At Self Raised Bread Shoppe, a Tenacious Pastry Pro Takes Viennoiserie to the Next Level

Self Raised Bread Shoppe – or its canteen-style sibling, Self Raised Snack Shoppe – is a no-brainer if you’re in the market for baked goods. They’re a pair of Sydney greats. Trays of doughnuts plump with lemon curd and topped with meringue sit next to classic Boston creams. Sliced-up slabs of airy sponge and loaded focaccias await. It’s all old-school charm: big servings, cherries on top. And with the team’s latest hire, the pastry game’s heating up.

Baker and pastry chef Yeongjin Park, the former co-owner of Darlinghurst’s Tenacious Croissant, just jumped aboard the Shoppe team. “My role is to lead Self Raised’s new viennoiserie menu,” Park tells Broadsheet. “Lead their creative direction in the pastry section.”

It’s a massive get for the three-part Self Raised team – siblings Amani and Hussein Rachid and their friend Sal Senan. Along with the bakeries, the trio’s behind Bexley North pizzeria My Mother’s Cousin and the incoming Slice Shoppe.

At Tenacious, Park was known for many things, but especially a deep-dish Portuguese tart that takes four days to make. Firm vanilla custard fills a deeply golden, flaky shell – miso caramel sticky on top. That very same pizzazz – first honed in Korea, then in Sydney – now fills the shelves in Carlton and Bexley North.

“Most of all, I love being able to make things freely. I’m trying a new concept of croissant – I’d like to add self-laced colours to the classic French croissant, and incorporate native ingredients. I [also] love fruit tarts.”

The little round tarts have pretty frilly edges, and an airy mascarpone filling. The fruit will change with the seasons. A cacio e pepe cheesecake does the salty-sweet thing well, and the pain suisse riffs on the viral Dubai chocolate bar, which is known for its creamy-crunchy pistachio centre.

“[Pastry’s] his forte,” Senan says. “We’re super excited, it’s just gonna really take Self Raised to that next level.”

@selfraisedbread