Rotiboy – The Popular Malaysian Bakery is Back in Singapore!

Guess who’s back in town! Rotiboy is coming in hot, serving you piping hot boys (as per what they call their buns). While I was not part of the gang that grew up enjoying this simple coffee bun, it was intriguing to realise how I had to wait three days to book a pre-order slot for buns that cost $2.50 each. I think this goes to show the great lengths Singaporeans would go for any kind of food they love.

Rotiboy was founded in Penang, Malaysia, in 1998 before making its way around the world. They were here in 2004 but it was not long before they closed all their Singapore outlets in 2006. It is a popular pitstop for those who pass by the outlet at JB Sentral as they take short trips to Johor Bahru.

I got the Assorted Buns bundle ($11 for 4pcs of your choice of flavours) with two buttermilkboys, one mochaboy and a cheeseboy, along with three signature rotiboys. It was my first time trying these buns and I was quite excited as I’ve heard a lot about them! Here goes.

First up, the signature Rotiboy ($2.50/pc). It’s the classic Mexican Coffee Bun but with some butter filling in it. You can say that it’s an emotional boy because fillings(feelings) get it? Okay, moving on.

The signature bun looked very fluffy, given its shape and roundness. The layer of coffee-flavoured crust reminds me of polo buns, but it’s much thinner. It was not crispy but with some toasting in the oven, it would do the trick — that’s if you’re patient enough to not gobble it down right away.

The crust had a slightly burnt taste (in a good way), with a distinct coffee aroma, which complemented the butter filling. However, I wished that they could be more generous with the filling as it would have been a richer experience, like a morning coffee and toast breakfast set, in just one bun.

Next, the Cheeseboy ($3/pc) which had a white cookie dough layer on top, and drizzles of grated cheddar cheese forming an abstract pattern. It has a sweet cream cheese filling. The exterior of the bun didn’t have anything too special. However, if you’re lucky, some corners of the bun had an extra crunch because of the toasted cheese. Some bakeries have their cheese toasted till it’s really hard and dry, but it’s not the case with Rotiboy! Theirs were just right.

Taste-wise, it was nothing to shout about — just a simple cheese bun with some cream cheese filling that honestly didn’t make much of a difference as it was too little in proportion to the size of the bun, in my opinion.

Onto the next sibling, Mochaboy ($3/pc). It looks just like the original rotiboy. The friendly staff told me to look out for the nuts on the top of the bun to differentiate between the two. It was one of the last few mochaboys from the batch, hence it was a little disfigured. However, that didn’t affect the taste at all. Looks can be deceiving.

The Mochaboy was filled with molten chocolate sauce to the brim, which was oozing out when I halved it. I was very pleasantly surprised. However, the chocolate tasted quite artificial. It was not the kind of rich chocolatey and smooth filling. Maybe that is reserved for the more atas kind of buns. I was not a fan of chocolate from the start and this made me detest it even more. I would say that this is not for those of you who have high expectations for your chocolate-flavoured food.

Last but not least, my favourite boy – Buttermilkboy ($3/pc). This was really surprising for me as I was not expecting this much butter in it, having seen the original rotiboy first. It has a white vanilla flavoured crust with sprinkles of chocolate chips on top.

The buttermilk was rich and it was slightly sweet as well. It was honestly the most satisfying bun of all for me. Although the filling was not super smooth, it was just the right amount to make this bun complete. This boy sells out quickly according to the staff, and I totally get why! Be sure to get your hands on this when you can finally book your pre-order slot.

Well, is it really worth the hype? I would say… not really. It’s a bakery that evokes nostalgia in those with fond memories of eating it while queueing at the customs. Since we all can’t cross the border to Johor Bahru, everyone would just want a piece of it now. However, it’s not bad, it’s just not what I would spend days waiting for again.

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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