Brawn & Brains Coffee (Hamilton)

There has been quite a number of new items that have been introduced in the menu of the favourite place of the late — whilst we had written about their new Scallion & Cream Cheese Filled Donut which also happens to be the only savoury donut option that they have to offer, Brawn & Brains Coffee has also released number of new dishes at its Hamilton Road outlet such as that of two quiche items and the Crispy Golden Onion Rings in the Sides | Salad | Soup section of the menu.

Noting how the Crispy Golden Onion Rings is a new offering on the menu at Brawn & Brains Coffee, it was needless to say that we had to give the item a go. The portion of Crispy Golden Onion Rings does seem to be manageable even as a side dish for one pax — apart from the deep-fried onion rings, it also comes with an accompanying dip on the side. The Crispy Golden Onion Rings works especially well as a light snack given how their onion rings only comes with a very light batter on the exterior; one that is not only crisp and not too greasy, but also complimented the thin onion rings very well — not in any way jelak. It also does come with a slight sprinkle of paprika powder that gives it a very light hint of spice, though the accompanying sriracha mayo-esquire dip does match well with the Crispy Golden Onion Rings being all creamy and tangy with a slight kick of spiciness that should be pretty manageable even for those whom have a low tolerance of spiciness. Something which we would find ourselves ordering of craving for something savoury to pair with our cuppa here without the carbs!

Dropped by the favourite coffee spot and it is always exciting to see how they have been offering some bakes that are not part of its usual line-up of the late. Skimmed through the menu and managed to find the Scallion & Cream Cheese Filled Donut during our more recent trips there — whilst Brawn & Brains Coffee had been serving up different variations of their donuts featuring quite a good selection of flavours, most of the flavours do seem to surround around more sweet and dessert-y flavour profiles. The offering of the Scallion & Cream Cheese Filled Donut pretty much stood out to us quite a fair bit as such; this being a savoury donut that is unlike the other flavours that they have been offering thus far.

The Scallion & Cream Cheese Filled Donut takes the form of a Bomboloni which is the Italian-style filled donut — very much the same as what one would expect out of their other variations of donuts here. With that being said, considering how the Scallion & Cream Cheese Filled Donut is a savoury item, the donut itself does come rolled in less sugar crystals and only on the underside. Digging into the donut, the donut comes well filled with cream cheese — the cream cheese carrying a smooth, luscious and creamy texture while not being too heavy with the slight tang and the hints of dairy. The addition of scallions provided an extra note of flavours — the fillings of the donut can be described to taste like something pretty similar to sour cream and onions; all that while the donut remains all fluffy and light. Not usually a fan of savoury donuts and we would probably still find ourselves craving for the Kaya-filled donut more the next time we are going for a donut here, though this version of a savoury donut still works out very well for those looking for savoury donuts out there.

Had been noticing the availability of this item at the favourite spot for quite some time but the dining partner who isn’t really a big fan of Hainanese-style Kaya Toast isn’t quite into wanting to ordering it to share during our visits here — decided to make an order for it during one of the visits that we had made there by ourselves. To our recollection, this isn’t the very first time of which these folks had served up an item inspired by the Hainanese-style Kaya Toast, though this rendition would feature elements such as brioche that is accompanied with their B&B House-made Kaya and strips of salted butter, and a slow-cooked egg that comes with the usual soy sauce and pepper seasoning bottles (just like how it would be in a Kopitiam) that one would be able to add to the slow-cooked egg to their fancy. Other items on its menu that feature the B&B House-made Kaya includes the Classic Waffles with House-made Kaya, Jam & Butter and the Good Ol’ Classic Pancakes (available only at their East Coast location).

The brioche here is toasted to a crusty surface on the exterior; we liked how the bread didn’t feel particularly dense here — makes it quite an easy eat. There is actually sufficient butter and the B&B House-made Kaya that comes in between the toast; the B&B House-made Kaya notable for coming in a shade of solid green unlike the more viscous consistency of commercially-made Pandan Kaya that one would be able to find at the supermarkets. Considering so, the B&B House-made Kaya emphasises more on the aromatics of the Pandan juice extracted from the pandan leaves; not so much on the sweetness of the coconut jam. The soft fragrance and its velvety smooth texture is pretty much on point without being sweet; these folks had included an additional serving of their B&B House-made Kaya in a separate saucer that one can dip their toast soldiers into if they require more — this portion comes with sprinkles of sea salt that gives a more intense saltish note that mimicked that of the salted butter. The slow-cooked egg came with runny yolk and whites; the comforting sort that most of us would have grew up having from coffeeshops, food courts or establishments notable for Hainanese-style breakfasts like Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Toast Box. Definitely one of those Hainanese-style Kaya Toast-inspired items that we would find ourselves ordering considering the effort that they have placed in making their own Kaya here!

