Ya Kun Kaya Toast Philippines: The Singaporean Traditional Breakfast Chain is Now (Back) in the Philippines

For many years, there is a lack of Malaysian and Singaporean food spots in the Philippines. But the culinary landscape is beginning to change. More and more Malaysian and Singaporean brands are entering the Philippine market. Examples are Malaysia’s Old Town Coffee, and Singapore’s Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (read my review here) and The Common Man Roasters.

Moreover, Malaysian nationals have been opening food spots, such as Mamak (review coming soon) and Bukit Bintang Hainanese Chicken Rice (read my review here).

Recently, the Singaporean kopitiam (traditional coffee shop) chain, Ya Kun Kaya Toast, has opened in One Ayala mall.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast was founded by Loi Ah Koon, a Chinese immigrant from Hainan. It started as a coffee stall in Telok Ayer Basin where it grew in popularity because of its good Kopi (local coffee sweetened with condensed milk) and Kaya (coconut and egg spread) toast. It eventually moved to Telok Ayer Market (now Lau Pa Sat), branched out to Singapore’s Central Business District and throughout the Lion City, and expanded overseas, with Indonesia as its first international location.

There used to be a Ya Kun Kaya Toast in the Philippines. But as the manager explained, they are an entirely new franchisee, one that is strictly supervised by its Singaporean counterpart. Customers, then, are assured that they’re getting authentic and quality food.

Ya Kun even has a special grill to toast their bread, showing his commitment to authenticity and quality

Speaking of quality food, here are the dishes I tried:

Chicken Laksa

Along with Hainanese Chicken Rice (or simply “Chicken Rice” to Singaporeans), Laksa is an iconic Singaporean dish. It’s a noodle soup dish that’s popular across Malaysia and Singapore, and it has regional varieties. In the Lion City, the popular kind is the Katong Laksa (named after the area of origin), which has a broth flavored with coconut milk and dried shrimp, short noodles, and toppings such as cockles, fish cakes, and shrimp.

How do I find Ya Kun’s version? I’ll say it right away: It’s one of the better Laksa I’ve had here in the Philippines! The broth is coconutty, milky, and spicy. I like that it’s rightly rich and viscous. The noodles are thin and rightly soft.

The fish cakes are bouncy, and the boiled egg and fried tofu contribute to its texture (although I wished that the tofu could absorb all the broth’s goodness). The stick of boneless fried chicken is juicy and tender, and retained a little crunch even when soaked in the broth.

Ya Kun also serves a prawn version. Too bad I’m allergic to it. (By the way, their Laksa broth has shrimp paste in it. So if you’re allergic, stay away from it. Don’t worry; I can tolerate a bit.)

Chicken Wing Nasi Lemak Istimewa

To the uninitiated, Nasi Lemak is is a dish consisting of boiled or fried egg, cucumber, ikan bilis (fried anchovies), peanuts, sambal (chilli sauce), and of course the rice, which is cooked in santan (coconut milk) and flavored with pandan (screwpine) leaves. It’s usually paired with a viand, in which ayam goreng (fried chicken) is the most popular. It’s considered the national dish of Malaysia, and is also commonly eaten in Singapore. (Check out my search for the best Nasi Lemak in Kuala Lumpur here.)

Ya Kun’s version has a flavor rice; I can certainly taste the coconut, lemongrass, and pandan. The chicken wing is tender and juicy but I wished it’s crunchier and flavored with more Malay spices. The sambal is a mix of sweet, salty, and spicy; it’s full of umami!

Steamed Bread Set

There is an option for either Kaya and Butter or Kaya and Peanut. But they ran out of Kaya spread during my visit. So I requested for peanut butter and butter instead and, thankfully, they accommodated!

The bread is very soft, and the peanut butter and butter combination is just amazing! Dip it in the soft boiled eggs concoction (meaning, soy sauce and white pepper), and it’s a melody of sweet and salty! I hope that they’ll offer my peanut butter and butter combination as a staple in their menu! LOL.

Soft-Boiled Eggs with Soy Sauce and White Pepper

And the Kopi is on the stronger side.

I had a pleasant visit to Ya Kun Kaya Toast’s latest branch here in the Philippines. They have good food and a warm staff. They even gave me a new Kopi and soft-boiled egg when I requested for a takeaway. I really hope for their success and expansion throughout the country. I highly recommend Ya Kun Kaya Toast Philippines to you!

Address: L2 One Ayala, 1 Ayala Ave. cor. EDSA, San Lorenzo, Makati City, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-8PM | Contact No.: 0966-7182111 | Facebook | Instagram