Old-school bakeries in Singapore have been dwindling over the years, which explains our excitement when we chanced upon Omzyn Cake Confectionery, a traditional bakery in Toa Payoh. This humble one-man store is helmed by an affable 73-year-old baker, Mr Fu, who has been selling old-school bakes at wallet-friendly prices for more than 15 years.
Image credit: G A
The bakery only opens four days a week: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. And each day, business runs for just four hours from 4am to 8am. All the buns here are freshly baked for just $1 for a packet of two pieces. While this sounds enticing to many of us, it has raised a new concern for Mr Fu—especially in this age of inflation. The low price has led many patrons to buy a lot of bread at once, which means the products are usually sold out in about two hours.Â
Image credit: Brian He
Mr Fu started his business in the hopes of helping the retired elderly in the neighbourhood, which also explains why he remains adamant about keeping the prices as low as possible. But with the bakery selling out by 6am these days, this group of people can’t get their hands on the bread as it’s often too late by the time they visit. If you’re planning to drop by, we encourage you to buy in small quantities so that his regulars can get their daily bread.
Image credit: G A
Mr Fu offers a wide variety of traditional buns that many of us ate growing up. Regulars love the Coconut Bun ($1 for two buns), a soft, airy bun packed with shredded coconut mixed with brown sugar. You’ll be surprised by how generously loaded each bun is despite being priced at only a dollar in this economy.
Image credit: G A
Another steady seller is the White Lotus Bun ($1), which gives you four squares in a roll. The lotus paste is said to be sufficiently sweet without being jelak. If you’re early, you might be able to have it warm as all the buns are freshly baked every day! Take note that popular flavours such as Curry ($1 for two buns) and Hot Dog ($1 for two buns) are usually sold out before 6am.
Image credit: Terence Tan
You can also find old-school Sugar Doughnut (price TBD), Cheese Bread (price TBD), and Kueh Bahulu ($2 for 14 pieces) here!Â
For more bakeries with a long-standing history, read our guide to the best traditional bakeries in Singapore. Otherwise, check out the best hawker bakeries in Singapore for black sesame financiers, old-school doughnuts and more.
Address: 20 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310020
Opening hours: Tue, Thurs, Sat-Sun 4am to 8am
Omzyn Cake Confectionery is not a halal-certified eatery.
Feature image adapted from G A