Always intrigued whenever the favourite place lists something new on their POS system every now and then — it has almost come to a point that it is a little bit like a hunt for Easter eggs that we had not recalled seeing in the menu during the prior week. Still glad that they are still consistently churning up specials and new items every now and then nonetheless.

The Burnt Sugar Vanilla Custard Pudding is essentially what one would call the Purin (i.e. Japanese Custard Pudding) — some would also relate it to a Flan / Creme Custard. Whilst looking like a simple dessert item, it seems like the folks at Brawn & Brains have gotten the intricacies of the dessert just right — that smooth, silken custard that hints lightly of a fragrance of vanilla beans just hits the spot; so soft and wobbly and done just right. This differs from that of some of the Flan / Creme Custard that we had come across that is a little overdone — a bit too stiff and comes with air pockets; and if the custard is done correctly, similar dishes from of other establishments tend to come with caramel that lacks complexity. The one here at Brawn & Brains differs from those, with the bitter undertones of the burnt sugar being really evident and brought about the flavours contrast the pudding needs – all that with the top of the pudding having absorbed those notes from the burnt sugar as well. A dessert that we would gladly pair with the Espresso Tonic; a refreshing concoction featuring tonic water, a shot of espresso and a wedge of lemon that is zippy, slightly sweet and fizzy — totally compliments the Burnt Sugar Vanilla Custard Pudding. Now planning on when is a good time to give the Matcha & Banana Slice a go …

I visited the Brawn and Brains Hamilton Branch this afternoon for my Sunday brunch. It was my first time here, as I usually frequent their East Coast branch.

To start, I had the mentaiko curly fries. The flavor was fantastic—not too heavy—with mentaiko sauce topped with seaweed and sesame seeds, making it a perfect beginning to the meal.

I then ordered their signature baked molten egg. It was so enticing that I dug in as soon as it arrived, hence, I didn’t manage to snap a photo. But trust that it lives up to its reputation!

Next, I had the Masala Chicken Taco, a dish I had previously enjoyed at their East Coast branch. The chicken was perfectly spiced with a slight kick of heat, wrapped in a crisp taco shell. The papadum retained its crunch even after being left out for a while and was fried to perfection.

I also tried their recommended favorite, the chicken avocado sando. The combination of chicken and avocado was excellent, but what really elevated the sando was the nicely toasted house-made brioche bun.

For drinks, I have previously enjoyed their iced chocolate, iced mocha, and iced white, all consistently great. This time, I decided to try something new and opted for the slightly indulgent BnB Kopi Shake, which turned out to be a delightful treat.

Highly recommend Brawn and Brains for a great brunch if you're in the area!

Visited the favourite place yet again recently and found another two (2) items on the menu that we hadn’t really come across whilst scrolling through the online POS system to submit our orders. Have been trying out their various rendition of their donuts since their release over the years — did not recall that they had carried a Matcha & Cream version of their bomboloni-style donuts so found ourselves giving this a go; all whilst having an Espresso Tonic (also a recent addition to the menu here) to pair it with.

The donuts from Brawn & Brains Coffee are ones that we love for its softness, yet carrying a bit of tension to chew apart — themselves being just aptly dense and comes rolled in sugar that provides a sugary and crusty exterior for a bit of sweetness and contrast of textures. Piped inside the donut would be the matcha-infused cream filling; we liked how the matcha-infused cream largely focuses on the bitter undertones of the tea — very much the starting note that hits one’s tastebuds as they sink their teeth into the Matcha & Cream Donut. The cream itself comes pretty thick; rich of the inherent flavours of matcha without being overly sweetened, creamy or milky — would work fairly well with matcha lovers for the most part. The Espresso Tonic in the meanwhile was something that we were really looking forward to have — having been ones whom would make an order for Espresso Tonic elsewhere at establishments that offers it; definitely happy to finally see it included in the menu here and the version here definitely hits the spot for us with the tonic water adding a contrast to the coffee with a complexity in the depth of flavours. More options to add to the list of items that we would be considering to order whenever we make our visits here!