Remember that mystery salt bread spot we told you was coming to Chinatown?
Well, it’s officially soft open—and yes, it is salt bread.
Sio Bread has quietly opened its doors inside the old Buttermere unit, and thanks to a heads up from Noms Mag community member, @thecafebuzz (aka one of our go-to for new cafes), we swung by to see what the deal was.
Inside is a bright, minimalist café space with natural wood tones, hanging lights, and enough seating to hang out with a friend (or eat two breads by yourself, we don’t judge).
At the pastry case, we spotted a tidy row of shiny, golden baked goods.
Think glossy milk buns with fillings like tamago, Nutella, and even jamon tamago.
The customer before me and I asked: “So…is this salt bread?”
The owner and staff, who greeted us warmly in Korean when we first walked in, confirmed with a smile and a nod.
If sio bread or salt bread don’t immediately ring a bell: Sio Bread refers to Shio Pan in Japanese, also known in Korean as soggeum bbang—or more commonly, salt bread.
This bread has gone mega viral across Asia in the last few years and has recently been making its way into Metro Vancouver’s food scene this year.
The allure of salt bread lies in how it’s baked—salted butter melted inside the dough, flowing to the bottom, where the butter crisps up the base as it bakes, creating a, golden-brown base with a rich, nutty aroma.
What you get is a fluffy brioche-like bun with savoury saltiness to it.
We went with the tamago version and got it heated up.
We paired it with their “sio cream coffee,” which the owner says is huge in Korea.
If you’re a fan of einspanners or anything sweet ‘n creamy on top of bitter brew, you’re gonna vibe with this one.
Their soft opening menu is still small but tight: coffee, teas, and drinks like matcha cream lattes and aurora lemonade, alongside donburi bowls and poke (yep—salmon, tuna, and spicy variants).
It’s a unique combo for sure.
Right now, Sio Bread is in soft launch mode and is only open Wednesday to Sunday from 11AM to 3PM.
But they now join a fresh bunch of new downtown spots like Paragon Tea Room (at Pacific Centre), Chaomami Express, Cafe Marie, and Jerusalem Shawarma.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 636 Main Street, Vancouver BC