Butter Kaya Toast Set ($3.30) from Heap Seng Leong (協勝隆).
What better way to start this category than to visit one of the last remaining Hainanese-style kopitiams, that has been there since 1974. I was greeted with an extremely old-school setting and decor, which gave me a taste of what it was like back then. A nostalgic setting for me to enjoy a peaceful morning with traditional food.
Toast: 7.5/10. I really appreciated this bit of authenticity where slices of traditional white bread was used instead of the modernised versions. This was also maintained in its preparation, where the slices were toasted on a charcoal stove and scraped to remove any burnt bits. Although they was not evenly toasted, they had a wonderful aroma that you cannot get from a toaster or oven. Areas of cripsy toast contrasted the texture of fluffy white bread, and also left a subtle bitter note
Kaya & Butter: 7.5/10. Traditional Hainanese orange kaya was slathered on each toast, that was light and mildly sweet. These sandwiched thin pieces of cold butter that had a slightly salty note to give balance in taste. I would have preferred more kaya as I had areas of plain toast, but I really liked the bites that had all the components present
Overall: 7.5/10. They were not mind blowing toasts, but they were definitely rich in our traditions. While we are being exposed to a huge variety of food options and interesting new concepts, it is always nice to connect with the past as well. Heap Seng Leong is one of such avenues to do just that, and I would want to find more of these places before we might lose them for good.
The prices and opening hours may vary.