Happy wedding, Junda and Sharon!

When my friend Junda from UTS, enterprising owner of PappaRoti Australia and Petaling Street Malaysian Hawker Food Sydney Branch extended a wedding invitation, I could not say no. And so, along with three other lovely ladies, I went to Doltone House for a very purple evening.

Each of us received a personalised shot glass each...

I have to say, the food was not too bad. However, some of us were comparing a Western-style wedding dinner to a Malaysian-Chinese-style wedding dinner. No competition really. One is a three-course while the other is at least an eight-course.

Thank you for the invitation, Junda and Sharon. Congratulations and wishing every best for your future together as Mr. and Mrs. Khoo!

PappaRoti Melbourne CBD

Junda and the guys have done it again! Melbournians, listen up! PappaRoti is coming to your CBD!


And as per PappaRoti tradition, everyone gets one bun totally free on grand opening day, which will be this coming Tuesday, June 21, 2011.

PappaRoti Melbourne CBD will also be offering to its patrons speciality teas, shakes, frappes and flavoured gelato (durian, lychee, chocolate, strawberry jam and more!). They will also have Malaysian speciality drinks on their menu! Hm, I would think along the lines of teh tarik...

Congratulations, Victoria, you now have two PappaRoti outlets in the state (the other outlet is in Glen Waverley, which I totally forgotten to mention here)!. That is the same as Queensland with outlets in Toowoomba and Warrigal Square. New South Wales still has the most with one each in Kogarah, Cabramatta and Kingsford. I wonder when will it be Sydney's turn to have one in the CBD?

PappaRoti Melbourne CBD
349 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000

Buns for Books!

I came across Mari Kita Membaca (MKM) a few months ago through a friend's facebook page. Literally translated as Let’s Read, MKM is a project to bring books to children living in the rural and under-served areas of Malaysia and to encourage the love of reading.

They believe that by cultivating the love of reading and independent learning they contribute towards empowering local communities. They work closely with grassroots organisations and partners on the ground supporting local initiatives. They take inspiration from the local communities, who despite the lack of resources, work hard to provide education opportunities for their children.

Education, like in any socially stratified society, is the key to breaking the cycle of inequality and discrimination. I have also found this in UNESCO and UNICEF reports, which support the work of their consultants and other personnel in imparting education and care skills to local communities in hard-to-reach areas. They go by the saying of how giving a man a fish will only let him eat for a day whereas teaching a man to fish would help him eat for a lifetime. By equipping the local communities with skills and knowledge, they come to realise the power of education thus would feel motivated and would strive to provide their children with a better future.

Currently, they have provided Library Boxes (the books are packed in lovely boxes!) to Orang Asli (indigenous) villages in Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Johor and Sabah. They also conduct reading activities in many of the villages.

In support of their good work, I managed to get the co-operation of the Malaysian Students Association (MSA) in uni and PappaRoti Australia to help me in raising funds.




A big thank you to Clayton for coming up with the designs above and for being the messenger between the MSA committee and I. Also, a big thank you to Junda and his PappaRoti team for sponsoring the buns.

Look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday!

PappaRoti Kingsford

PappaRoti will be opening in Kingsford on 3rd of December 2010, which is this Saturday!

As per normal procedures, PappaRoti is giving away FREE* buns to all customers on Grand Opening Day!

The free buns will be given for the whole week as well, provided you present a coupon distributed in the Smartsaver newspapers.

More importantly, PappaRoti will be using the opening of this branch to launch 10 new items on the menu for summer! And do not fret, these new items will also be available at all other PappaRoti stores.

Do join in to celebrate this momentous occasion and spread the word on this ridiculous promotion!

*Limit 1 bun per customer and coupon is required


PappaRoti Kingsford
Shop 291, Anzac Parade, Kingsford, NSW 2032

PappaRoti Australia

With the recent hype over the PappaRoti buns in Sydney, I took some time to speak to Junda, the good-looking young man responsible for introducing the brand to Down Under.

How long have you owned PappaRoti?

We've been up and running since June 15, 2010.

What was the inspiration for opening PappaRoti?

I wanted to bring PappaRoti to Australia because it is found in almost every South East Asian country and I thought Australia should have a share of the PappaRoti craze.

What was you ultimate goal when you decided to open PappaRoti and has that goal changed?

My goal was to, is still to provide a unique product to the Australian market, to provide the ultimate coffee experience to complement the cultural diversity of the Australian society. Everything coffee - the buns, the drinks. The on-going goal is to innovate new coffee drinks, a fusion of tea and coffee.

Was finding start up capital difficult?

Yes, very. But we have different investors. At different outlets, we use different ways of getting that capital so there was also a bank loan that we took. It's all about taking risks and having confidence in the product.

Do you spend more time working in your business than you did when you were employed by someone else?

Of course! But then the thing is, it's being self-employed versus being employed by someone else. Let's just say, it's a more rewarding experience working for yourself.

Does your business have a website ?

We've not launched it yet but will be doing so soon.

What advertising methods do you use?

Facebook, magazine and newspaper features. We've been featured in some food blogs, as well.

What advertising method do you find most effective?

Facebook. And word of mouth, definitely. We get people travelling here just for the buns! There are interstate customers, as well. We've had various people bringing the buns back to wherever they come from, far and near.

What kind of promotions do you do?

We've had 'Buy 3 free 1', 'Free bun with every coffee purchase' and some others. These promotions run for usually 3 weeks.

How important is it to recognize loyal customers?

