Just love bread 就是爱面包: $1.30 old-school breads & cakes with 30+ varieties by 4th-gen hawker

With inflation and rising costs in today’s economy, it’s a breath of fresh air when S$1.30 breads and cakes are being offered at Just love bread 就是爱面包 over at 724 AMK Market & Food Centre.

The superman behind the hawker stall’s 30+ varieties of bread and cakes is non other than William, a 4th-gen owner who took over the current spot 5 years ago.

“This business was originally setup by my great grandfather between the 1930s and 1940s, and over the years, it was passed down to my uncle who was running this stall for over a decade. I took 2 years to learn the ropes from him before taking over the reins.” He shared.

At 5am, when most of us are still drifting through the cosmos in our dreams, William is already at the stall making bread and doesn’t stop till 3pm. Honestly, given the tiny space, I’m impressed that he can churn out about 250 breads. Mind you, that’s not even counting the biscuits and cakes — hats off to him!

Unlike most bakeries that bake their breads a day after steaming, William does it all on the same day, so this is as fresh as it gets! When asked if he makes a profit by selling them at just S$1.30, he shared that with rising ingredient costs, he’s barely breaking even.

What I tried at Just Just love bread 就是爱面包

Oh, did I forget to mention that if you buy 3 breads, cakes, or biscuits in any combination, it costs just S$3.50? This doesn’t apply for higher-priced ones like the Gem Biscuits (S$2.50). We started off with one of William’s best-sellers — the Coconut. The rich-brown bun had a little sprinkling of desiccated coconut on top.

The fluffy bun encompassed a moist, nutty, and subtly sweet brown coconut filling with a slight textural crunch. We were glad that the sweetness was well-balanced, not an overwhelming sugar bomb that felt like a fast-track to diabetes. Phew!

We moved on to the Banana Cake. It was moist and as soft as a cloud, and though the banana aroma and flavour weren’t overpowering, they were still strong enough to let their presence known.

This might ruffle some feathers, but here goes. With all the hype surrounding the viral Hiap Joo Bakery banana cakes at Senja Hawker Centre that sell out in a flash, I’d honestly rather settle for these S$1.30 ones. Not to step on anyone’s toes, but how much different can a banana cake taste?

Butter Town: Assorted buttery shio pan & decadent sourdough cakes from hawker stall

Anyone remembers the once-popular Rotiboy that went super viral back in 2004 and then exited Singapore in 2006? Well, the Coffee Mexico is almost similar to it. Even before our first bite, the rich aroma of coffee had already captivated our senses.

This was a plain, fluffy bun crowned with a layer of sugary, coffee-flavoured top reminiscent of a Hong Kong bolo bun. To me, the flavour was gently sweet with the nuances of coffee, which will make an ideal perk-me-up snack in the afternoon.

We also gave one of William’s bestsellers a go — the Apple Fantasy. The roundish bun was topped with a layer of snowy icing sugar.

The delicate bun was stuffed with juicy cubes of crunchy apples which added a tart flavour. It not only gave the bun some texture, but also balanced out the sweetness of the raisins and icing sugar on the bun’s surface.

After trying out 4 varieties of sweet buns, my taste buds needed a quick reset and the Chicken Pie provided some respite.

The bun was stuffed with tender chicken, potatoes, and the usual cocktail mix of corn kernels, carrots and peas. Though it wasn’t mind-blowing, it tasted familiar and heartwarming just like any other chicken pie. Well, at that price, I’m not complaining!

Final thoughts

Small, humble bakeries like Just love bread 就是爱面包 are hard to come by. I really do hope that more people will support William, who heads down 6 days a week to produce all these buns, cakes and biscuits for everyone to enjoy.

What’s more, in his 5 years of operations, he has increased his bakes by only S$0.10. If you have a craving for old-school buns and classic cakes, then do swing by and give them a try!

Expected damage: S$1.30 – S$2.60 per pax

Jiang Jiang Bakery: $1 buns with unique flavours like berry char siew, red bean milk & salted egg