5 Best Kaya Toast in Singapore to Eat Like a Local

Written by Sarah Ong | June 19, 2024

Image: Ya Kun Kaya Toast

1. Ya Kun Kaya Toast

Image: Ya Kun Kaya Toast

Address

18 China Street, Far East Square #01-01, Singapore 049560

Phone

+65 64383638

Opening hours

Mon to Fri 07:30 – 18:30
Sat & Sun 08:30 – 17:00

Started its business in the 1920s, Ya Kun Kaya Toast is one of the richest history and most popular kaya toast chain in Singapore with more than 40 outlets across the country

Highlights:

More than 40 outlets, conveniently located across Singapore: With outlets sprout up at most of the major shopping centres across Singapore, Ya Kun Kaya Toast is the most accessible kaya toast destination for tourists to experience a Singaporean style breakfast or for locals to have a fix of kaya toast.
Charcoal grilled toast at the original outlet: To experience the toast grilled in an original way by the “original men” of this brand at its original location, make your way to Ya Kun outlet at Far East Square. In its nostalgic atmosphere, members of the Loi family still prepare breakfasts for people enthusiastically.
Value Set Meal, a good start for first-timers: Ya Kun’s Value Sets feature the traditional way of eating Singaporean breakfast. In that way, the toast never goes alone; it is perfectly complemented by soft-boiled eggs and a hot drink of coffee or tea. Start your day with this kind of breakfast set, you will be delighted and given energy for the whole day.
Ya Kun Kaya Jar, designed to be brought home as a souvenir: Fall in love with this kind of jam? You can bring it home to experience the Singaporean breakfast once again or give it to your friends like a piece of culture of the Lion city.

THE TOAST: The toast at Ya kun is very thin and crispy, thinner than its counterpart’s and crispy as the way crackers are.

THE EGGS: Ya Kun’s soft-boiled eggs are done with consistent quality from outlet to outlet. Those hot eggs are cracked before serving.

ATMOSPHERE: Most of the Ya Kun outlets have a retro ambience while the original one at Far East Square still retains its vintage interior. People love Far East Square outlet most as the old-school charm exists on every corner of the shop.

MENU: Ya Kun’s menu mainly focuses on value sets and traditional favorites like Kaya Peanut Toast, Cheese Toast with Kaya, and Butter Sugar Toast. Besides, the menu also features all-day sides and Asian signature dishes such as Mee Siam, Laksa, and Mee Rebus.

AVERAGE PRICE/PAX: S$5

2. Killiney Kopitiam

Image: Killiney Kopitiam

Killiney Kopitiam is the oldest Hainanese coffee shop in Singapore. Today, this famous coffee shop has become a kaya toast chain with outlets in Singapore and overseas.

Highlights:

Singapore’s second-largest kaya toast chain with more than 20 outlets nationwide: Killiney Kopitiam outlets are conveniently located at popular locations to cater for both locals and tourists.
The longest history Hainanese coffee shop in Singapore: Founded in 1919, Killiney Kopitiam has been around for almost a century. The original outlet at Killiney Road has stood there since its establishment, and still retains the typical look of a Singapore’s coffee shop in colonial times.
Killiney Kopitiam’s kaya, a strong-egg-flavour version: Made with the right sweetness level and the abundance of eggs, Killiney Kopitiam’s kaya turns out as a good choice for egg lovers. Kaya jars are available to be taken away.
Hainanese style coffee with authentic flavour: Want to have a true taste of Hainanese style coffee? Have it at the original outlet of Killiney Kopitiam. The quality now still lives up to the standard set by Mr. Ah Gong, who has spent 54 years of his life in brewing coffee.
Available at Changi Airport, spreading from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3: Those who want to say “hello” or “goodbye” to the Lion city in a Singaporean unique way, visit Killiney Kopitiam outlets at Changi Airport for a taste of Singapore must-try food. Delicious and affordable kaya toast can be grabbed as a quick bite for on-the run-passengers.

