Singapore Discovery Number 1: Kaya Toast (& toast shops)

Shortly after arriving in Singapore and checking into one's (complementary upgraded and therefore macked out) suite at the Mandarin Oriental the SO and one stepped out for some breakfast. One had bubble and squeak with ham, not sure if the potato is the bubble or the squeak but there was plenty of potato and not much veggie. Anyhow, one then suggested that we scope out the malls adjoining aforementioned macked out hotel pre-shop opening time (11am) so that one could maximise bargain hunting time when the shops did open.

A wander through Marina Square (home of located Zara Shop 2) located many gems including this great shop called Muji which one had become acquainted with in Madrid in the northern summer of 2008, but more about Muji later, now back to the food, Marina Square connects with Suntec City which is a major shopping center with about a million shops. Not the greatest shopping centre in Singapore, but worth a visit to head up to the top floor of one section to Food Republic which G&A had informed one about. Its all the best parts of a food hall and none of the bad ones, so basically its all local food prepared by locals (rather than a gritty selection of gross food found in Australian food courts). And in Food Republic, there was a place called Toast Box.

One loves toast and particularly of late, white toast with butter and honey. Toast Box toasts bread on a grill so its nice and crunchy on the outside and still beautiful and bready on the inside. Anyway, Toast Box provided a delicious entry into the Singapore world of toast and to Food Republic which one visited frequently whilst in Singapore.

Which brings one to Kaya Toast. Which one discovered at the Raffles Shopping Centre at a great little toast shop called Ya Kun which is basically an old school toast place with plenty of attitude that has been serving coffee (made in a sock and served with sweetened condensed milk) since 1944.

Now Kaya Toast is served like a sandwich with a piece of toast spread with Kaya a hunk of butter and then another slice of toast on top. Kaya, according to the folk at Wikipedia is a 'coconut jam made from coconut milk, duck or chicken eggs which are flavored by pandan leaf and sweetened with sugar'. It is sweet and delicious and highly addictive.