Common Man Coffee Roasters is a cafe located at Martin Road. 

Which is ulu for those without a car. 

Which is a less crowded brunch place for those with a car. #justsaying

Anyway I was here to give a birthday treat to one of my "sisters". The sister who broke the sister code regularly #BoysOverSisters #GaveUp. The sister who had a week-long daily celebration starting from Monday. And the sister who scheduled my turn only six days later on a Sunday.

I could have wished her happy birthday like how someecards did. But I'm nice. Haha.

Common Man Coffee Roasters is the typical popular cafe that does not take reservations on weekends. 

But due to my good karma, we didn't have to queue when we reached at 12pm on Sunday. There was a short queue from 1pm though. 

I couldn't get a picture of the interior of the packed place but here's one from the Common Man Coffee Roasters's website. 

Patrons are mainly ang moh with kids and youngsters, the usual suspects. It can be really noisy so if you are looking for a quiet place, this ain't it.

Seats are mainly bar table style. There was a big common round table in the middle. But we are anti-social Asians so we were given one private corner next to the windows with plenty of natural light. 

Latte/Cappuccino ($5++ each)
I am no expert in coffee. But I love Common Man Coffee Roasters' version of cappuccino very much. Everything about the coffee hit the right notes with me, as if the barista and I had common wavelengths. The coffee doesn't leave a sourish/bitter after taste - my usual concern with most other coffees. It is light-bodied yet does its role well to wake me up on a Sunday. 

Organic eggs benedict ($24++)
My friend had the organic eggs benedict with braised ox cheeks and artisanal sourdough toast. She had nothing but praises for it. If you don't trust 99% of what I crapped on this blog, you can trust my friend who was probably a serious food critic in her previous life. 

I had a small bite of it. The ox cheeks were moist/tender and not overly gamey. And when soaked with the golden egg yolks and hollandaise sauce as well as the accompany toast, it was a wondrous mix. 

Brioche French toast ($18++)

I had my eyes set on the brioche French toast. The brioche French toast was served on a wooden board. Vibrant red raspberries and strawberries compote sat on top of soft warm golden brown brioche that is dusted sparingly yet with the right amount of icing sugar. The compote was not sour but sweet. 

End it off with some really smooth Kapiti vanilla ice cream that was melting slowly into the brioche toast. 

I loved the toast which was served warm, fluffy and crispy at the corners. Haven't had a really good French toast like this for a long time. 

Service speed was amazing for a Sunday crowd. We only had to wait for about 10 minutes for our food to come. 

What can I say?  Common Man Coffee Roasters has exceeded my expectations with its substantial and good quality food and coffee, as well as speedy customer service. It might be a bit expensive, but at least you don't get crappy food or service. This is certainly one of the better brunch places that I would highly recommend. 

Address:
22 Martin Road #01-00 Singapore 239058

Tel: 6836 4695

My Halloween themed post. Erm yes, I'm late for the party. 

Anyway, this trip to Oyster Bar and Grill Wharf took place close to Halloween last month. Looked like they put their thinking caps on and were on the beam.

Did I mention they have 100 flavors of mojito? Wicked.

For the non-drunkards, there is the non-alcoholic version of mojito. I have only one liver so I am not going to try all 100 flavors. However, I thought the watermelon mojito ($15.80, below left) and the non-alcoholic peach mojito ($10.80, below right) were refreshing, bittersweet and sufficient to set the stage for the night. Now I'm thirsty. 4.25/5

Being seated at the bar meant an exclusive ticket to spy at the chefs preparing the food. However, we were too engrossed in our bitch session (hey it's Friday!) to care about what was happening in the kitchen. 

If there was only one thing we came for, it would be the oysters. After all, this is named Oyster bar. I am no expert in the field of oysters. From the poster on the wall, it seemed like Wharf got its oysters from Australia and US. The fried oysters ($9 for 2, $16 for 4) were a basic introduction. Succulent oyster meat hid within the breaded crumbs and above the slightly salty savory sauce. 4/5

Ajillo- a Spanish dish that's garlic and olive oil infused. The menu has a variety of Ajillos - prawn, sausages, oysters. We got the Scallops and Mushroom ($12.50, below) which arrived on our table sizzling and bobbling hot. The drenched scallops in the salty broth were bouncy, and fresh. Scallops are my thing and I am usually in charge of finishing them. I am not a big fan of mushrooms honestly and I had left the honor of settling them to my dining companion. However no complaints were lodged against the mushrooms. Overall, a dish slightly above average in my opinion. 3.75/5

Since we were seated at the bar, some bar food would be appropriate. The truffle cheese fries ($14, below) set the bar high in my food diary for truffle fries. I liked how it wasn't overpowering with the typical pungent smell of truffles, and also the lightness of the cheese flakes that decorated the fries. 4/5

We were surprised that our chicken wings ($14, below) arrived faster than the indicated cooking time in the menu of 20 minutes. These were sumptuous and addictive, but a tad too expensive for standard fare. 3.75/5

I was impressed by the efficiency of the kitchen and wait staff. Food was served rather quickly and the dirty dishes were cleared promptly, as if there was some hidden sensor in the dish that sent a signal to the waiter when the dish was empty. I like the chill vibes of this place and would not mind returning again to try more of its famous oysters.

Address:
60 Robertson Quay
#01-01 Singapore 238252