Very important, especially in the cafe business because loyal customers will keep coming back. We have a loyalty card, we engage them, talk to them. That's why it's all young, vibrant, energetic, friendly people at the shop.

What percentage of your customers come from your local community?

In Kogarah, it's 70%. In Cabramatta, it's 100%.

What community events or charities do you support or sponsor?

The Oaktree Foundation to which we donated free buns. We've also donated money to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

How did PappaRoti come about?

PappaRoti started in Malaysia, as a small kiosk in KL. The buns gained popularity and the business expanded from there.

How many outlets are there in Australia so far and where are they?

We have three open - one in Kogarah, one in Cabramatta and one in Toowoomba. We have another upcoming six, all in different states.

Will there be more flavours to come?

There will be innovative alterations to our existing products to provide a more diversified menu.

Where else in the world can you find PappaRoti?

Just off the top of my head; Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Dubai.

What are your future plans?

Expand the business to make this product more available at various strategic locations in Australia so that everyone can enjoy the special PappaRoti buns and also to constantly come up with innovative products to complement the bun.

What would you like to say to people interested in being part of the PappaRoti family?

If you want to run your own show and have a rewarding experience doing, if you want to be part of this energetic team, submit an enquiry on our website and I will be in touch with you asap.

Thank you, Junda! All the best with your PappaRoti quest!

Now, if you would excuse me, I have an aromatic freshly-baked bun and a lovely cup of mocha waiting to be consumed.

PappaRoti Cabramatta

Following the success of the branch in Kogarah, the PappaRoti franchise is all set to welcome patrons to their second outlet in Cabramatta. Grand opening of the shop is this coming Saturday, August 28 from 9:00am to 7:00pm.

And guess what? To mark this occasion, they are giving away FREE buns to all customers from Grand Opening Day until August 31! That's right, FREE* for four days!

*Limited to 1 bun per customer, coupon needed


So, do mark your calendars and go celebrate this momentous occasion with the PappaRoti clan! Oh, and do help spread the word on this ridiculous promotion!

PappaRoti Cabramatta is located at Shop 5, 59-61 John Street, Cabramatta.


For those who are planning to train, Cabramatta is located along the South, Cumberland, Bankstown and Inner West lines.

PappaRoti Kogarah

It has been a very long time since I last woke up that early. I think it was the first time I woke up that early for work. The last time I remember waking up at that time was for my trip to Guangzhou last June. Gosh, nearly a year ago!

I was up at 4:45am. My train was at 5:40am, which I took to Redfern for a change to Kogarah. I diligently and surprisingly, alertly read the article that I brought along, even scribbling notes. I had my breakfast shake at Redfern while waiting at the platform.

Simon and David were already at the shop. After I put my bag down, Junda stepped in and handed me my new gear. He went through briefly what I was to do and for that morning, I was in charge of piping:

Took me a while to get my spirals looking not too bad.

Standing next to the oven was great because of the warmth it provided and also the smell of these handsome buns!

The other job I had was to stand in front of the shop to hand out flyers to passers-by. Melissa and I took turns at that, but I was outside more than I was inside.

Jenny, I do not know how you managed to withstand the piercing cold wind! Salute!

I left at 11:15am to catch a train to class. I brought some of our trademark buns to treat my friends and...

... didn't they love it!

I think I would have to bring more next week - I take that as a good sign but they were lamenting how far Kogarah is from everyone. Yes, yes, we are trying to look for a place in the city or nearby so fingers crossed!

I arrived back at the shop at 2:30pm and could see Jenny waving at me from afar. She was talking to Edward and introduced the both of us. My tasks in the arvo were more inside - helped Lisa at the back with filling the piping bags with topping, defrosting the dough, transferring dough from the freezer room to the cool room to the trays to the trolleys........ yea, long process. But if that long process would bring in queues like this, it is all worth it!

I had a good time talking to David, the barista, getting to know him a little better. Speaking of which, you have to eat these buns with coffee! We serve Scared Grounds organic coffee and they are a fabulous combination!

Come try out our buns - no harm right? They have a great mocha topping with a buttery-filling, which is halal and easy to bring along. No harm trying, right? But if you ask me, I would say you would love them!

Set a date in your calendar!

Okay people, listen up!

If you have been observant, you would have noticed that I have a red little rectangle in my sidebar. If you were inquisitive enough to have clicked it, you would already know what this post is all about. For those of you still in the dark, shame on you... haha..

Anyways, being the nice person that I am, you are forgiven. Let me fill you in...

The very first PappaRoti outlet is opening in Australia! Woohoo!!!

All thanks to Junda and his mates for making this happen. Tomorrow is the grand opening and guess what - they are giving out FREE buns the entire day. Yes, FREE! No conditions attached. After tomorrow until Sunday, the promotion is that you would get one bun free when you buy one bun.

These buns are delicious - crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. Add the aromatic coffee smell of the topping and you would get a fabulous Malaysian-made Mexican bun! No wonder they could sell up to 5000 buns a day in Jusco!

No, I am not uploading photos here of the bun because you have to go see it for yourself. Buy it, try it, taste it and I would know that you are lying if you do not like it (unless you are not a bun or coffee person).

The shop is located in Kogarah, which is along the South Coast/Illawarra train line. From the exit/entrance of the train station, turn right and walk straight down after crossing the road. Here, a graphic illustration for your convenience:


Grab a pen, write it down in your diary! Grab your phone and set it in your reminders!

Congratulations to Junda and team! Wishing you guys an exciting and fruitful journey ahead!