101-year old Katong breakfast institution and heritage bakery Chin Mee Chin is embarking on a new chapter with the opening of a second outlet at NEX on 8 August 2026. Stewarded by the Ebb & Flow Group, the new location introduces an evolution of the brand’s confectionery roots, while offering original menu items alongside new dishes and contemporary interpretations of well-loved classics.
“Seeing Chin Mee Chin in a new neighbourhood is a joyful moment for our family,” says Sharon Tan, granddaughter of the confectionery’s founder. “The original home in Katong will continue serving the neighbourhood, but there is also something very meaningful about knowing that a new community will now get to gather here and make their own memories.”
Lim Kian Chun, CEO of the Ebb & Flow Group adds: “I grew up knowing the Tan family as neighbours, so Chin Mee Chin has been part of my life since young. That relationship is why we treat the brand as something to protect and grow. Our responsibility is to honour what generations of Singaporeans already love while ensuring that the brand continues to have a place in all our lives for many more years to come.”
A refreshed identity shaped by its roots
For over 100 years, Chin Mee Chin has been part of Singapore’s everyday life. Hainanese immigrant Tan Hui Dong opened the neighbourhood confectionery in 1925 as a bread delivery business and upon expansion in the 1940s, it became known for its kaya toast, coffee, fresh bakes, and for the simple breakfast rituals that have brought the community to the same table. That spirit carries forward into the NEX outlet, where long-cherished menu items and bakery recipes sit alongside new additions created to appeal to a new generation of customers.
The classic Toast Sets ($6.50) still anchor the menu, where freshly toasted buns are served with soft-boiled eggs and a hot drink. Choose from house-made kaya prepared from the family’s time-honoured recipe or other familiar combinations such as peanut butter and butter sugar toast.
“Dedication to craftsmanship and quality lies at the heart of everything we do,” says Chun. “Our kaya, for example, is still made the way it always has been—using only natural ingredients and without shortcuts. Chin Mee Chin may continue to grow and evolve, but we will always preserve the things that are important.”
Fresh bakes are available daily, just as it always has. Familiar favourites like the Luncheon Meat Bun, Otah Bun and Hae Bee Hiam Bun ($2.80 each) are now served alongside new menu additions such as the Curry Potato Pie ($3.80), Nasi Lemak with Fried Chicken Cutlet ($10.80), and Grilled Kaffir Lime Chicken Sandwich ($8.80).
Meanwhile, the iconic kaya cream puff has been reimagined as the Kaya Custard Choux au Craquelin, pairing a crisp craquelin shell with the confectionery’s signature house-made kaya custard. The dessert selection also includes an all-new Dark Chocolate Choux au Craquelin, which offers a playful nod to some of Chin Mee Chin’s best-loved flavours. Both are available individually at $3.00 or as a box of four for $10.00.
Coffee remains an essential part of the Chin Mee Chin ritual. The usual local kopi and teh beverages are now accompanied by signature creations such as Kaya Cloud Kopi ($5.50) and Salted Gula Melaka Cloud Kopi ($5.50).
Old soul, new space
Like the food, the design of the new outlet follows the same approach. It draws inspiration from the Katong shophouse and incorporates familiar visual references long associated with Chin Mee Chin.
Soft pastel hues, rounded forms and decorative details pay homage to the confectionery, while creating a space that feels equally at home in a bustling shopping mall. Familiar visuals associated with the brand have been woven throughout the interior, from the walls and counters to the custom furnishings, serving as a nod to the original. Open bakery displays and a visible coffee counter place the preparation of food and drink at the centre of the experience, celebrating the everyday moments that have always defined the brand.
“NEX was a natural choice because it is one of Singapore’s busiest community hubs,” explains Chun. “It allows us to bring Chin Mee Chin to a wider audience while proving that a heritage brand can grow thoughtfully without losing its identity. We want to ensure that the memories people made at Chin Mee Chin can continue to be made for another hundred years.”
