The Egyptian Baker: Egyptian pastries at Joo Chiat

Joo Chiat continues to surprise me, with the unique concepts that spring up ever so often — you’ll find new and innovative food concepts coexisting with local favourites that’ve withstood the test of time. 

Tucked away along the corner of a row of shops, situated across the road from the stalwart Kim Choo Kueh Chang and a few units down from sourdough specialist Pelle and Pepe, sits The Egyptian Baker, a quaint, small bakery that opened in the first week of January.

Once you step into the tiny space, you’re enthusiastically greeted by its owner, Maha Elsahhar, 43, and a wonderful aroma of spices that I reckon most Singaporeans will find unfamiliar.

Meet the Egyptian baker 

Maha, an Egyptian educated in the UK, helms the little bakery as a one-woman-show. She’s a self-taught baker who is a big fan of the TV series The Great British Bake Off.

She’d previously been a professional boxer back in the UK, but when she relocated here with her husband in 2016, she found that it was no longer feasible to continue boxing professionally.

She found herself running a home-based business as a baker, where she first experimented with making birthday cakes for her children. She’d started with a Toy Story-themed cake for her son, which Maha tells us he ended up hating so much that he cried. 

But Maha has come a long way — her online business, which specialised mainly in customised cakes, has since expanded to include Egyptian bakes, and now, a physical storefront. 

She’d realised that while Singapore was a great melting pot of Southeast and East Asian food, it wasn’t quite the same case for Middle Eastern food. 

“When I first arrived in Singapore, you could hardly find any decent Middle Eastern food,” recalls Maha, though she says it’s gotten a lot better these days. 

With her bubbly, people-loving personality, Maha found Joo Chiat to be the perfect place to set up. 

“I love how people here are somewhat friendlier and more laidback than in most other parts of Singapore,” muses Maha. “Sometimes it feels like you’re in Bali over here!”

Savoury pastries 

Maha bakes every single one of her pastries from scratch daily, which is an incredible feat considering how extensive her menu is. 

Egyptian bakes are quite the novelty to me — and I’d imagine to most of my fellow Singaporeans, too.

We first tried the za’atar croissant (S$5.50). Za’atar is a Middle Eastern herb and spice blend, often featuring dried thyme or hyssop, sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt. The resulting flavour profile is earthy and nutty, with a distinct citrusy note from the sumac. 

This is a Middle Eastern take on the traditional French pastry, though Maha’s version is denser and a lot more savoury, owing to its za’atar topping, while being equally flaky.

The spinach fatayir (S$4) was yet another pleasant surprise. It is a triangular shaped pastry filled with a savoury mixture that stars spinach, olives and diced onions. The pastry resembles a thick chicken-pie casing, but biting into it proves otherwise — it’s actually a lot closer to a light, but firm bread!

The pastry itself is chock-full of spinach, alongside some diced onions that are soft, yet still firm to the bite. As someone who wouldn’t go out of my way for veggies, I could see myself reaching out for this again. 

I really enjoyed the halloumi puff (S$4), a simple and fuss-free snack of halloumi encased in a puff pastry that turned out to be unexpectedly addictive. Since halloumi is a non-melting cheese, you get to enjoy the salty, savoury flavour of the filling, without it oozing out messily onto your fingers.

Another interesting pastry we tried was the muhammara manakeesh (S$3.50), which Maha described as Egyptian pizza bread. Manakeesh is a pastry made of plain dough, flattened like pizza, and then usually topped off with za’atar filling before it’s baked in the oven. Maha’s version replaces the za’atar with muhammara, a mixture of roasted red peppers with walnuts and pomegranate molasses.  

On first bite, it truly does remind you of pizza bread, albeit with a fluffier and softer bread base, made slightly spicy and herbaceous from the muhammara filling.

Sweet bakes 

Perhaps one ingredient we might all find familiar is kadayif, which the kunafe cookie (S$4.50) features prominently. It’s a bite-sized twist on the original kunafe dessert, which layers kadayif with cheese and sweet syrup before topping it off with pistachios. 

Maha’s take on the kunafe cookie is simpler, coating kadayif in a chocolatey layer and topping it off with rose petals and crushed pistachios. One bite of this addictive, sweet, and crunchy snack will keep you going back for more. 

If you’ve tried the viral Korean Dubai chewy cookie dessert, I implore you to give this cookie a shot — it’s miles better.  

Maha keeps a few staples as fixed items on the menu, while changing things up frequently. For now, Maha has some Ramadan favourites on rotation. 

Maha recommended we try a Ramadan staple, the Snickers Date (S$12). I’m glad we took up her recommendation because I fell in love with it. 

It comprises a smooth combination of chocolate and peanut butter, which renders its taste closer to a Reese’s peanut butter cup, slathered over a caramelly base of Snickers and Medjool dates.

Maha tells us she only uses Medjool dates despite its premium price, as no other dates can replicate its rich sweetness. 

Another Ramadan staple we tried was the amar el deen (S$5.50), a Syrian apricot paste. While it’s typically a drink, The Egyptian Baker has it viscous enough to be eaten with a teaspoon — much like a jam. 

It surprised us with its natural sweetness, which comes from the apricots in the paste, rather than an artificial sweetener. 

Given how sweet the amar el deen is, I’d recommend sharing it with a friend, unless you’re a real sweet-tooth. 

As Maha runs the bakery alone, her menu items change often and opening timings are subject to change, so it’ll be best to check her Instagram page before heading down to avoid disappointment.

If you’ve ever wondered what baked goods from halfway across the world taste like, or simply curious enough to try some flavours different from your usual bakery runs, do give The Egyptian Baker a shot! 

Looking for new spots to check out? Check out this Botanic Gardens spot serving up Asian brunch plates, or this new gelato spot with flavours like kunafa double black chocolate.