My friends and I call this the “再来, 再来” zai lai, zai lai bread stall at Serangoon Garden Food Centre.
The staff will call out “再来, 再来” (any more? any more?) when you make your selection of buns.
Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery has been baking and selling old-school buns and cakes since the 1970s (older than many of us).
It’s the taste of our childhood.
The first thing you notice is the smell.
It is the kind of bakery aroma that hits you before you even see the display: sweet bread, coconut, butter, a faint trace of curry.
The queue looks intimidating, but it moves quickly. Staff are friendly in a brisk, no-nonsense way, shouting zai lai, zai lai as they pass you your order and hurry on to the next customer.
The list runs long with flavours like peanut, yam, prawn sambal, otah, butter, cheese, coconut, tuna, kaya, cheese ham, hamburger, curry, red bean, and chicken sausage.
My favourite is the Hamburger Bun… which does not come with the usual meat patty, but with luncheon meat instead.
The bread is pillowy without being too airy, with just enough chew. Even a little gummy.
But let’s be honest. The luncheon meat tastes the way you expect, nothing extraordinary, but it’s that old-school taste you can’t often find nowadays.
You either love it for nostalgia or you wonder what the fuss is about.
I also go for the Prawn Sambal Bun sometimes, which comes with a generous amount of grainy, slightly crumbly prawn sambal filling inside a soft, chewy bun.
A bit spicy, a bit sweet.
The banana cake is another quiet winner. The texture is tender, slightly crumbly, with real banana pieces and a rich, moist crumb.
Remember to eat the buns warm. If you want to eat them sometime later, tie up the bag to keep them soft, store them for up to three days, and reheat using an oven or steamer.
If you spot one left on the tray, do not hesitate.
Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery
Serangoon Garden Food Centre #01-45/46, 49A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555945
Opening Hours: 6am – 2pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
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