Kaya Toast

Pick your bread: a soft, fluffy white bread works best. Traditional choices are Hainanese bread or milk bread, but regular sandwich bread or Japanese shokupan are great substitutes.

Slice a thin piece of cold butter straight from the fridge — cold butter is easier to cut cleanly and melts evenly into the warm toast; room-temperature butter is too soft and tricky to work with.

Toast the bread until golden and crispy on the outside but still soft and pillowy on the inside. A toaster or skillet works well, though charcoal grilling is the traditional kopitiam method.

Once toasted, cut the bread in half into two pieces (trim off the crust first if you prefer).

Spread a generous layer of kaya (coconut jam) over one piece of toast — homemade kaya has a much richer, more aromatic coconut-pandan flavor than store-bought versions.

Lay the thin slice of cold butter on top of the kaya-covered toast.

Stack the second piece of toast on top to close the sandwich.

Let it sit for a moment — the warmth of the toast melts the butter, blending it into the kaya so they ooze together for the perfect bite.

Serve immediately alongside a soft-boiled egg and a cup of dark coffee, preferably Malaysian kopi-O, for a classic kopitiam-style breakfast. Kaya toast is best made fresh and eaten right away.