Ya Kun Kaya Toast Compass One

Yakun, did you change tea leaf or u didn’t train your trainee well. Your tea is so dilute, second chance given is still the same. Hello, I didn’t pay coffee shop price!

A group of three of us went for breakfast around 9 AM. Upon arrival, we noticed that one side of the seating area was closed, and the fans in that section were not turned on. As a result, everyone had to sit in the area with fans, likely because the mall had not yet fully opened for operations. The quality at Ya Kun has noticeably declined. The bread was so thin that it felt like I was barely biting into anything, which was quite disappointing. Additionally, the coffee cups were noticeably smaller compared to what I remembered from my visit five years ago, which added to the overall dissatisfaction with the experience.

The quality of the Kaya toast has deteriorated. I was having my breakfast. I ate the toast and felt like I was only eating the bread with very little kaya jam.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast is a well-known Singaporean brand, famous for its traditional kaya toast, coffee, and soft-boiled eggs. Founded in 1944 by Loi Ah Koon, the brand has since expanded with numerous outlets across Singapore and Asia, including in countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan. The brand has maintained its roots by offering simple, comforting breakfast sets, including their iconic kaya toast made with a unique coconut jam spread and thin, crispy slices of bread. When I visited the Compass One outlet in Sengkang on September 8, 2024, it was quite crowded, which wasn’t surprising for a Sunday. I noticed that the outlet had undergone changes since my last visit. Previously, they had fewer tables, and the queue was much longer. The removal of the Beard Papa outlet to make room for more seating has significantly improved the waiting time, making the queue much more manageable now. However, while the overall experience was better in terms of seating and waiting time, I did notice a slight drop in the quality of the bread used for the toast. The kaya spread and coffee were still enjoyable, but the bread didn’t seem as fresh and crispy as before. Despite this, Ya Kun remains a go-to spot for a quick and classic Singaporean breakfast experience in Sengkang. The improvements in the queue and seating are definitely a plus for regular visitors. Hopefully the price will not further increase anymore of I will find myself looking for alternatives!

I witnessed a very sad exchange between staffs at Yakun Compass One today (Sunday, 16 June 2024 at 1.45-1.55pm) A yakun lady (pictured) and two other staff were verbally abusing another staff (an older man), shouting names at him and saying that he was stupid and useless and unteachable (in mandarin). They even threatened to deduct his salary or to fire him next month. Tried calling the yakun corporate office to report this as I feel that no one should be treated this way, but there was no response. I hope yakun can take action on this poor behaviour among staff.

The staff can be more alert and proactive. Told the cashier less butter but after payment, she didn't key in. So I went to the uncle standing beside the bread toaster to inform him. Thought he was preparing it. Instead, he just ignored me and looked away. I went back to the cashier again to tell her. She just mumbled the request to herself where only I could hear. Her colleagues were all at the other end, so who the heck is going to hear her instructions. So I asked the aunty at the drink area who is doing the bread because they just kept ignoring me and kept going back and forth. The drink station aunty didn't seem to understand English very well. She kept asking for the teh? Then I keep saying "no, less butter for the bread". Then the uncle beside the bread station asked, do you want toast or soft bread. I said soft bread. Then he just looked away and gave the vibe, not my job, idgaf. Meanwhile, the cashier just stood there and looked blur af. End up, what I assumed would be the manager (in a red shirt) stepped in to settle. I get F&B is tough but come man. There's no heart to do the bare minimum at all. This is the most discoordinated group I've seen. They're not working together at all and nor do they communicate well. Disclaimer: I've been to this outlet many times and had many good experience. However, this is the first time I've seen such terrible work attitudes and coordination from the staff.

Foods and Coffee: Very nice. When Ordering: I ordered a less sweet Yuan Yang, but the counter couldn't hear it five times, and the drinks came out very sweet. Despite the other guy's bad habit of talking to me, trying to help me renew the order, it still came out very sweet. Previously, this never happened, all the drinks I ordered were less sweet and nice. Don’t know what happened today. Service: Because the food is nice and many people like to come here, it really makes the service bad. Initially, talking at the counter, the uncle and staff used bad language with unhappy faces. Maybe they were really busy, not sure. The first impression is bad.

Tea v diluted and it is my third time here. Chinese lady staff at counter keyed in wrong order. Wanted teh c kosong (hot) she gave me ice teh c kosong. I should have paid more attention and checked. My first time using the app to make payment and wasn’t sure. Asked her if my payment went through, she did not reply. She was also quite slow even though not many people at counter. I am not giving this Yakun another chance again.