Chin Mee Chin - Singapore's nostalgic breakfast shop

Besides eating at home or in the centers, Singaporeans love to go to Chin Mee Chin, a century-old breakfast shop on East Coast Road.

Located at 204 East Coast Road, Singapore, the century-old Chin Mee Chin has a blue facade and red Chinese sign. The shop was established in 1925 as a small coffee shop and gradually became popular with locals. The original owner, Tan Hui Dong, began selling more confectionery and sweets.

Bread spread with kaya and butter served with soft-boiled eggs, tea or coffee at Chin Mei Chin. Diners can order other sweet and savory breads, filled with fish floss or sausage. Photo: Phuong Anh

For a century, the shop has welcomed generations of diners with its soft and varied pastries. The most famous dish is toasted bread spread with kaya, cheese and enjoyed with a glass of iced coffee or milo, tea. The round, soft bread is cut in half and spread with kaya, a mixture made from coconut milk, sugar, eggs, pandan leaves. The bread has a fragrant, sweet, fatty taste. Singaporeans often dip this kaya-smeared bread into a plate of soft-boiled eggs sprinkled with white pepper and soy sauce. A breakfast set of kaya toast, two soft-boiled eggs served on old but clean enamel plates and a glass of drink costs 5.6 SGD (100,000 VND),

"The bread is soft, the kaya is strangely sweet and fragrant, and the butter is rich. When I bit into that very soft bread, I understood why there is always a long line waiting to eat at this restaurant," Bich Ngan, a Vietnamese tourist, shared while enjoying this famous dish at the store.

The restaurant is located at the intersection of East Coast and Chapel streets. Photo: Eatbook

Today, the shop is a favourite destination for locals and tourists who want to learn about the culture and see how Singaporeans eat breakfast. Even on weekdays, there is always a long queue waiting for their turn.

The bakery closed for two years a few years ago. With the help of the Singapore Tourism Board to restore its past heritage, the bakery reopened in 2021. Today, the bakery has changed a lot with a more diverse menu. However, the kaya toast still retains almost the same preparation and ingredients as hundreds of years ago.

The restaurant has two indoor and outdoor dining spaces to serve visitors with wooden chairs and ceiling fans, the black and white tiled floor brings a nostalgic feeling. The indoor and outdoor spaces are both small, accommodating more than 10 tables serving a maximum of 30-40 guests at a time. In addition to dining in, visitors can order take-out. The restaurant is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 2pm and accepts last orders at 3:30pm.

Phuong Anh

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