By Janness Koh

Singapore is well known for being a food paradise. We have so much diversity in the cuisines you can get your hands on. In recent years, all-day breakfast and brunch has been getting really popular and there is a regular weekend hunt for new places.

Recently, I was introduced by my cousin to a small charming French cafe called Choupinette tucked in a corner along Bukit Timah Road. While many people are already familiar with Wild Honey which serves awesome all-day breakfast too, Choupinette packs more personality and value for your money. Each set comes with your choice of juice and coffee or tea. They also serve main courses and a selection of freshly baked breads and pastries.

I love everything I had. The bread roll came warm, crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, its more chewy than doughy, just the way I like it. Nothing beats the aroma of freshly baked bread and butter in my opinion. I went with poached eggs and requested a side of hollandaise sauce which the staff was nice enough to give. Cooked perfectly with the right amount of yolk runniness and paired with the smooth buttery hollandaise sauce, just heavenly!

While western style of breakfast is all the hype right now, let’s not forget our local version of all-day traditional local breakfast. My grandfather used to own a hawker coffee shop and so I was readily exposed to the traditional breakfast of coffee and eggs from young . I remember as a kid, my go to were half boiled eggs even as a supper, guilty as charged. I like to eat my eggs with dark soy sauce, pepper, and all mixed up. I know foreigners don’t necessary like the taste or dare to eat the half boiled eggs but you got to do what the locals do, I challenge the foreigners to try it!

A local breakfast won’t be complete without our famous kaya butter toast, it’s pure perfection with the right balance of slightly burnt toast with creamy goodness from the combination of kaya and butter. Some people like to dip the kaya toast in the eggs as well. An authentic Singapore breakfast has to come with a cup of classic kopi or teh. Most coffee shops here serves the toast and eggs throughout the day but Ya Kun is definitely the proud label of Singapore that is well known internationally.