kopitiam

We were all not to only get up early to meet for breakfast, but also get to the other side of Singapore. Singapore may be small, but seeing as none of us are early risers, this was to be an arduous task. We're proud to say that we did it anyway. Sure we were half-awake and dying to get back to dreamy sleep but the thought of soft-boiled eggs, toasted butter kaya buns and a myriad of other confectionaries the elusive old-school-style was a dream itself.

Our determination brought us to this corner coffeeshop at East Coast Road. Chin Mee Chin is said to serve kaya buns with butter, cream cones, egg tarts and soft-boiled eggs, among others, to nostalgic perfection. This, I was told, beats the Ya Kun Kaya Toast chain buns down and puts Killiney Kopitiam's coconut jam to shame. Be not fooled by the minimal amount of food (picture above) or the seeming lack of patrons (picture below) - the kopitiam's ovens were just being fired up.


At 9am on a Sunday morning, the only frenzy one would find in this hole-in-the-wall breakfast joint is in the back, where the kitchen is. This is because they would be preparing to satiate the masses who will emerge (mostly) from the doors of the nearby Church of the Holy Family. We were thus early for good reason - thanks to the insiders' information.

Walking into the coffeeshop, or kopitiam as locals call it, one gets reintroduced to the simple practicality of the past; the glossy two-toned tiled floors, initially-white-painted walls, white ceilings, electric ceiling fans and stark white lights that are complemented with easy-to-clean stainless steel display counters and countertops. As far as the aesthetics were concerned, a painting or two was hung, alongside a chinese lunar calendar. This establishment, like many of its kind, is run by the Chinese, a Chinese family I suspect.


We squeezed ourselves around a table. We weren't supposed to - the tables in this joint are meant for groups of 6 (max) and less, but we did so anyway, halfbum to halfbum. Just as my halfbum was getting comfortable, I was told that this place adheres to the self-serve system so I was to grab anything I want (not good). I was also told to keep track of what I ate (even worse) - the place apparently also adheres to the "benefit-of-the-doubt" system - you keep track of what you eat and you report it to the cashier at the end of your meal. They don't question your honesty, they simply assume you have it. So apart from the butter kaya buns, drinks and soft-boiled eggs, everything else was yours whenever you could grab hold of it. The above had to be ordered from the cashier or anyone who looks like they might be in charge.

I ordered my teh-si, kaya bun and eggs while savouring my egg tart, cream cone and luncheon meat bun. While all of these were fresh from the oven, not all of them were to my liking, the egg tarts in particular. These custard-filled tart shells were the right kind of warm but its custard was too liquid to grasp. It tasted like a coagulated mass of gelatin and sugar. On the other hand, while the cream cone tasted somewhat alien to me (as the cream, although fresh, was unsweetened - this goes against every rule of today's sugar-infused culture!), my brain was pleasantly surprised although the tastebuds were appalled.

The butter kaya bun was oily, only because I let it sit for too long and the heat had melted the butter, causing it to trickle down my arm as my mouth traipsed around the bun. The soft home-made buns that held the velvety coconut custard jam were toasted to a crisp structure before being slathered with kaya and adorned with a good-sized square of butter. The butter gave the dish an edge with its punch of saltiniess. This enhanced but did not overpower the already strong coconut and pandan flavours of the kaya.

After sitting around, ordering a second round of caffeinated drinks and picking on more confectionaries that we grabbed, we were almost done. We grabbed some of the jelly and sugar rolls (these sugar-encrusted cakes tasted just as they looked, and would have no problems passing today's sugar levels) that we hardly got to, packed it in a box and brought it home with us. Although eating the confectionaries at home was different from consuming them in-house, surely I could describe the place to whoever was eating it to recreate the atmosphere..


Tags: kaya, kaya bun, kaya toast,traditional kaya,kopitiam, coffeeshop, Singapore, Singapore kopitiam, breakfast, Chin Mee Chin, East Coast Road,