The founder of beloved shio pan bakery Shio & Sato returns with Cloudmills, a 25-item bakery in Orchard Towers that blends Japanese technique with tapas-inspired creativity.
Just months after fans mourned the closure of Shio & Sato, chef-baker Genevieve Lee is back. Her new concept, Cloudmills, opened last week at the back of Orchard Towers and has already drawn queues snaking out the door. The sister concept to Cloudfields café in Havelock offers 25 handcrafted bakes—from sweet and savory doughnuts to triangular salt bread and laminated pastries—priced between $2.20 and $7.20. It’s a comeback story baked in flour, fire, and ambition.
The Vibe: Simple, Unassuming, Slightly Offbeat
Tucked into a corner unit opposite Claymore Connect and facing EtonHouse International School, Cloudmills keeps things minimal. A takeaway counter and a few camping chairs outside the adjacent Japanese restaurant Ao—also under the Cloud Restaurant Group umbrella—serve as the seating area. The location requires a short trek from Orchard Road’s main drag, but early adopters say the detour is worth it.
The Food: Five Bread Bases, Endless Possibilities
Chef Gen’s menu revolves around five core bread types: doughnut, sankaku (triangle) salt bread, cake (madeleines), laminated pastries, and shokupan. Each serves as a canvas for inventive toppings and fillings.
The standout is the Unagi Moon ($7.20)—the priciest item but a justified splurge. Thick unagi slices are grilled on the bakery’s binchotan charcoal grill until oily and faintly charred, then paired with fluffy tamagoyaki and soy-marinated egg yolk inside a seeded sankaku shio pan. The bread holds firm with a crispy base and crunchy seeds that contrast the soft interior.
The banh mi ($6.90) reimagines the Vietnamese classic as a pocket-sized snack: binchotan-grilled pork, pickled carrots and radish, fresh herbs, and garlic mayo stuffed into a plain sankaku shio pan.
Savory doughnuts steal the show, inspired by Chef Gen’s love for tapas. The Pan con Tomate ($6.90) features a soft long doughnut base topped with tomato-garlic paste and salty white anchovies. The Charcuterie Board ($7.20) drips with maple glaze and fig jam, finished with brie cubes and prosciutto. An nduja mussels and fennel version ($6.90) rounds out the lineup.
Sweet options include the Blueberri Ever ($4.90)—a shockingly purple doughnut with a light glaze and blueberry compote-mascarpone center—and a Mango Mochi ($6.90) wrapped in thin mochi, though tasters found it could use more fruit and cream.
Time Out Tip: Plan Your Visit
Lines start forming by 10:45 a.m., 15 minutes before the 11 a.m. opening. Bakes often sell out within an hour. The outdoor seating area gets hot, so takeaway is recommended. Note that the kitchen currently cannot heat up orders. Thirsty? Cloudmills offers espresso-based coffee, coconut cream lattes, tiramisu lattes, and house-made cold brew teas ($5 to $10).
Rating: 4/5
Cloudmills earns points for variety, creative flavor combinations, and the ambitious binchotan grill—though the smokiness could be more pronounced in the Unagi Moon and banh mi. Pricing is a win: nothing exceeds $8, and many items sit under $5. For fans of Shio & Sato and curious foodies alike, this new bakery signals that Chef Gen’s best work may still be ahead.
Open daily from 11 a.m. until sold out. #01-01, 1 Claymore Drive, Singapore 229594.