Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee: 50 y.o. charcoal-grilled traditional toast in Maxwell
For over 50 years, Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee has been providing diners in the CBD area with authentic, charcoal-grilled toast sets and traditional Hainan kopi.
No words can properly describe how much I love kaya-butter toast with soft-boiled eggs. In my humble opinion, the classic kopitiam breakfast is one of the best there is. That’s why I’m doing everyone a favour by checking out this affordable spot in Maxwell, where heritage meets modernity.
Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee is located on the second level of Amoy Street Food Centre. Yes, it’s where that lor mee stall caught fire – I checked out the scene of the crime and it looked disappointingly normal on the outside.
My mom and I had made it a point to arrive by 9.30am to beat any possible crowds. Not an easy feat in any way; we live in the West and needed to wake up early for our trip. The things I do just for food!
Upon arrival, however, we were saddened to learn that the French Toast (S$4 for 2 pcs) – a customer favourite – was already sold out! “We have limited stock,” the stall auntie informed us with a laugh. “It’s very famous and popular.”
What I tried at Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee
The first things that were served were our drinks – 2 cups of Cham C Kosong (S$1.30) – a mixture of tea and kopi with milk. In hindsight, I should’ve selected Coffee Milk (S$1.20) to try the original taste of Hainan coffee on its own. This didn’t seem to cross my mind at the time, but it was a small matter.
While fragrant, I couldn’t help but think that the black tea overpowered the coffee. Luckily, I liked it; it had a robust aroma that woke me up from the sleepiness that had followed me throughout my train journey.
It wasn’t long before we were informed that our order was done. On their own, the soft boiled Eggs cost S$1.60.
Both dark and light soya sauce as well as pepper were stationed at the stall front, and I added some of each to my egg bowl. My mom only got some light soya sauce and pepper in hers since she doesn’t like her eggs too heavily seasoned.
Funnily enough, the eggs were perfect examples of the different levels of acceptable yolk doneness. One was more runny and oozed like golden lava with a gentle touch of a spoon. This is usually the optimal – the consistency makes it perfect for dipping. Another had a jammy, slightly more solid cooked yolk, which was easy to scoop up and spread on toast.
What I was truly waiting for was the Bread Toast (S$2.40 for 2 pcs). Thin slices of toast, kiap-ing some cold butter and pandan kaya spread. They were less thick than I’d expected – one of the sides seemed nearly translucent when I took a closer look.
Charcoal grilling didn’t seem to do much to the bread. The first mention of the toasting method had given me the impression that there would be a slight scorch on the surface and a more charred taste. On the contrary, it looked paler than expected. Both sides of the bread had a tinge of brown from the grill but looked like ordinary white Nanyang loaf slices overall.
Biting into a slice, I realised that the toast had become chewier after sitting for a while and possibly soaking the moisture of the fillings. Despite the obvious lack of crunch, the toast was still satisfying and the toasted edges had maintained their crisp. A hint of warmth from the grill remained, but it disappeared quickly, much to my disappointment.
Inside, the sandwich was buttery and slightly sweet from the few small slabs of butter accompanying the thin layer of pandan-coconut spread. The kaya, though slightly eggy, created a dessert-like creaminess that made it feel like a frosting sandwich. Not the sickly sugary, jelak kind – it resembled a simpler, thinner custard.
It would be a crime to not dip the sandwich into the runny eggs. The combination of sweet and savoury is, in theory, still not very popular, but kaya toast does it so well. There wasn’t anything special worth pinpointing in my dish that made it stand out from other places, but it still tasted lovely. It’s amazing how umami soya sauce and eggs can blend harmoniously with sweet kaya to create a pleasant, familiar taste.
Final Thoughts
Kaya toast with eggs is a simple dish; nothing too special but still a well-loved taste of Singapore for many, including myself. While I’ve had better, Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee version wasn’t too bad! An area of improvement would be the bread itself – it would have been better with more crisp.
The only thing that truly concerned me was the fragments of eggshells still left in my bowl; perhaps the eggs had not been cracked properly. I was lucky not to accidentally bite down on any, but knowing that possibility existed made me feel a teensy bit uneasy.
This trip fulfilled most of my kopitiam breakfast cravings but left me curious about Ah Seng Coffee’s French Toast. Should I return for a taste next time? That is, if I can wake up early enough to grab it in time!
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