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There’s almost too much to love and be in awe about hawker bakeries. These gems have it all, from viennoiseries and shio pan to cakes, sourdough bakes and more than I can name. But for all these patisserie-doubling, feed-topping powerhouses, let’s take things a little more old-school today with Rotitiam.
It’s not often that a hawker centre’s queue magnet is a bakery, but that’s very much the contrarian case for this one at Upper Boon Keng Food Centre. How? Stick with me.
Put (a little too) simply, Rotitiam covers the classics your friendly neighbourhood bakery would. I’m talking staples like sausage buns, muffins and other filled buns you’d grab for breakfast or a quick snack. But here’s the catch: these goodies are baked fresh with 100% butter, premium-grade Japanese wheat flour and no additives, all at incredibly wallet-friendly prices.
As if the FOMO factor wasn’t already sky-high, their best bakes are said to be snapped up in mere minutes. Pulling up at their 6am opening time was too daunting a challenge for my late-rising tendencies, so I wound up joining the queue at 11am after an hour on the road. The things I do for bread!
I’m not sure if my sloth made me miss out on any early-morning sellouts, but a fully stocked display greeted me when I arrived. At the rate everyone in line was taking away not pieces but full bags of bakes, though, I doubt it would’ve been ideal if I’d shown up any later.
What I tried at Rotitiam
Starting off my bread feast with a bang was the Sourdough Cheese (S$1.80), which earned special mentions in numerous online reviews — among many others that seemed to recommend anything and everything.
I’d wanted to give it a companion in the form of the Sourdough Curry Potato (S$1.80), but alas, I watched as the customer in front of me snagged the last two pieces. Still, I count my lucky stars.
Though not the crusty boule you might imagine, this generously sized bun had a crackly crust that yielded like that of a sourdough pizza. It was firm at first bite, softening into a fluffy centre with a satisfying bounce. Inside, a duo of smooth cream cheese and stretchy mozzarella played tag, striking an addictive tangy-savoury contrast that made for the perfect opener for my cheese-loving self.
The Parmesan Ham & Cheese (S$3) was another that caught my eye right away. It’s admittedly a little pricier than the rest, but I vouch for how massive this “sheet” of bread really is. Easily enough to fill you up if you’re in a hurry, actually.
The bread nailed that Rotitiam signature once again: soft and chewy, with a faint sweetness that complemented its browned parmesan crust. Tearing into it revealed a core of ham swaddling a layer of melted cheese — a full-on savoury flavour bomb!
Rotitiam’s take on the good ol’ sausage bun, the Nacho Cheese Hot Dog (S$1.50) is anything but boring. I’m a broken recorder at this point, but I must once again swoon over how pillowy the bun was. Bundled within it was your standard chicken frank surrounded by a bright ring of nacho cheese, its sharpness playing well against the savoury-sweetness of the bread and its parmesan-crusted top. I’m far from a huge fan of routines, but I could totally eat this for breakfast every day.
Butter Town: Assorted buttery shio pan & decadent sourdough cakes from hawker stall
Moving on from the cheesy trio, my next conquest was the Char Siew Bun (S$1.50). This was your classic char siew bao, except dressed in a crumbly bread shell instead of a soft, steamed cloud. The filling carried a honeyed sweetness, with a hint of porky smokiness and a crowning scatter of sesame seeds keeping it from veering into monotony.
I couldn’t resist grabbing a Pizza Bun (S$2.80) for old time’s sake. Like the ones I grew up with, Rotitiam’s rendition featured a soft base topped with sausage, pineapple chunks and cheese, along with oddly saccharine swirls of what seemed to be a chilli-tomato sauce. Not my personal favourite, but clearly a crowd-pleaser judging by how quickly those slices flew off the shelves.
Then came dessert: the Portuguese Egg Tart (S$1.50), which sported a cookie crust instead of the flaky pastry one its name would suggest. Its only real nod to the Portuguese style was perhaps the golden brown-hued custard that the fragile shell struggled to hold up against. While certainly a welcome intermission from the savouries, the dense filling was a tad eggy for my taste and overall not quite a highlight in Rotitiam’s otherwise strong lineup.
As a sucker for yam anything, the Taro Walnut Bun (S$1.60) was an easy final pick for me. The bread was soft and chewy as ever, encasing a generous core of velvety taro paste punctuated with the occasional walnut crunch. The filling leaned sweet — possibly a bit much for those who’d prefer a subtler yam flavour — but its creamy, milky earthiness still shone through. The perfect wrap on this bread-fuelled morning, if you ask me.
Final thoughts
I’ve always been a little envious of how effortlessly good (and affordable!) bread is in Europe, but you know what? Singapore’s got its own treasure trove too, and Rotitiam is one of the places that prove it. Save for a couple of minor misses, the quality of their bakes really spoke for itself in every soft fluffy bite, and it’s hard to not be impressed by the price, freshness and sheer range you can find here.
I do hope to find the willpower to join the 6am crowd one day. But until then, I’ll happily return at modest hours to work my way through their lineup, one bun at a time. And yes, a few cheesy showstoppers from this haul have already earned themselves an easy spot on my must-buy-again list.
Expected damage: S$1.50 – S$6 per pax
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