You’ve probably heard of the Southern dish of chicken and waffles, but have you heard of chicken and pancakes? At Earlybird Café, you can get crispy fried chicken served with fluffy pancakes!
Located along Jalan Pinang near Bugis, this cosy cafe has taken over the spot that Artistry used to occupy. Its cheery and eye-catching storefront brings a bright splash of yellow to the deep grey walls. There’s no way one could miss it!
I also loved the painted bird murals on the walls within the cafe, which really added an elegant touch. With lots of natural lighting, this is the perfect spot for your brunch Instagram photos.
Even the table setting was artfully designed. The gold foil coasters, framed photos of the dishes and a few mini potted plants made everything much classier. It’s the little things that make your meal experience better, after all!
Eager to get started, we went straight for the Chicken & Pancakes ($19) that we primarily came for. First things first, this dish was huge! The generous portion means that this can easily be shared by two, especially if you want to leave room for dessert.
This was definitely my favourite dish, because everything was just so well-balanced. The fried chicken was dusted with powdered sugar, and the crispy skin gave the perfect crunch when I bit into it. The chicken meat was also juicy and tender, and seasoned well.
The huge fluffy pancakes were drenched in the maple syrup, which had chilli flakes. Sounds odd? The little bursts of spice actually went really well with the pancakes and fried chicken.
If you prefer a more well-rounded breakfast, the King’s Brekkie ($24) has a bit of everything. It comes with scrambled eggs, thick-cut bacon strips, a grilled sausage, sauteed mushrooms, crispy tater tots, a toasted sourdough slice, cherry tomatoes and mesclun salad. Whew, that’s a meal fit for a king!
I really liked the grilled sausage, which was juicy with a slightly gamey flavour. The tater tots were super crispy with just enough potato filling. The scrambled eggs were pretty good, though I prefer my eggs less runny and fluffier.
Personally, I’d still prefer the Chicken & Pancakes, because it’s a super comforting dish that I can indulge in. Besides, it’s fried chicken and pancakes! Who can say no to that?
For those with more of a sweet tooth, you should also head here just for the desserts.
The Hotcake Bling ($18) is one of those Instagrammable dishes that you simply have to get. The fluffy hotcake is served with wisps of pink fairy floss, an upside-down ice cream cone and lots of rainbow sprinkles. It almost looks like a unicorn!
Snap your pics for the ‘gram before the ice cream and fairy floss melt, and then dig in. I liked that the house-made hotcake wasn’t overly sweet, and had a crispy outer layer.
The contrast in textures between the crispy outer layer and fluffy centre was superb.
There was also passionfruit puree and strawberry slices to add a bit of tartness. The tartness really helped, especially past the halfway point when it started to get a bit too jelak for me.
It’s a great dessert for sharing, because that way you get to split the calories and save some room to try other dishes.
I was glad I had a dining companion to share the desserts, because that meant that we could try the newest addition to the menu: the Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast ($18).
At first glance, this dish might seem like just ordinary French toast. But the fluffy toast was actually stuffed with rich cream cheese!
Smooth and sweet, the cream cheese elevated this French toast from basic to bae-sic. I just couldn’t get enough of it.
You know what’s the best way to enjoy this dish? Drench it in maple syrup, of course! And remember to mop up all the maple syrup with the toast. Psst, this is actually a pretty good brunch dish too.
We also tried their Huat Shake ($8.50), which is one of their more unique milkshakes. Made with pineapple, coconut ice cream, gula melaka syrup and crumble, this was a really thick yet refreshing shake.
I thought it tasted like a non-alcoholic piña colada, with distinct pineapple and coconut flavours. The crumbs sprinkled on top added a bit of crunch, and actually reminded me a little of eating a pineapple tart.
If you’re just after a good cuppa, the Long Black ($4.50) was pretty decent too. For their coffee, they use roasted blends from Allpress Espresso. I liked that the coffee was rather light and less acidic, which made it a good perk-me-up after the hearty meal.
Although a little pricey, this is a good place to check out if you’re in the mood to treat yourself to a lazy brunch (and if you’re searching for a very Insta-worthy meal).
Start your weekend here, because you know what they say: the early bird catches the worm!
Expected damage: $20 – $30 per pax
