This is the Food Place food court, located at Pavilion Mall. The food court is located beside the Oriental Kopi Restaurant. I will introduce you to another food from another stall.
This time I ordered layer kaya puff from the Nan Yang Siew Bao stall for breakfast, which cost RM3.50 per piece.
The puff features a golden, glossy crust that’s both crisp and fragrant, with beautifully layered pastry sheets revealing a sweet kaya (coconut jam) filling inside. The kaya is rich and slightly sticky, made from coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and pandan leaves — giving it that signature green hue and aromatic sweetness. The delicate layers of the crust shatter lightly with each bite, balancing the buttery pastry with the smooth coconut essence of the filling. It pairs perfectly with my cup of coffee.
The kaya puff traces its roots to Nanyang (Southeast Asia), where Chinese immigrants combined traditional Cantonese pastry-making techniques with local ingredients like coconut and pandan. Kaya itself originated in the Straits Settlements (Malaya, Singapore, and parts of Indonesia) in the 19th century, evolving from Portuguese and Hainanese custard jams. Over time, kaya was used not only as a toast spread but also as a filling for buns and pastries.
The layered style seen here reflects the influence of traditional Chinese “Su Bing” (flaky pastry) techniques — similar to those used in siew bao, wife cakes, and mooncakes. When bakeries like Nan Yang Siew Bao began experimenting with local flavors, the kaya puff became a symbol of fusion between Chinese pastry craftsmanship and tropical Southeast Asian tastes.
So come enjoy it warm with teh or kopi, this treat captures the nostalgic flavours of old-town bakeries — a comforting blend of tradition, craftsmanship, and Malaysian identity in every bite.
