Charcoal, Matcha and Earl Grey croissants are just a few of the fabulous flavours currently on offer at Bite & Savor. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Bite & Savor is a new bakery in the heart of Civic, and they’re doing things a little differently. Taking their cue from the nightlife of Asian cities, this bakery is serving French and Japanese baked goods to Canberrans throughout the day and well into the night.
Owner Sam Huang met chef Daniel Chang while working in local bakeries while he finished his degree. Sam has a love for pastry running through his veins: “My family has a similar bakery in Thailand, so even before I was at school, I was spending my time learning about the business,” he told Region.
Bite & Savor is located in East Row in the heart of the city. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Now Sam has given Daniel free rein to make creative pastries and breads at Bite & Savor. Some of his creations include luxurious traditional French-style egg tarts and fusion savoury Danishes filled with cult-favourite Lao Gan Ma chilli oil and shredded chicken.
At first, Sam was a bit unsure about the mix of flavours, but after one bite, he was a convert! And so was I: the flaky pastry is the perfect foil to the spicy, juicy chicken. And a piece of broccoli makes it practically healthy, right? Mmm, time for dessert …
Customers chose their own baked goods from a central cabinet, placing each piece on a tray with tongs before paying at the counter. There’s a scattering of tables for those who want to stick around and enjoy a coffee, with two specialty blends available for black or milk coffees, while many people choose to grab and go.
Their busy corner of the city is adjacent to nighttime venues such as Squeaky Clean and Fun Time Pony, and Sam said he was keen to create more of the late-night scene he missed from home.
“In other Asian countries, it’s very typical to have late-night food. But in Canberra, if you get hungry after 10 pm, you might starve until the next day!
“But the government is focusing on the nighttime economy, and now our neighbours are also open late. It’s a totally different world at night: it’s really vivid! The streets are crowded and we have lots of customers.”
Baker Steve (L), Sam Huang (centre) and Chef Daniel Chang (R) are behind the amazing flavours of Bite & Savor. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Open until 3 am Thursday through Saturday, the team goes through plenty of freshly baked treats to line the stomachs of partygoers, musicians, night owls, and shift workers.
The quality of their bake lies in the quality of the ingredients. Chef Daniel insists on using Lescure butter from France. Sam says this is the secret to the softness of their cakes and the flakiness of their pastries. It’s an indulgence to be sure, but I can’t argue with the results.
Lao Gan Ma and chicken savoury Danishes are the fusion pastry you didn’t know you needed. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
The team is still developing menu items and will change their flavours and fillings regularly to keep things interesting for their customers. The enticing display is already filled with so many treats, it’s difficult to choose, so I know I’ll be back again!
Bite & Savor is located on the ground floor of 45 East Row, Canberra City. They are open from 7 am to 10 pm, Monday to Wednesday, 7 am to 3 am on Thursday and Friday, and from 8 am to 3 am on Saturday. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
