You Can Now Get $3.90 HK-Style Frozen ‘Gai Daan Zai’ Eggette At Supermarkets
Freshly-made bakery waffles are popular in Singapore, and gai daan zai is its Insta-worthy cousin from Hong Kong. It has its roots as a HK street snack, and gradually made its way here (local F&B company Fei Siong Group has a Hong Kong Egglet chain specialising in it).
The eggette is known for its bubble wrap-like appearance, each orb the size of a quail egg (its name means ‘little eggs’ in Cantonese). You’d need a special mould to make your own, or you can buy it frozen at local supermarkets, as 8days.sg has discovered.
Frozen gai daan zai
Each pack costs $3.90. Not cheap (for comparison, Hong Kong Egglet’s a la minute eggette costs around $2.30 a piece).
The frozen waffle is imported by Malaysian gai daan zai specialist Eggette Lab, which has a chain of takeaway kiosks in Malaysia. It currently only sells its frozen eggettes in Singapore at selected supermarket outlets such as Sheng Siong, NTUC FairPrice, HAO Mart and U-Mart. We got our eggette in the plain Original flavour, though it appears that there’s also a Chocolate flavour available, both of which were launched here last May.
Serving suggestions
Eggette Lab has some interesting suggestions on how to enjoy its eggette waffle, including making a breakfast waffle wrap with it.
Heating up process
The waffle crisps up decently in our oven, turning an appealing shade of golden brown. We let it bake a little longer for a crispier finish. Be warned that it’s very, very fragile - it breaks apart at the slightest hint of pressure, so we ended up with a waffle that looks like an unfinished wall in a BTO flat.
Taste test
HK-style eggettes are airier and crispier than the usual grid waffles you buy at heartland bakeries, as the ‘eggs’ are hollow air pockets. Eggette Lab’s version gives off a wonderful eggy scent when heated up, though we’re not super impressed by its taste. It’s too sweet without much egginess, and has a hint of artificial vanilla flavouring. Nonetheless, a fun snack idea.
Available at major supermarkets.
Photos: Yip Jieying, Eggette Lab
What you get
For the $3.90 price tag, you get exactly one ready-made gai daan zai, which you’re supposed to thaw for five minutes, and reheat in the oven or air fryer for 10 minutes and five minutes respectively. Our frozen eggette in a plastic tray looks a tad soggy after thawing, and had broken bits around the edges despite us taking great care carrying it home from the supermarket.
