and there are so many different items that every visit could be different. I prefer the savoury ones, but the sweet ones are good too.
Where it is
336 Parramatta Road, Stanmore NSW 2048. Listings say it opens at 8am and runs until things sell out.
More Sydney food finds: KMALL09 City, and there are more cafe and bakery write-ups in our dessert cafes category.