There has been a lot of talk about The Hainan Story on social media of the late — taking over the former premises of the now-defunct Tian Bao Szechuan Kitchen at Hillion Mall, The Hainan Story is a multi-concept food hall that houses several brands under one roof, such as familiar local establishments like Ah Chiang’s Porridge and Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice, as well as new concepts such as Uncle Robert Western and Newspaper Hainanese Curry Rice.
Off the menu from The Hainan Story, which is essentially the stall here serving Nanyang Kopi, tea and other beverages, as well as Hainanese toast, British pies alongside egg tarts and desserts such as cheesecakes, the Homemade Gula Melaka Kaya & Butter Toast caught my attention given how it is homemade — the Kaya itself even being retailed in bottles here; something that definitely piqued my interest given my love for homemade Kaya. True to the Hainanese variant of the well-loved coconut jam, the Homemade Gula Melaka Kaya here comes in a pretty shade of dark-brown, as opposed to the usual green Nonya Kaya which many other establishments that make their own kaya prefers to serve up. Whilst most Hainanese Kaya uses brown sugar or caramelised sugar/caramel for their kaya, the deep, earthy sweetness of the Gula Melaka really exudes in this rendition, and goes exceptionally well with the slab of cold butter slapped in between the UFO buns — the bun being a standard option here and is absolutely fluffy, light and pillowy-soft. We went for the ala-carte option here; choosing to opt for Butter Kopi to go along (a $0.60 upgrade from the original Kopi), though the same is also available in a set which comes with soft-boiled eggs and coffee/tea/cold drinks (from a given selection only) for those looking for the full Hainanese breakfast affair.
Wished they were a little more careful in processing orders here though; was initially given Peanut Butter Toast instead of the Homemade Gula Melaka Kaya and Butter Toast by accident — a little dangerous considering how some folks may have peanut allergies and could have taken a bite into the wrongly-made order. Otherwise, given the sheer amount of options available here, I guess Bukit Panjang residents will find this a great option within their area of residence — would probably check out the other concepts that they have soon since some of the items available had already caught my eye!