MENU: Killiney Kopitiam has a small and basic menu with items served as a breakfast or snack. Diners can find bread toast, French toast, half-boiled eggs as well as mee siam, laksa, and curry chicken on its menu. The toast slices at Killiney Kopitiam are thicker than its counterparts’.

AVERAGE PRICE PER PAX: S$5

LOCATIONS:
@ Killiney Road
Address: 67 Killiney Road, Singapore 239525
Tel: 6734 9648 / 6734 3910
Opening hours:

Mon & Wed to Sat: 06:00 – 23:00
Tue, Sun & PH: 06:00 – 18:00

@ Changi Airport Terminal 1
Address: Unit #03-48, Departure/Transit Lounge East
Opening hours: 24/7

@ Changi Airport Terminal 1
Address: #02-K08, Departure Transit Lounge West
Opening hours: 24/7

@ Changi Airport Terminal 2
Address: Departure/Transit Lounge Central, Kiosk M, (Level 2)
Tel: 6542 5898
Opening hours: 24/7

@ Changi Airport Terminal 3
Address: Departure/Transit Lounge North, #03-07 Mezzanine Level

@ Upper East Coast
Address: 11 Upper East Coast Road, Singapore 455205
Tel: 6443 7628
Fax: 6443 3482
Opening hours: Daily 07:00 – 23:00

@ Sim Lim Square
Address: 1 Rochor Canal Road, #02-10 Sim Lim Square, S188504
Tel: 63389472
Opening hours: Daily 09:00 – 19:00

@ Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal
Address: 50 Tanah Merah Ferry Road, #01-02/25 Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal
Tel: 6587 5300
Opening hours: Daily 06:00 – 20:00

@ Lorong Telok
Address: 11 Lorong Telok (Off Circular Rd), Singapore 049024
Tel/ Fax: 6532 2889
Opening hours:

Mon to Fri: 06:00 – 20:00
Sat, Sun & PH: 06:00 – 18:00

@ Purvis Street
Address: 30 Purvis Street, Singapore 188607
Tel: 63377656
Opening hours:

Mon to Sat: 07:00 – 22:30
Sun & PH: 07:00 – 19:00

@ Orchard (Lucky Plaza)
Address: 304 Orchard Road, # 01-10 Lucky Plaza, S238863
Tel: 6735 7080
Opening hours: Daily 07:00 – 19:00

3. Good Morning Nanyang Cafe

Image: Katrina.alana

Good Morning Nanyang Cafe just came onto the scene of kaya toast in 2005, but this coffee shop quickly became a popular kaya toast destination for both locals and tourists. Its flagship outlet at Telok Ayer Hong Lim Green Community Centre is in operation no more but diners still can have a taste of Good Morning Nanyang Cafe’s unique flavors at its franchise outlets.

Highlights:

Kaya toast with a twist: Good Morning Nanyang Cafe adds a new flavor and value to the world of kaya toast by creating its own style. Go out of the usual way, this young establishment uses ciabatta, an Italian type of bread, in its recipes to introduce diners to a new enjoyable version of kaya toast.
Orange ciabatta kaya toast, a start dish at Good Morning Nanyang Cafe: Great texture, taste, and fragrance make this dish impressive. The ciabatta is slightly toasted, leaving the outer layer crispy and the inside soft. It becomes delightful when a hint of caramelized orange peel is added to complement the kaya and butter in a fresh and unique way.
A kaya recipe from Segamat: Good Morning Nanyang Cafe’s kaya is different yet dazzling. Its grainy texture won’t decrease the level of enjoyment but works like a vehicle for holding all the best flavours to give the palate the strongest dose in one single bite. This green and not-too-sweet kaya is freshly made every day at the shops, following a secret recipe of an old man from Segamat.
One of the best traditional coffee in Singapore: Both black coffee and coffee with condensed milk are aromatic and strong in the way traditional coffee should be. Use it as a life-saver to keep you awake.

