Brunch deals


french toast with apples and fig & honey
ice cream from Marmalade Pantry

I’m a big breakfast person. Whenever I travel, one of the things I enjoy most is sussing out a city’s coolest and best places for my morning meal. On my recent trip to Perth, I was thrilled to discover a cool cafe in Murray Mews called Tiger Tiger. They serve fantastic coffee, make gorgeous cappuccinos with deliciously velvety foam, and good, simple but hearty breakfast food. Here in Singapore, I have several favourite places to go when feeling a little peckish in the morning. As I’ve written before, I’m not a fan of hotel buffet brunches. In fact, I really can’t stand them. I’d much rather spend my time and money in more relaxed venues that offer a variety of well-made and affordable options.


Willin’s scrambled eggs on toast

One of my favourite brunch venues in town is Wild Rocket. Readers of this blog will already know that I’m a regular there and a big fan of chef-owner Willin Low. So when the kind folks at OCBC and I discussed the idea of profiling some of the best brunch places in town, I knew that I had to include Willin’s fabulous little restaurant. I was even more excited when, after calling the chef, he immediately agreed to create a special menu for OCBC cardmembers.


a delicious burger from Wild Rocket

Very embarrassingly, Willin wants to call it the Chubby Hubby Brunch menu. That said, I’m not at all embarrassed to say that the menu is terrific. The meal starts with a pineapple cosmopolitan martini, a nice boozy and refreshing way to start your meal. Then you get a plate of scrambled eggs on toast. I like mine runny, but you can order yours slightly more cooked if you prefer. For your main course, you get a choice of the always good Wild Rocket burger with sun-dried tomato salsa or Willoughby bangers & mash. The meal is then capped with a fresh pandan panna cotta with gula melaka. The menu runs S$33+++ which I think is a pretty good deal. And if you get thirsty and you are part of a party of at least 4 persons who order this menu, you are eligible to order a bottle of Prosecco that normally goes for S$75 for just $60.


Graze’s cast iron pan brunch

Another place I like to go for breakfast is Graze. I know that some people have had mixed experiences there, as have I. That said, I’ve recently had some really great morning meals there. I’ve written previously about their breakfast menu and that I’m a fan of Graze’s cast iron pan and their baked omelettes. OCBC cardmembers can now get a 10% discount on all brunch items, plus free cupcakes (one per customer though, so don’t get greedy).


Marmalade Pantry’s eggs benedict

Another place that I like to go to on weekend mornings is Marmalade Pantry. Popular with the trendy and the chi-chi set, this cool cafe in the basement of Palais Renaissance serves some pretty tasty comfort food. My wife S and I have a lot of favourite dishes on Pantry’s “all day Sunday brunch” menu. I’m a sucker for classic egg dishes, so I tend to order things like the always well-executed eggs benedict or corned beef hash with tomato coulis and fried egg. I always love Pantry’s chicken pot pie, a relatively light but delicious version of this classic dish, and their burgers. Sometimes though, when I want something sweet, I’ll order the French toast with caramelised apples, served with fig & honey ice cream. This dish is delicious and it’s especially ideal when you want a sweet plate of carb after a big night out. OCBC Platinum and Titanium cardmembers can now enjoy some free drinks when brunching or dining in both the older Marmalade Pantry and the new branch in Hitachi Tower. At the original branch, cardmembers will receive a complimentary Lychee Bellini during Sunday brunch. At the Hitachi Tower branch, when dining, cardmembers will receive a complimentary glass of wine with the order of a main course.

I hope you find these brekkie options useful. I enjoy going to them on lazy weekend mornings. Just make sure you make reservations. All three are already pretty popular and usually can’t find space for walk-in customers. I know because I’ve stupidly tried just turning up at all of them at least once (some more than once) and have been (politely) turned away on most occasions.

Wild Rocket
Hangout@Mt Emily
10A Upper Wilkie Road
Tel: 63399448
Promotion: OCBC cardmembers can order the Chubby Hubby Brunch at S$33+++. Includes a pineapple cosmopolitan martini; scrambled eggs on toast; a Wild Rocket Burger of Willoughby bangers & mash; and fresh pandan panna cotta with gula melaka. If 4 or more people order the Brunch, enjoy a bottle of prosecco for just S$60 (normally S$75).

GRAZE
No 4 Rochester Park, Singapore 139215
Tel: 6775 9000
Promotion: OCBC cardmembers enjoy 10% off all brunch items, plus a free cupcake.

