Roti Bakar Hutton Lane — Restaurant in George Town

The ubiquitous breakfast set of buttered toast, soft boiled egg and hot coffee/tea is a standard in Singapore and Malaysia. But finding this staple that serves up quality preparation at a reasonable price isn’t always easy. So, finding this particular roadside set-up was quite a thrill!

Got in just before 8am on Sunday and there was already a queue, with locals and tourists almost jostling for tables. But the cooks worked systematically and we got our food and drinks before too long.

For us three, we ordered a roti canai with curry chicken and three other roti bakar - the regular, the Hutton Lane and the Georgetown special. We wolfed down our dishes eagerly, ooh-Ing and aah-Ing at the contrast of textures and flavours. We really appreciated how the cheese was torched for a hint of charred caramelisation but the sprinkle of mixed dried herbs and grains of salt and pepper really lifted an otherwise ordinary adaptation of a Western classic.

Try their teh halia O (ginger tea, black) for a satisfying end to your meal. Of course, the standard teh tarik (make sure you ask for it less sweet - or kurang manis) or kopi-O (coffee, black) still make for totally happy endings too. Throw in some meaningful smiles and considerate customers who gladly give up their seats for those just arriving or waiting. That just made me smile for all Sunday.

In fact, it put on a smile on our faces and took us all the way till 1pm before hunger hit us again. At RM33, that’s ample to keep me smiling for...

Ate there at two occasions during my recent 1 week sojourn in Penang. It was low season for Penang - which meant that seats were easy to find and get at 9am on a weekend/weekday.

Order by joining the queue at the front of the stall (indicated by a printed signboard too). Service was brisk, and the eggs on grilled toast, with butter and cheese was amazing after a long evening before of mainly convenience food on the train. Their hot coffee and tea (try the Teh Tarik a.k.a pulled milk tea) complemented the toasts so much.

On the second occasion, they were less crowded and one server came around to our table to take orders. We tried the Roti Canai with Cheese this time around with no regrets. Think a compact, chewy yet crispy round flatbread, stuffed with cheese and some condensed milk. It sounds a little strange, I know, but the combination of the salty, unami cheese flavour and the slight sweetness from the condensed milk made it...

My husband ordered takeaway from Roti Bakar Hutton Lane since I wasn’t feeling too well in the morning. I had also read that the queue for dine-in is quite long, even on weekdays, so having it at the hotel seemed like a more convenient option.

He brought back a warm cup of Hot Cham, Roti Bakar Telur Goyang Garlic Cheese, and Roti Bakar Kaya. I really enjoyed both Roti Bakar—the toast was perfectly crisp on the outside yet soft inside, with delicious toppings that made each bite satisfying. I only wished my husband had ordered more varieties for us to try! However, I wasn’t a fan of the Hot Cham—the taste didn’t quite hit the mark for me, so I don’t think we’ll be ordering it again. Next time, we’ll go for Teh Tarik instead.

On our next visit, I’ll definitely be getting the Roti Bakar Telur Goyang Garlic Cheese again, and I’m excited to try the Roti Canai Telur Goyang Curry...