Pantry Story began as an outlet for Mutiara Sucipto, then a student baker, to sell her pan-Asian inspired creations via Instagram during the pandemic. The operation – which Sucipto runs with her partner and fellow baker Hari Wibowo – quickly snowballed into a market pop-up. Today it’s a fully fledged bakery on Parramatta Road in Sydney’s inner west.

Unlike most bakeries, where pastries are kept behind a glass counter, Pantry Story’s menu revolves around a large circular display table in the middle of the room. On it you might find the bakery’s biggest hit – a fudgy brownie mochi (“Brochi”) inspired by Sucipto’s Chinese-Indonesian heritage – alongside fluffy green buns filled with pandan custard, kimchi and cheese focaccia, and brisket hand pies.

The bakery’s cathedral-like ceiling, accented by off-white beams, is a welcome contrast to the nondescript storefront. To let the ceiling star, the rest of Pantry Story’s fit-out has been kept minimal: a neutral palette, bench seating and a large countertop to house the coffee machine (which doses beans from Stitch Coffee). Spot the pug statue, an ode to the couple’s pet pug Taro.