Hailing all the way from New York, the Clinton Street Baking Company & Restaurant now has an outlet in Singapore to give us a taste of an authentic NYC brunch experience. Trust me, sometimes it’s good to trade up kaya toast for a stack of blueberry pancakes (and I mean for breakfast, lunch or dinner).
What started as a small wholesale baking company with only a storefront and a few loyal neighbourhood customers, has now grown into an international food chain serving up the best blueberry pancakes from New York.
The outlet in Singapore boasts a warmly-lit space fit for any brunch occasion. I loved how small and cozy the restaurant felt, with wood fittings to complement its chic look. The buttery scent of freshly baked goods wafting from the kitchen had me salivating right from the start.
This brunch place does more than just blueberry pancakes and waffles. With a recently revamped menu, they are proud to announce three new additions to add to the list of award-winning mains.
If you’re keen on trying one of the new kids on the block, get the Kale & Quinoa Salad ($19). A plate of dressed kale with quinoa, red onions, avocados, tomatoes and spiced pumpkin seeds is the best thing to have to kick off your brunch meal.
The crunchiness of the kale was enhanced by a tinge of spiciness from the red onions and the creaminess of the avocado. I like my food on the salty side so the saltiness of the spiced pumpkin seeds and kale was just right for me.
I suggest having it with a side of the in-house Smoked Salmon ($8) that was highly recommended by the restaurant manager. This is definitely something you can’t get anywhere else, with the smoked salmon sliced to a perfect thinness and smoked at the restaurant with just the right level of saltiness.
Another side worth having is the Sugar-cured Bacon ($8). It was so sinfully good with its caramelised sugary taste and the savoury saltiness of the crispy bacon that went really well with all the mains that we ordered.
Another new introduction to the menu is the classic Croque Madame ($20). You’ll probably only take a liking to this dish if you are an extreme cheese lover though, as the Monterey Jack cheese flavour was rather strong.
Enjoy it with two perfectly cooked sunny side-up eggs with runny egg yolks. I would, however, choose to save my calories for the other dishes available at Clinton Street Baking Co.
The highlight of our meal was the highly-lauded Pancakes with Warm Maple Butter ($19). It comes with a topping choice of either blueberries, banana walnuts or chocolate chunks. We had ours the classic way, with a topping of the blueberry sauce.
Dig into it when it’s hot to savour the caramel taste of the warm maple butter, tangy-ness of the blueberry sauce and fluffiness of the buttery pancakes all at once.
The pancakes were simply irresistible, complemented by the Maple Butter, which is an icon of the Clinton Street Baking Co. Air-flown from New York directly, the maple syrup mixed with clarified butter is the perfect sauce to pair any of the brunch dishes. I loved how it wasn’t too thick or crazily sweet.
Another award-winning recipe that Clinton Street Baking Co. boasts is its Chicken & Waffles ($21). Four buttermilk fried chicken tenders atop a light and fluffy waffle created a perfect symphony in my mouth.
You definitely have to drizzle the whole cup of maple butter on the chicken and waffles to get the best out of this dish.
The savoury crunch of the chicken tenders was perfect with the lightness of the sweet waffles. Though the waffle may not be as crispy as those found elsewhere, I still think that it was done pretty well especially when complemented with the crispiness of the chicken.
Save some room because, trust me, you’ll want to try the decadent milkshakes. The alcoholic Salted Caramel Milkshake ($10) that came with a shot of Bourbon ($5) is highly recommended. The (necessary) alcoholic shot really enhanced the salted caramel vanilla taste, making it not too heavy on the palate.
For something more kid-friendly, try the Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake ($10) which was a dessert in itself!
If you’re after something lighter, the Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade ($7.50) would serve as a good contrast to the heavy mains. I loved how it was fizzy and sour at the same time, which was refreshing for my taste buds.
The freshly squeezed hand-pressed Orange Juice ($6.50) would be the best drink to go for to make yourself feel better about indulging in all the excellent brunch options.
It was less pulpy than expected and super refreshing – just a little bit too pricey for such a small glass.
Clinton Street Baking Company’s food was anything but ordinary and a testament to Clinton’s use of fresh and hand-made ingredients. The hype about this New York diner is definitely justifiable and also worth the long waiting time during brunch, especially on the weekends.
Expected damage: $20 – $25 per person
