If you’re flying Japan Airlines (JAL) from Singapore to Japan between 1 September 2026 and 28 February 2027, a homegrown snack is part of the trip: KELE‘s Traditional Pineapple Tarts. The collaboration has been running since September. The tarts are on JAL’s inflight menu for flights leaving Singapore for Japan, and KELE’s pineapple tarts are already a go-to gift for plenty of Singaporeans.
If you’ve ever panic-bought a box at Changi on the way to Tokyo, this flips the usual order. Normally the souvenir rides in your suitcase, but on this route it’s served at your seat.
A Souvenir That Boards Before You
In an email interview with DANAMIC, KELE’s Managing Director and Co-owner Adrian Ang said the Traditional Pineapple Tarts are on JAL’s inflight menu for all flights departing Singapore for Japan.
You can’t buy them from the airline. Ang said the tarts aren’t sold as an inflight retail item, through the JAL shop, or in Japanese stores. Instead, they’re presented to passengers as Singapore’s version of omiyage. That’s the Japanese custom of bringing home carefully chosen gifts for family, friends and colleagues after a trip, which suits a snack Singaporeans already treat as the default thing to gift.
Omiyage, Meet Ong Lai
The cultural link is easy to see. In Singapore, pineapple tarts are tied to festive reunions and good fortune. Ang points out that pineapple in Hokkien is ong lai, a word linked to prosperity, which is why the tarts turn up at every Chinese New Year visit. Japan’s version of that generosity is omotenashi, a philosophy of wholehearted hospitality that pays close attention to a guest’s needs.
Ang hopes passengers who try a tart onboard “may one day look for us when they visit Singapore, or remember the brand as a taste of the city they can share with others.”
That’s a smart bet. A passenger who tries a tart over the clouds and then spots the same skyline box at Jewel on the way home already has a reason to buy it.
What’s Inside the Skyline Box
Ang told DANAMIC the Skyline Souvenir Box holds 12 individually wrapped Traditional Pineapple Tarts. Each one sits in its own golden tray inside a box printed with Singapore’s city skyline. The individual wrapping matters at 30,000 feet, and it matters again in a carry-on bag, so the box is about as travel-proof as a pastry gift can be.
For anyone who has never had one, Ang describes “a tender, buttery pastry with a tangy pineapple filling at the centre.” He recommends eating it plain, ideally with tea or coffee. That’s sound advice on a long flight, when a hot drink is never far away.
The recipe hasn’t been adjusted for the route. Ang said the goal was “bringing Singapore’s original flavour to a new setting, not creating a different tart for another market.” The work went into presentation, individual packaging and consistency instead. He added that KELE’s tarts were already popular with Japanese tourists and expatriates in recent years, so plenty of passengers on this route may recognise the flavour already.
From a 1983 Family Bakery
KELE (可楽, pronounced Kerh-Lerh) started in 1983 as a family bakery run by Ang’s parents. In his words, they “simply focused on making pastries that people would enjoy and return for.” Today, second-generation owners Adrian and Gordon Ang run the brand. It appeared in the Michelin Guide in 2018 and holds the Singapore Tourism Board’s “Made With Passion” brand mark. It was recognised as a Singapore Heritage Business by the National Heritage Board in October 2025.
Ang calls the JAL deal a major milestone. “To my knowledge, I think we are the first Singapore pastry brand to collaborate with a major foreign airline,” he said, and that claim is his own. KELE says plans to sell its tarts in Japan are “already in the pipeline,” though that’s still a plan and not a launch. In Singapore, you can buy the tarts before you fly at KELE’s Jewel Changi Airport concept store.
Back home, KELE was already a familiar name to Jewel regulars, and DANAMIC included it in a 2023 look at Jewel Changi Airport’s Made with Passion homegrown brands. If your festive snacking runs beyond tarts, our earlier Chinese New Year treats round-up has more ideas.
Where to Buy It Before You Fly
Ang’s pick for first-timers is the Skyline Souvenir Box. It’s built for travel and doubles as a gift that shows Singapore’s skyline. If you want something different, he suggests the Golden Pineapple Balls, a bite-sized version of the classic.
For a stop with some history, he points people to the Chinatown flagship at 2 Smith Street. If you’re heading to the airport, the Jewel Changi Airport concept store is the easy last-minute stop, and anyone who has done the pre-flight Jewel sprint knows how much that convenience is worth. KELE products are available at Suntec City, Raffles City and Takashimaya shopping centre too.
🗓️ On JAL flights: 1 September 2026 to 28 February 2027, Singapore to Japan
✈️ Onboard: Traditional Pineapple Tarts on JAL’s inflight menu, all flights departing Singapore for Japan
📦 What’s inside: 12 individually wrapped Traditional Pineapple Tarts
💰 Price in Singapore: S$29.80, as stated by KELE
📍 Where to buy: KELE Chinatown flagship (2 Smith Street), KELE concept store at Jewel Changi Airport, KELE pop-up at Suntec City (subject to availability), and KELE’s website
If a Japan trip is on your calendar before the end of February, you can check flights on the Japan Airlines website and keep an eye out for the tarts on your flight. If you aren’t flying, a S$29.80 box from Smith Street or Jewel makes good omiyage for the friends you’ll visit in Tokyo, and it’s an easy way to bring a bit of Singapore along!
Photos and Visuals courtesy of KELE.
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