The Place For folks who had it in the United States or like myself, in Tokyo, rejoice for this awesome piece of news. Clinton St. Baking Company & Restaurant, better known as Clinton St. Bakery, has finally landed its shores in Singapore last month along Purvis Street near Bugis. From a hole-in-the-wall cafe in New York serving Southern American food to the minimalist space at Purvis Street, it has been a long but worthwhile wait for me as I finally checked it out recently. The first impression of the Singapore’s outpost is the minimalist decor, no strong emphasis on beautifying or excessively sprucing up the space, but to me I thought that this is one confident restaurant which wants the emphasis to be on its food instead.

The Food Expect the Singapore outlet to serve almost the same menu as New York, which means you can’t get wrong with waffles and pancakes. The staff here has spent time training in the NYC flagship to ensure that Singapore diners enjoy the same authentic taste as the original version, which is comforting to know for fans of this cafe brand. I was really looking forward to trying the Pancakes with Maple Butter ($18), where customers get to choose from wild blueberry, banana walnut, or chocolate chunk toppings. Oh my, the pancakes are to-die-for. I have stopped having pancakes often in cafes in Singapore as I can’t remember the last time I tried a good version. The signature three stacked pancakes had that nice fluffy texture, with a batter so aromatic and just the right amount of butter. For me, the best part was the high quality Canadian imported maple syrup, which certainly brought the overall flavour of the pancakes a notch higher.

Of course, the Chicken & Waffles ($21) is another must try signature at Clinton St. Bakery. The waffle uses the same batter as the pancakes, so it was no surprise that I love the waffles as much. My only rant is the fried chicken breast meat, which is not my favourite chicken part it often come across as too dry and tough, as well as less tasty than chicken thigh. I understand from the restaurant that the choice of chicken breast is to be consistent with the original US version, but they have collected feedback thus far  and will be in talks with the owners to further refine the dish to suit the local palate. The redeeming point though, was that the breast meat was marinated with buttermilk for at least 24 hours, that was probably why I found it to be quite tender surprisingly, even though I wished that it was more juicy.

Other highlights of the All-day breakfast include the Southern Breakfast ($18) and Eggs Benedict ($20). The former offers more variety with two eggs done any style, cheese grits, fried green tomatoes and sugar-cured bacon. The scrambled eggs was done in the buttery way I like, while the sugar-cured bacon was crisp and addictive.

For detractors of Eggs Benedict, the surprise factor of this version is the toasted buttermilk biscuits which the poached eggs rest on. The crunchy texture of the biscuits lend a different flavour to this classic brunch dish as I am so used to having it with brioche or muffin. The homemade Hollandaise sauce was another winning factor in this dish.

If you have a bigger appetite, some of the sides on the menu are fit for sharing, such as the House-cured Salmon ($12.50) from Norway, Rosemary pork sausage ($7) and Hand-cut fries ($7) which was double fried and so addictive.

If you still have space, the restaurant serves its own array of cakes made by the pastry chef, with classic American flavours such as Peanut Butter Ice Box Pie ($9.50), Black & White Layer Cake ($9.50) and Chocolate-Banana Cream Pie ($9.50). The cakes were dense and rich, which was a challenge to finish after a heavy meal. For something to share, I will recommend the Chocolate Peanut Butter ($10) shake instead for a sweet treat ending.

Rants It’s insanely packed at the moment during weekends, as the seating capacity is not that big. Be prepared to wait in line, or visit early to avoid the peak timings.

Will I Return Again? For cafe fares, the standard and quality of food at Clinton St. Baking Company & Restaurant are definitely not the average Joe. I like most of the dishes here, especially the pancakes, so it will be just a matter of time before I bring my friends back again. To more maple syrup and pancakes, I hope my waistline can stomach this.

Make your reservation instantly at Clinton St. Baking Company & Restaurant here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Clinton St. Baking Company & Restaurant
31 Purvis Street
Singapore 188608

Opening Hours
Daily: 8am to 6pm
Tel: +65 6684 4845