Marmalade Pantry
Unit B1-08/11 Palais Reniassance
Tel: 6734 2700
Promotion: OCBC Platinum and Titanium cardmembers enjoy a free Lychee Bellini with their brunch.

Marmalade Pantry
Unit 01-04, Hitachi Tower
16 Collyer Quay
Tel: 6438 5015
Promotion: OCBC Platinum and Titanium cardmembers enjoy a free glass of wine with the order of any main course at dinner.

All offers are valid until 4 May 07

Promotion is subject to Service Charge, prevailing Government Taxes and GST. General Terms & Conditions for all Dining Privileges apply. These promotions are valid every day except eve of and on public holidays. For more details, visit www.ocbc.com.

About Aun Koh

Aun has always loved food and travel, passions passed down to him from his parents. This foundation, plus a background in media, pushed him to start Chubby Hubby in 2005. He loves that this site allows him to write about the things he adores--food, style, travel, his wife and his three kids!

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25 Responses

  1. Thks so much for the brunch feature. Your blog came in handy. Thks. Thks. I was jux lookg 4 a place to have brunch over the weekend. *Skipping happily in a dance* Hmn… now de difficult part is which rest to start wif. Haha!

    As per yr previous recommendation, I’ve tried Wild Rocket b4. (Dinner) I’ve yet to try Graze due to the mixed reviews I’ve read. But…since U’ve recommended it. I Trust U plus a pic of Cast Iron Pan brkfast makes my stomach go weak. Also, it’s so great that U’ve got de contact nos & address of the rest. THANK U SO MUCH!

    P.S. I’ve finally managed to try Basil Alcove.(Again, fm yr previous recommendation)It’s GOOD & value for money. I wld say, de quality of de food is more than de value they are charging.High Value for money. 🙂 Yeah! I’m a CH & S blog fan. *Winks*

  2. I completely agree with your comments on hotel buffet breakfasts. Icky! As I travel with work, I try to hunt down those interesting and unique breakfast places. The french toast looks and sounds good – although I have never understood icecream with breakfast!

  3. I think your blog is lovely and has brought me many food finds (e.g. desserts at Island Cafe and Wild Rocket). But do you think that perhaps you are treated better than other diners because of who you are? As (deservedly)somewhat of a food celebrity in S’pore, eateries are probably on the look out for you (think Ruth Reichl and Le Cirque). This could account for the mixed reviews on Graze. I have also been disappointed by the Majestic and Iggy’s. Not that they were horrible, just that they did not live up to your hype.

    Anyway, that’s just my two cents worth. As a “poor” student, when I save up to go to a “nice place”, it is especially disappointing when it is merely good or acceptable. It also leaves one feeling a little cheated.

  4. Cin: Hiya, thanks for dropping by. Hope you have a good brunch this weekend. Yah, Basil Alcove certainly is value for money.

    Tim: I never have any problem having ice cream, no matter what time of the day it is. Then again, I’m a bit of a pig.

    Fred: Yah, you should! I hope you enjoyed the ice cream. Hope it wasn’t all melted by the time you got home.

    Anonymous: Yikes. I am nowhere near Ruth Reichl’s level. Honestly, most restaurateurs can’t recognize me. Which is a good thing. And I usually don’t introduce myself unless I really want to have a chat with the manager or the chef. Then again, I’m a pretty curious person and I like talking to people, so I do end up in extended conversations at times. I think it always helps to know the people behind a restaurant. I’m lucky in that I knew many people before I even started the blog. I met Iggy way back when he was the sommelier at Raffles Grill, pre-Les Amis. I agree that I do get good service and good food from places where I know the people, but usually it’s not because of the blog, but because I’ve taken the time (for example, in the case of Iggy, over a decade) to get to know them. No matter who you are, you should feel confident approaching and speaking to any chef, restaurateur or manager. As long as you are speaking genuinely and passionately about food and you’re not just trying to make friends in order to get better service, I think these people will appreciate your interest. And over time, they’ll become friends.

    When you go to a fancy restaurant for that meal you’ve been saving up for, you should especially approach someone there. Tell him or her how much you have been looking forward to trying their restaurant. Ask for recommendations. Most of the time, you’ll be rewarded for speaking up.

    Of course, sometimes, no matter what you do, you’ll just get sucky service and bad food, from even the most well-reputed places. It could be that the restaurant is only nice to friends and critics or it could be an off-night. You never know. S and I had an awful experience at The French Laundry several years ago. We were rushed through a mediocre meal that cost us an arm and a leg. Other friends, who know Keller, rave about the place. Maybe it’s because their his friends that they eat so well there. Or maybe we were just there on a really bad night. Who knows?

    But also, at the end of the day, what is delicious and what is acceptable is purely subjective, and we all have our own tastes. You just have to stick by yours and go to the places you enjoy most.

  5. Nice work. I would like to see more Aussie style cafe’s in Singapore. I have one reservation on your comments. If you enjoy sipping a few cups of coffee Graze is so not the place to go. I recall gasping at the bill at the end of the meal at ++ their coffee is around SGD8 a cup. Perhaps acceptable for an after dinner linger but not for breakfast. Perhaps they should wake up and smell the grounds.

  6. Great job! I simply love your postings. Ever since I’ve read your post on penang bak kut teh, I’m hooked! Been reading your past entries. Love the writing and the beautiful pictures.

    P.S. May I know where’s a great place to get unground spices such as cinnamon, allspice & nutmeg? Am thinking of grounding my own spices for the gingerbread recipe you’d posted. TIA 🙂

  7. The brunch deals sound fabulous but… the disclaimer at the bottom says dining privileges are not valid on public holidays and their eves? So that lovely Wild Rocket brunch perfect for a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning can’t be had on a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning? That would be a real pity indeed. :/

  8. Beck: I’m gonna let S answer that. She’s much more in the know than I am on this.

    Anonymous: There are many, many weekends that are not public holidays 😉

  9. Um, Beck, I’m not quite the authority on this subject. I usually buy cinnamon quills from the dried goods/sundry store in the Tekka Market complex which opens onto Buffalo Road (because I’m usually in such a rush and don’t have time to venture to the spice shops in the neigbourhood). Allspice and nutmeg, I tend to buy from Hediard or from Meidiya (because they stock Morton & Bassett spices).

  10. Hi CH,

    Whilst there is indeed a great selection of restaurants for a weekend brunch, have you got any recommendations for one that might be available on a weekday? Thanks!

  11. Hello CH! You’ll never believe this, but I’m already thinking of my breakfast for Christmas morning – this is the first time Sean and I will be hosting one for our families. This post was a lovely, albeit saliva-inducing, inspiration!

  12. Hi CH
    Thanks for the recommendations. Being new in SG, and a food fanatic, your blog is a treasure trove. but i am also vegetarian (dont eat eggs either), and love breakfasts. I was wondering if you can guide me to some good places which offer a good selection of vegetarian breakfast.
    Thanks

  13. Hi there –

    Enjoyed the brunch post. Any suggestions for Christmas Day brunch? The usual suspects (Grand Hyatt, Fullerton) are already booked. We are looking for a child friendly place (if they have a babysitter that would be excellent). Thanks in advance! Z

  14. hi Anon

    I know that Four Seasons has a separate kids’ room. My favourite place is Au Jardin. They welcome children but don’t have child minding services.

  15. Hi Chubby Hubby, What gives? I went to Graze today asking about the OCBC Credit Card offer you mentioned, but they said they didn’t know about it!!! I want my free cupcake!!!

  16. Slamfunk: Are you kidding? I will sms the OCBC guys right away. Huge apologies! Do you remember the name of the waiter / waitress serving you?

  17. After reading many reviews of Wild Rocket on CH, I rounded up a big bunch of friends for a dinner celebration there. While the food was ok, we were downright disgusted with the service. Probably assuming that we would not check the bill in detail, they added in 8 extra dishes. When we promptly alerted them to the mistake, it was very obvious from their reaction that it was an intentional “mistake”. Shame on Wild Rocket.

  18. CH: Nope not kidding. Was there just this Sunday. The waiter attending to us (foreign talent) insisted there were no offers for OCBC cards. I then approached the manager (they guy from PS Cafe), and he too said he wasn’t aware of such a deal. Sorry, didn’t take down any names!

  19. Slamfunk: I spoke to owner of the Graze yesterday. She has rectified the situation and has apologized. If you can email me privately, I will ensure that the restaurant sends you a note.

  20. Hey CH,

    Read a few things about your trip to Perth via Anthony’s blog, but I think you were pretty close to on the money with Tiger, Tiger. I’ve written up a little review on my blog that Perthites may be interested in reading.

    Love your work on the photos too, always classy.

    Cheers,
    Matt

  21. Hi CH! Came across your blog while checking out brunch deals. Husband and I visited Graze for the cast iron brunch. Delicious! Thanks for the recommendation! 🙂

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