The dish is a popular breakfast food as well as tea time snack in countries like Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Roti bakar was formerly grilled or toasted over charcoal, though this practice has dwindled with the advent of sandwich presses.

In Indonesia, roti bakar is usually prepared as a sandwich of grilled white bread with a filling, consumed both as a light breakfast and a common street food.

[2] After Indonesian independence, roti bakar became ubiquitous throughout Indonesia, as consumption of toast became a matter of taste rather than frugality.

[2] In Malaysia, coconut jam and cold butter are a popular combination to spread on roti bakar.