Singaporean pastry chef Cherish Finden is to open her own pâtisserie in the City of London next week, serving her take on savouries such as sausage shokupan and pork floss buns as well as original creations including a chocolate teapot and lemon and raspberry-flavoured mini handbags.

Shiok! – pronounced “shook”, a Singlish term of approbation meaning “yummy” or “delicious” – is next door to the new Pan Pacific hotel in Houndsditch, which has interiors designed by Tom Dixon. Cherish was appointed executive pastry chef last year, and already masterminds a lavish afternoon tea served in the hotel’s Orchid Lounge.

Known to a wider audience as a judge on Channel 4’s Bake Off: The Professionals, Cherish moved to London in 2001 as pastry chef at the Langham Hotel and has also worked as development chef at Godiva. She was still based in Singapore when she won a gold medal for pastry at the Culinary Olympics in Germany.

Having began her career as a chocolatier, Cherish attended art school on her days off to develop the technical skills that enable her to create delectable mini-sculptures. 

“For me, pastry is not cooking but edible art and I love to create beautiful magical things, especially out of chocolate,” she says.

Shiok! is open from 7am on weekdays and 10am on weekends until 6pm for takeaway as well as 25 sit-down customers. Drinks include tea, coffee and a selection of fizz from Singapore bubble tea to French champagne.