Review: Treasure Toast brings famed kaya toast and Hokkien mee from Bao Er Cafe to Bugis

You might have heard whispers of a new go-to cafe opening up in Bugis, in the form of Treasure Toast at Purvis Street. 

If that doesn’t ring a bell, then perhaps the name “Bao Er” might. If you’re tuned in on the Singapore foodie scene, you’ve probably already heard about Bao Er Cafe, the drably-lit no-frills eatery on the second floor of Balestier Plaza. It’s known for serving up kaya toast and smoke-kissed wok hei Hokkien mee that some have touted as among the best in Singapore.

It racked up so much online buzz — both critical acclaim as much as cynical criticism — that the eatery became somewhat of a local sensation earlier this year, drawing long queues all day and all week long. 

With all that hype, opening a second outlet somewhere a bit more central, seemed like an obvious move, which led to Treasure Toast opening along Purvis Street in August.

The backstory

For Jeremy Tan, who owns both Bao Er Cafe and Treasure Toast, the two cafes are not his first foray into the F&B industry. 

He also runs Prawnography, where he first served up the popular Hokkien mee recipe passed down to him from his Perankan chef uncle, along with his wife Bao Er Prawnogpraphy operates as a standalone eatery in Novena Gardens and as hawker stall in Punggol.

For Treasure Toast, he has partnered up with his childhood friend (and owner of optical chain W Optics) Jeremy Wong, to set up shop. In fact, you’ll even find the mothers of both Jeremys helping out at the Purvis Street eatery.

Our verdict

Treasure Toast is a place that takes traditional Singapore breakfast seriously, with above-average kaya toast and fried bee hoon,  among other things. That said, while it definitely has Bao Er Cafe’s DNA firmly rooted in its menu, the standard falls a tad short compared to its sister outlet.

On the bright side, you get to skip the queues at Bao Er Cafe. If you’ve experienced the somewhat chaotic ordering situation and long waits at Bao Er Cafe, this larger, fancier, and air-conditioned outlet, will feel a lot more bearable. Don’t get us wrong though, it still gets quite crowded on weekends, but less so than Bao Er, for now.

When I came at 4.30pm on a Sunday, the wait was about 10 to 15 minutes after placing the order for my toast and Hokkien mee. I visited a few days later at 11am on a weekday morning and it took 15 minutes for my fried rice, bee hoon, and ngoh hiang to arrive. Not too shabby, right?

Prices at Treasure Toast are slightly higher than at its sister outlet, but no surprises there as we’re sitting right smack in the city, where the rental and operational costs are bound to be higher. A kaya butter toast set costs $6 instead of $5, and a plate of Hokkien mee goes $8.80 instead of $7.

What it’s good for

It’s right in the name — the kaya butter toast set (S$6) is the star here, and it’s in a league of its own thanks to Jeremy Tan’s homemade kaya, which makes all the difference. 

The somewhat lumpy jam, made daily in-house, is aromatic and rich in coconut notes with a hint of pandan. It’s not as caramelised as some places, but just sweet enough so the other notes come through better. 

The kaya is housed together with a thin pat of cold salted butter in between two lightly-charred pieces of crunchy toast.

Could there be another spoonful of kaya and a thicker slice of butter like at Bao Er? I’d love that, but the ratio here isn’t too bad either. 

I wish I could say the soft-boiled eggs and that kopi were as good, but the eggs (which don’t taste like really good farm-fresh eggs) were overcooked and the coffee was on the diluted side. 

By normal standards, this would be a very decent plate of fried Hokkien mee (S$8.80), especially if you like the wetter style. The fresh thick noodles are slathered with a tasty-enough sauce, which gets better the longer you leave the noodles in. 

The seafood that comes with the noodles is good, with fresh plump prawns and squid that have a bouncy bite, along with soft pork belly and plenty of egg. There’s even a nice zingy chilli with just the right amount of spice and tang to brighten things up.

But I’ve tried the one from Bao Er Cafe, and I remember a superb Hokkien mee that’s packed with a lot more umami and flavour in the sauce and noodles that were just oozing with smoky wok hei. And where’s the pork lard this time round? 

While this rendition isn’t bad by any measure, but I know it can be better.

The best type of fried rice is one that’s not overly complicated, like the lup cheong fried rice (S$6). It’s a simple, quick-fix kind of meal that’s executed with just a few ingredients. Each grain of rice is well-seasoned, fluffy and not too oily, with bits of scrambled egg in every bite and just the right level of smokiness. 

The small cubes of preserved sausage are on the leaner side: firm, slightly sweet, and quite savoury. The same chilli from the Hokkien mee makes another appearance and it works beautifully, though I wouldn’t mind a different type of sambal that’s less sour.

The fried bee hoon (S$2.90) doesn’t look like much, but it is some of the best I’ve had in a while. Rather than poorly-seasoned dry clumps of noodles, the noodles are plump, moist and soaked with flavour thanks to its soy sauce, sugar, and pepper seasoning. 

It’s likely fried to order, which already makes it better than what you get at many economical bee hoon spots. The tangy chilli it comes with works brilliantly here.

What’s new at Treasure Toast are the many toppings to go with the bee hoon or other mains. These fritters, while not amazing, are all generally well-fried, though the prices of each fried fritter really add up. (At Bao Er, Jeremy only offered fried eggs, luncheon meat and chicken cutlets for sides.)

Some of the fried goodies we got include its crispy yam roll (S$2.60) with a soft, chunky bite, an almost juicy handmade fishcake (S$1.80) that’s firm and full of bounce, and a decent ngoh hiang (S$2.60) filled with pork, shrimp, and diced chestnuts. 

We also tried its luncheon meat (S$1.50) which was tasty enough, and not too salty or oily either. What’s particularly appealing is the sweet chilli dip that comes with the ngoh hiang, which tastes of garlic and onions, and leans on the wetter side. 

The most underwhelming thing on the platter is the otah (S$2), a very mild, flat thing that’s not particularly aromatic or tasty. Instead, the spiced fish meat clumps together tightly, and not in a good way.

You won’t find any special drinks here, only coffee shop-style drinks (from S$1.60) such as traditional coffees and teas, chrysanthemum tea, ginger tea, Milo, and iced lemon tea. My lime juice isn’t anything special, but it surely whetted my appetite and helped to wash down the food. 

What it could improve on

There are very good dishes here, but there are probably an equal number of dishes that don’t make the cut, especially when you compare them to Bao Er Cafe. 

Operationally, there are around five staff on hand behind the counter, and service is brisk but feels mostly curt and transactional.

Plus, the eatery’s rectangular layout and narrow walkway makes it difficult to collect your food from up front when the queue gets long — even more so when you have to make multiple trips to collect your drinks, toast, and other mains. 

Hot tip: Keep a close eye on the order number being displayed near the counter as these are not in sequence and change quickly, so you might end up with cold food if you miss your number.

Our quick takes

Is it conducive to conversation? Only during off-peak hours.

Is a reservation necessary? Treasure Toast doesn’t take reservations, so come early!

How to get there? Treasure Toast is located at the end of Purvis Street closer to Esplanade MRT Station Exit F, a 3-minute walk away.

HungryGoWhere paid for its meal at this restaurant for this review.

For more eats around Bugis, check out New Station Rice Bar, a zi char-style eatery helmed by the daughter of the famous New Station Snack Bar at Far East Plaza, and our list of Bugis eats. 

Do explore the GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Treasure Toast at Purvis Street.