Food Feuds: Ya Kun Kaya Toast vs Toast Box

If chicken rice is Singapore’s national dish, then kaya toast is undeniably Singapore’s national breakfast.

Two slices of toasted bread, a slather of coconut-fragrant kaya jam, a knob of butter, soft-boiled eggs, and a cup of strong kopi — it’s a simple ensemble, but oh-so-comforting and satisfying.

It’s somthing most of us have grown up eating and we each have our own biases when we talk about the dish.

Some prefer when the toast is wafer-thin, airy and crunchy, while others prefer theirs with thick and fluffy bread. And then there’s the kaya — some want it eggy and rich, while others prefer it fragrant and balanced.

With so many brands around, which one should you go for? Or which one would you recommend to a tourist friend as the best kaya toast in Singapore?

We put two of the largest kaya toast and kopi brands to the test — Toast Box and Ya Kun Kaya Toast — read to the end to find out how the brands fared.

The feud

While no actual feud exists (or that we know of), when you ask the average Singaporean where their favourite kaya toast is, the answer will usually be “Ya Kun” or “Toast Box”.

While there are an assortment of kaya toast hidden gems and cult favourites out in the market, these two are the most ubiquitous and can be found at every CBD nook and neighbourhood mall.

That makes them the most commonly eaten and, as we know, Singaporeans can be very combative when it comes to food. Fans of both brands like to debate the virtues of their favourites.

To make it head to head, we decided to pop over to Orchard which has a Ya Kun Kaya Toast outlet and Toast Box outlet located just a stone’s throw away from each other.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast

Multiple stores islandwide.
Open: Operating hours vary across stores

Ya Kun is a brand with humble origins: It started off as a tiny stall at Telok Ayer Basin in 1944, run by founder Loi Ah Koon and his wife.

It has since become a flourishing brand at the turn of the century, now boasting a slew of franchises all over Singapore, and even overseas — it’s fair to say it’s one of, if not the most successful kaya toast brand in the history of Singapore.

For many foreigners, Ya Kun is likely to be their first exposure to Singapore-style kaya toast. While for us locals, it’s a creature comfort that many religiously visit for their morning pick-me-ups.

You know the brand has indelible cultural significance when its set A price hikes spark news headlines and Reddit discussion threads.

To make things fair across both brands, we ordered the same style of toast as a frame of reference.

Toast: 4/5

For Ya Kun, we ordered the iconic set A (kaya toast with butter set, S$6.30), which comes with two soft-boiled eggs and a drink.

Ya Kun’s kaya toast (S$3 a la carte) is the airy, wafer-thin rendition that usually crackles and snaps with each bite. Ours hit the mark for the most part, but it was a little “lao hong” (i.e. a bit less crunchy than usual) — though we did come around a busy hour.

That said, everything else was still superb. Firstly, the kaya was velvety and fragrant, with a nice balanced profile. At the same time, the rich butter perfectly complemented the butter with a touch of richness and creaminess.

Above all, the ratio between the bread, kaya and butter was immaculate, striking the perfect balance between all three components. The butter slabs aren’t huge but pretty decently sized, relative to the toast.

Eggs: 4.25/5

I think my friend put it very well: “Egg is egg”. 

Soft-boiled eggs (S$2.20 a la carte) are not a dish with crazy intricacies and, as long as the execution is sound, they are always enjoyable.

At this Ya Kun outlet, the eggs are silky and jammy — no complaints at all.

In fact, we appreciate that Ya Kun cracks the eggs for you, since we sometimes make a mess of it when we do it ourselves — the princess treatment is a nice touch and deserves an extra 0.25/5.

Someone has also told us it’s a smart method of quality assurance to ensure only properly cooked eggs are served.

Coffee: 4/5

Granted, I’m more of a specialty filter coffee drinker, than a kopi enthusiast, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Ya Kun’s iced kopi (from S$3.20 a la carte)

It’s hard to not appreciate that potency and full-body profile — especially with the delectable roast aroma and depth nicely accentuated by just the right amount of sweetness.

Final score: 81%

Toast Box

Multiple stores islandwide.
Open: Operating hours vary across stores

Compared to Ya Kun, Toast Box is a much younger entity, but it’s probably just as well-known to the average Singaporean.

Toast Box was founded in 2005 and is owned by the prolific BreadTalk Group, which also oversees brands such as Food Republic and Food Junction.

The brand began with a focus on nostalgic Nayang kopi and toast culture of the 1960s, but it has grown beyond just just a toast and it actually offers a wider range of food options.

We ordered the traditional kaya toast set (S$7.40) — basically the brand’s counterpart to set A.

Toast: 3/5

The traditional kaya toast (S$2.70 a la carte) at Toast Box is prepared with thicker slabs of white bread, which are decently fluffy and sport a slight crisp. While some might appreciate the fluffier texture more, we thought that it was quite average.

And while we had no major issues with the bread on a whole, it was the overall ratio and kaya spread itself left much to be desired. 

The brown kaya was weirdly gritty and not as fragrant, while the bread was a bit too thick and slightly dry. Perhaps a bit more generosity with the kaya and butter would help with the balance.

We did go right before peak lunch hour, so we don’t think the quality is an issue arising from the hectic lunch rush.

Eggs: 4/5

Once again: “Egg is egg.”

While not mindblowing, these soft-boiled eggs (S$2.20 a la carte) are as good as it gets and undoubtedly on par with its competitor’s rendition. 

It’s basically the same and the discrepancy in scoring is merely from the lack of “princess treatment”, which meant having to crack the eggs myself and risking egg shells in my egg, given my clumsy hands.

Coffee: 3.25/5

The iced kopi (S$3.70 a la carte) here is not bad, but slightly lacking in that robust full-bodied characteristics we look for in traditional kopi.

We found it more astringent than we would have liked, but since we are more used to the balance of specialty coffee, we do think that it might be something that avid kopi lovers would enjoy more. 

Ultimately, it does give you the caffeine kick you want and that’s what matters the most.

Final score: 68%

Our verdict

The winner: Ya Kun Kaya Toast

Do we think Ya Kun Kaya Toast is the best kaya toast in Singapore? Probably not. Based on our side-by-side visit, the toast, the eggs and the kopi were all great, though admittedly consistent quality can be a tough ask for brands with these many branches.

Ya Kun is after all an iconic institution and we’re not surprised it continues to make good toast.

On the other hand, while our Toast Box visit proved a bit more disappointing, it might also be down to the quality of the outlet that we’ve visited. We all know friends who swear by Toast Box over Ya Kun so it might be just down to preference.

That said, if you’re looking for kaya toast with fluffy toast, we think there are many better options out there.

Besides the texture, Ya Kun also has more toast but the individual toasts are thinner and smaller than toast. That might be something to consider, too!

HungryGoWhere paid for its meals at both stalls for this article.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on which places you can visit for the heartiest authentic Thai food and the revival of beloved sandwich and donut brand Korio.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Toast Box are on the GrabFood delivery service and offer free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited. 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to go on a Ya Kun or Toast Box kaya toast hunt yourself!