When East Meets West at 200 Degrees: A Story Baked in Heritage and Heart - Kaya Pizza

At PizzaExpress, we’ve always believed that good food tells a story. But great food? Great food creates one. This year, we set out on a journey: to bring two worlds together — the art of Italian pizza-making, and the soul of Singapore’s local flavors.

And it started with a simple idea: what if the spirit of a Singapore breakfast could live on a pizza?

The Spark

One morning over coffee and conversations, our Head Chef found himself lost in the memory of kaya toast — that unmistakable aroma of coconut, eggs, and pandan warming up the air at a neighborhood kopi shop. It’s a smell that doesn’t just fill a room. It fills a heart. Could we capture that? Could we reimagine kaya, not on toast, but on a pizza? The idea was daring. Unconventional. But that's the spirit of PizzaExpress — and Singapore itself.

A Labor of Love

Our chefs rolled up their sleeves — quite literally — and began the tastings. The first test? Promising. The second? Getting closer. The third? We knew we were onto something special. But something was still missing: authenticity.

So, we went on a quest — sampling kaya from different makers, exploring textures, flavor depth, sweetness levels, and balance. Each had its charm, but none struck that perfect harmony. Then came the moment: The Hainan Story’s Gula Melaka Kaya.

Rich and silky, with a deep caramel sweetness from Gula Melaka, and a gentle lift of pandan fragrance — it was indulgent without being overpowering. The balance was refined, comforting, and exactly right. Crafted traditionally and made fresh without preservatives, it combines the smooth, custard-like texture of kaya with the bold, earthy sweetness of gula melaka — a flavor that speaks of heritage, nostalgia, and unmistakable Southeast Asian warmth.

And that mattered to us. Because when you’re creating something rooted in memory and meaning, there’s no room for shortcuts. No preservatives. No compromises. Just honest ingredients, slow-cooked with care — the way it’s always been done, and the way it should taste.

At a final tasting with The Hainan Story’s founder, we spread the dough, layered the kaya, sprinkled on buttery biscuit crumble, baked it to golden perfection, and finished it with a drizzle of kaya, a scatter of toasted coconut shavings, and a kiss of pandan powder.

As he took the first bite, we all knew — this wasn’t just fusion. This was family.

The Kaya Pizza

The finish product

The result is our Kaya Pizza — a marriage of tradition and innovation.

• The Base: Our signature hand-stretched dough, crisped at the edges, tender at the heart.

• The Heart: Hainan Story’s preservative-free Gula Melaka Kaya — smooth, custard-like, and rich with deep caramel notes from gula melaka, gently lifted by the fragrance of pandan.

• The Texture: A buttery biscuit crumble adds a satisfying crunch, echoing the crispness of traditional kaya toast.

• The Finish: A delicate drizzle of kaya, toasted coconut flakes for a mellow nuttiness, and a dusting of pandan leaf powder for a gentle, floral lift.

Every slice offers a delicate balance of sweet and savory, familiar and new, comfort and excitement — just like the Singapore we love. It’s not just a pizza. It’s a memory on a plate.

A Taste of Heritage

Kaya itself tells a story of resilience and reinvention. When the Hainanese community arrived in Singapore during the British colonial era, they were among the last of the Chinese dialect groups to settle. Locked out of many trades, they became chefs for British households, mastering western techniques while preserving their Asian soul.

From this confluence, dishes like kaya toast emerged — local ingredients, global techniques, a new kind of magic. Kaya isn't just jam. It's a symbol of heritage adapted, cultures intertwined, innovation born of necessity. Our Kaya Pizza continues that story — a modern retelling of an old love letter.

More Than a Pizza, A Bridge

This collaboration with The Hainan Story is more than a menu item. It’s a bridge — a meeting point where East shakes hands with West, where childhood mornings meet cosmopolitan nights.

It’s for the foodies hunting the next big flavor.

It’s for the aunties and uncles who grew up with kaya toast mornings.

It’s for the young dreamers who believe in mixing the old and the new to create something beautiful.

It’s for Singapore, in all its colorful, multicultural, ever-evolving glory.

---

Limited-Time Only

Available for a limited time across PizzaExpress Singapore outlets from 8th May to 30 June. Catch it before it’s just a story you wished you had tasted.

---