Kaya butter toasts featuring house-made kaya had always intrigued me; found myself heading to Addiction Bistro by Swee Kee located at Seah Street after seeing their social media post on the said item. The establishment is not to be confused with Zheng Swee Kee; the former tenant of the space which has since moved to Burlington Square and shares a space with Hot Spot Cafe Restaurant. While there are a change of tenants, Addicted Bistro by Swee Kee hasn’t done much to the space that was previously occupied by Zheng Swee Kee apart from plastering the “Zhen Swee Kee” name across all the windows that previously bore the name of the former tenant along with the signboard. Otherwise, the interior layout as well as it’s furnishing and fittings are largely the same as before — same old nostalgic marble tables and wooden chairs, windows stuck with green-tinted sunshield and even a tabletop pay phone on the counter top; these being elements that kinda transported us back to a coffeeshop of the yesteryear. The menu at Addiction Bistro by Swee Kee is largely something one would expect out of a Hainanese coffeeshop without the tzechar elements — the main focus here would be on their Kampung Chicken Rice, though they do offer other dishes including Hainanese Pork Chop as well; otherwise, patrons do have a variety of toast and bread options to go for which includes a Luncheon Meat Toast and a Homemade Hei Bee Hiam Toast. Drinks include Nanyang-style kopi and tea, as well as other syrup-based beverages like lime juice and the usual suspects like homemade barley and canned drinks, as well as various brands of beer.

Going for the Homemade Kaya Butter Toast, the choice of toast is actually pretty interesting here — they have opted for the typical UFO bun but rather than to serve it sliced into half with Kaya and butter in the middle, they have decidedly sliced each bun into four equal slices, with each portion of their Homemade Kaya Butter Toast coming in two pieces instead. The choice of the UFO bun was a smart one — the browned sides are lightly crisp, while the bread is actually light, soft and fluffy; something different from the usual brown toasts that we often get at commercial establishments such as that of Ya Kun Kaya Toast. Each kaya toast comes spread with ample amount of kaya and also a slab of butter — a good proportion of both elements that provided a decent balance. Here, the Nyonya-style Kaya bears a bright green hue; brighter than that of the bottled kaya available at supermarkets — the kaya perfumes of a pandan and coconut-y fragrance without being particularly sweet; all that with a slightly lumpy texture. The slab of butter meanwhile provides a slightly saltish note that binds the toast and the kaya together — pretty balanced. Not forgetting to pair our Homemade Kaya Butter Toast with Kopi, the Kopi here seems to focus more on the roasty aroma of Nanyang-style Kopi; all that without being overly sweet.

Having only tried their Homemade Kaya Butter Toast, we do appreciate the effort that they have taken in making their very own kaya — not something that many establishments would do these days (with the exception of specialty cafes looking to serve up something special). Sure, the decor may be something that is left behind by their former tenants; that being said, nothing quite beats the feeling of having a simple breakfast of kaya butter toast in a rustic setting, soaking in all that vibes of simple times with a newspaper at hand — something which Addiction Bistro by Swee Kee does seem to be able to provide.