MENU: Besides the regular ciabatta kaya toast, orange ciabatta kaya toast and half-boiled eggs served as breakfast and snack, Good Morning Nanyang Cafe also offers other options for lunch like curry chicken, curry chee cheong fun, chicken stew with rice, and Nasi Lemak.

AVERAGE PRICE PER PAX: S$4

LOCATIONS:
@ Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road, #02-23 Far East Plaza, Singapore, Singapore 228213

@ Maxwell Chambers
32 Maxwell Rd, Singapore 069115

4. Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee

Image: Mark Winn

Address

Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Rd, #02-95, Singapore 069111

Phone

+65 9710 2907

Opening hours

05:30 – 15:00 (Daily)

Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee takes pride as one of the local coffee stalls featured on the Michelin Guide. Only for that, this decades-old kopi-and-toast favorite is certainly worth checking out.

Highlights:

Old school kaya toast: Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee is one of the few remaining coffee shops in Singapore that uses the traditional way of toasting bread on charcoal. This gives the toast enough crispiness and a hint of smoked flavor.
More than 50 years of history: Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee was started by Ah Seng’s father at Lau Pa Sat in 1964. Ah Seng was his father’s little helper until he took over after ten years. The shop then relocated to Amoy Street Food Centre in 1997 and has been operating there ever since. Ah Seng still runs the stall with his wife and son.
Charcoal-toasted French Toast: This could be unusual for Westerners who are used to pan-toasted French Toast. Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee’s French Toast is a simple recipe of bread dipped in egg, toasted over charcoal, and served with kaya and butter. Yum!

THE KAYA: Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee’s serves homemade kaya that has an eggy, pandan fragrance. Loyal customers love it because it is not too sweet and not too greasy.

THE COFFEE: Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee uses aromatic Robusta coffee beans that are ground in-house. Some might find the Hainanese coffee a little bit on the bitter side. If you want a milder coffee, try the Kopi C. which is the same coffee brew with added unsweetened condensed milk. The coffee is served in quirky brown coffee cups that are more than 30 years old!

PRICES:

Kaya toast: $1.60
French toast: $3
Kopi: $0.80

GETTING THERE:

Nearest MRT Station: Tanjong Pagar (EW15), Telok Ayer (DT18)
Bus: 57, 131, 167, 167e, 186, 400, 700, 970, 971E (Walk 4 minutes from bus stop 03151)

5. Tong Ah Eating House

Image: Noodlefish

Address

35 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089143

Phone

+65 6223 5083

Opening hours

Daily 06:30 - 22:00
Closed alt Wednesdays

Tong Ah Eating House is one of the traditional coffee shops where kaya toast lovers visit for a nice cup of coffee and some kaya toast. Tong Ah serves kaya with white bread, which is not easy to get in Singapore these days.

Highlights:

New location, unchanged quality: After 75 years standing at the triangular building on Keong Saik Road as an iconic kopitiam, Tong Ah has relocated to its current place with just some stalls away from the original spot. New home, but flavors are familiar. Kaya toast and coffee are still the ones pleasing the palates of many Singaporean generations.
Extra crispy toast, a special menu item: If you want your bread toasted thrice until super crispy, ask for a thing called ‘extra crispy toast’. Tong Ah always listens to your preference and makes it best for you.

MENU: The morning menu is all about the traditional breakfast with some types of kaya toast, steamed kaya bread as well as soft-boiled eggs, steamed pork buns, and coffee. The dinner menu is more about zi char dishes like claypot tau foo, coffee ribs, and scallop rolls, but diners still can have toast and coffee.

LOOK & FEEL: New look and new environment. Most of the Tong Ah seats are inside an air-conditioned room while only some are placed in an open-air area in front of the shop. The old-world charm of the original shop is a thing that Tong Ah cannot bring along to the new address.

AVERAGE PRICE/PAX: S$5

GETTING THERE: