Breakfast Club, Kovan: Breakfast for champions and pancakes for dinner

On a typical workday, breakfasts are rituals of efficiency. It is a cup of coffee down in minutes before you leave the house, it is an extra wink of sleep you squeeze in, it is the takeaway bag that signals a life of hustle. It is the forsaken meal that connotes anything but full attention at the dinner table. This makes me ruminate on Breakfast itself—perhaps the obsession over eggs on sourdough toast is our way of reclaiming time, to slow down. Embodying this concept is Breakfast Club, a stall in The Coffeeshop by Yaowarat Thai Kway Chap.

Housed in the vicinity of acclaimed Punggol Nasi Lemak and Lola’s Café, the appeal of Breakfast Club is clear—a stall with all-day breakfast fare that runs till 9pm is nothing less than a commendable move.

What I tried

It starts with the Breakfast Plate (S$9.90) with unpretentious staples representing the banal ‘good start to the day’. We’ve all had a fair share of breakfast platters with condiments that don’t justify their price tag, but this is not one of them. Its hashbrown is crisp to a T, contrasted with a bratwurst that bursts with herbaceous juiciness in each bite. At the corner of the plate rests a bed of pillowy scrambled eggs that are seasoned so well, it’s addictive. ‘Seasoned’ should be the buzzword for eateries. Finally, we are correcting the culinary mistakes of 2015. You could complement the eggs with the French toast, but really, it’s good on its own. Of course, it comes with juicy tomatoes as the cherry on top.

I haven’t been this excited for rosti in a while, and I blame it on my stint as a crew member in a rosti café. But when I spotted a good heft of Rosti With Egg and Sausage (S$8.90) on the next table, I knew I had to order it. Sure enough, it didn’t disappoint. Beneath its crisp, cackling layer lies soft and savoury potato shreds that withstood the prodding of my fork. On top, sits a fried egg with a smattering of black pepper, and a dollop of zesty sour cream—the definition of a good balance in a bite. Expecting the sausage to be the same one on the Breakfast Plate, I was, unfortunately, let down by a different iteration. This was a tad dry, giving an anti-climatic cackle without fulfilling its promise of a juicy burst. But still, I’m content with this hearty brunch combination.

Elsewhere, the Potato Salad (S$3.50) comes served as a mound of potato chunks held together with mayonnaise and a smattering of bacon bits—it’s great as it is, though I wouldn’t protest if they added a bit more seasoning. Two unpretentious slices of eggy toast make up their French Toast (S$3.50), which is not much to write home about, but enough to give you a touch of what it’s like to travel to Hong Kong again—if and when that happens, that is.

Pancakes on a Sunday brunch make for the most romantic notion of breakfast, an ideal routine where you douse maple syrup and relish in each bite. Their Pancakes (S$3.90) really takes the cake as a satisfying close to this breakfast spread. Even ardent fans of McDonald’s pancakes would be swayed. It’s pillowy and chewy, with a subtle sweetness that comes through with every bite. Did it need the Maple syrup on the side? I don’t think so. But if pancake authenticity is important to you, then go ahead and slather forth. My only gripe? That slick of Planta on the side instead of butter. There’s just something about slathering pancakes with the savoury creaminess of well-whipped butter that can’t be replaced with pedestrian Planta.

Final thoughts

The nosh at Breakfast Club doesn’t blow our minds, but that’s perfectly fine—it doesn’t need to. Instead, its charm lies in its unassuming plates that are safe and comforting, precisely what the first meal of the day represents. A visit to Breakfast Club is an exercise in deliberation, especially since there are only two food offerings here—Ng Kuan Chilli Pan Mee or The Breakfast Club. For me, it was the latter, an attempt to treat myself on a Friday morning by ditching my routine of toast and instant coffee. And judging from the fully-seated space, I was not the only one. It’s safe to say that for moments of indulgence, I would gladly join The Breakfast Club.

Expected damage: S$3.90 – S$9.90 per pax