In the realm of food, there is no doubt that Malaysia does many things well. The cultural diversity allows for the most eclectic mix of dishes, resulting in bold combinations of flavours and featuring a huge range of ingredients. From the spicy, sour assam laksa to the cool, sweet chendul, Malaysia covers much ground and suits just about every palate.
And yet one unlikely item stemming from an even more unlikely source has spread all throughout not only Malaysia, but several countries in Asia. Rotiboy, loosely translating to bread boy, is a chain based in Kuala Lumpur, bakes bread – and only really one kind. Known as Mexico coffee buns, these are soft, fluffy round buns topped with a thin, crisp, coffee-scented layer of sugar cookie crust and filled with a pat of salted butter.
Strange? Perhaps not. It’s similar to the Cantonese-style pineapple or polo buns, though with a thinner, lighter top crust. It’s also hardly as rich; compared to the slice of butter served in some polo buns, the comparatively smaller sliver of butter in a Mexico bun is baked inside and the buns served hot, guaranteeing a smooth, milky, oozy melt that complements the sweet crust well.
Since the rise of Rotiboy, many other brands inevitably rose to compete. All throughout Malaysia and Asia, you can spot PapaRoti and Roti ‘O, two famous chains amongst many, and many Southeast Asian everyday bread chains such as Bread Life and Bread Talk also sell a variation of it amongst their usual line-up.
Arguably, however, the original is often the best. As such, Rotiboy reigns supreme, at least for the time being, even expanding in flavours that maintain their classic pillow-soft bread and super-thin sugar crust. And of course, having been deprived of it since our last trip to Southeast Asia, we figured that no trip to Malaysia is complete without having Mexico buns, plus all its variations, from the chain that made it a Very Big Deal.
Rotiboy: The OG
First things first, the original. The one that started it all, the classic Mexico coffee bun. Distinguished by the appropriately milky-coffee-coloured, smooth domed crust, the flavour hasn’t changed a bit since we first sunk our teeth into these buns years ago. The bread, when fresh, is steamy-hot and tender, the cookie crust yielding to the teeth. Just that one bite fills the mouth with the delectable aroma of fresh bread with a hint of coffee.
Then the butter comes. Just as you believe it will become dry or monotonous, you feel the silky, creamy butter seep onto your tongue, salted just enough for the crust to be suddenly sweet again, and the bread to be more fragrant. It’s hardly greasy; during our childhood we couldn’t figure out what the filling was at all. We suspected anything from a sauce, to custard, to cheese. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.
It’s hard to pass one up when you get a whiff of the scent of sweet, fresh bread baking in the oven. Very few things priced at RM2.80 (around US$0.75) brings this much joy.
Kariboy: The bold leap
Curry hold a huge part of Malaysian culture, and comes in many forms. It can be a soupy broth with noodles, a thick gravy for mopping with roti canai, or dry-cooked with potatoes and stuffed into a satisfying curry puff. Because of that, it’s no surprise that Rotiboy expanded into the realms of savoury options by using such a classic Malaysian flavour.
We’ll be honest though; the idea is better than the execution. The curry they had down pat: it was fragrant with the spices and coconut milk, lightly spicy, mildly salty, and faintly savoury. The crust was classic, light and crispy, topped with a sprinkle of dried parsley.
But two fantastic components may not necessarily make a good match, and such was the case with this. Unfortunately, the crust – though normally not overwhelmingly sweet – was just a touch too sweet for the savoury curry filling. For us, it became more like one of those misfortunate instances where one may have dropped a Rotiboy in remnants of their curry dinner, and subsequently fished it out to eat.
It’s a fantastic, high-quality product that many may love, especially at a price tag of only RM3. Sadly, we don’t fit in that group.
Mochaboy: The decadent dessert
The crust of Rotiboy already has coffee, so the idea of a Mochaboy sounded like the perfect chocolate-y alternative to the typical butter filling. We went in without knowing what to expect, and we sure were surprised. It was not the crust that featured the coffee, but rather the centre.
Filled with what appeared to be a chocolate sauce. The brown was so dark it was close to black, and the texture was pleasantly blobby, much like a pudding than a runny custard. It had the flavour of a rich chocolate pudding with a hint of coffee, and a delicious underlying vanilla, the flavour of childhood for many Southeast Asians who grew up with pudding.
Despite the lack of butter in the centre, it’s very rich. It’s one for the chocolate lovers, and definitely the chocolate pudding lovers.
Buttermilkboy: The unlikely underdog
Buttermilk is a very strong ingredient, and not one that comes to mind when you’re asking for a pairing with bread. But of course we had to get one anyway, because why would we pass up the opportunity to have more bread? The Buttermilkboy appears to have a crust without the coffee flavouring, though instead is dotted with chocolate chips. Upon inspection, the filling is a thicker, almost like a kaya or jam with a light yellow colour.
Despite the name, the buttermilk filling was not at all sour in flavour. It was, however, slightly more milky, with a different kind of saltiness to the original Rotiboy. Because of the jam-like filling, it seemed a little more substantial, with a different style of sweet-salty pairing, though equally delicious. Both of us verge on favouring this one over the Rotiboy, though it’s a very fine line, and we’d need a few more of each before we can make a final decision.
We’re not sure why Rotiboy isn’t more popular amongst tourists, but it’s delicious, and it should be eaten more. Try them all, or at least the original.
Rotiboy
Multiple locations and hours
rotiboy.com
