I've seen Gong Dessert pop up at festivals around the Bay sooo many times but always missed out because they sell out fast. So when I saw they were doing a pop-up collab "Ăn Sáng" with Nhà Cafe at Van Bakery in Lion Plaza... I knew I had to lock in and ordered ahead of time.
Pulled up around 12PM and the line was long, stretching from the bakery all the way to Pho Hoa, and that was just for pickup orders. Waited about 40 minutes for my turn.
The setup was really cute. They had these small tables and chairs for people to sit and eat right there, really gave that Vietnamese street breakfast vibe. They even had one of those convex round mirrors hanging on a wooden column for people to take pics, such a small detail but so aesthetic and smart PR ngl.
There were only like 4 staff (including the baker/owner himself) running everything but they worked efficiently and were very friendly.
I ordered the "Fried Fish" Bun, Pork Floss Croissant, and Pandan Coconut Bun.
My fave was DEFINITELY the "Fried Fish" Bun. It's a creative take on chả cá lã vọng, and even as someone who doesn't usually go for fish, I really enjoyed it. The fish was fresh, and the combination of dill mayo and grilled onions worked really well.
The pork floss croissant was a bit smaller than regular artisan croissants, but for the price $6 it was fair. The flavor was nicely balanced between sweet, savory, and buttery. I love how fine the pork floss was.
Didn't get to try the pandan coconut bun myself, but this is the exact feedback from the person who tried it (he doesn't like coconut but i do lol) "the outer part was very good, but middle was coconut which i don't like, i ate all around the middle hahaha, i think you would have really liked it, i just don't prefer coconut, but otherwise it was really good".
Overall, such a fun pop-up experience. Even with the long wait, the vibe, the creativity, and the quality made it worth it. Definitely gonna keep an eye out for future drops from Droo The Baker because they really doing something special. read more