BreakfastGrill (Lorong Kilat)

For those whom are following the happenings of the local F&B scene, one place that had been mentioned for quite a bit around social media of the late would be that of Breakfast Grill. These folks had been operating for quite a while at their East Coast Road location since their entrance into the local F&B scene — they had recently opened a second outlet within the Beauty World neighbourhood. Located at the foot of Kilat 19 along Lorong Kilat, the Breakfast Grill outlet at Beauty World can be found along the same stretch of shops where notable F&B establishments such as Carpenter & Cook can be found as well. This second location of Breakfast Grill does seem to be around the same size of its premises at East Coast Road, though it does seem that they have included more seating for the dining hall at their Lorong Kilat location. Stepping into the Lorong Kilat outlet, one would notice how the Lorong Kilat location is also decked in a more elegant setting than that of their East Coast Road location — the outlet is decked in elements of stone, concrete and wood, while the use of yellow lighting provides a classy look that is modern, contemporary and cosy. There are a mix of couch seating and proper dining chairs that is used within the space — the tables do seem to be configured in a way that would cater to patrons visiting the establishment in groups of two (2) to four (4) pax, though the space situated at the back of the entire cafe does allow for tables to be moved around for larger groups of patrons. The food menu at their Lorong Kilat location does seem to be further expanded as compared to the initial days of their opening at East Coast Road — the menu being split into sections dedicated to All Day Sammies, Brunch, Pastry, Light, Add-Ons, Sharing and Desserts. Beverages available at Breakfast Grill outlet at Lorong Kilat includes espresso-based specialty coffee, teas and a couple of special concoctions which includes Yuzu Fizz Matcha, and Pudding Matcha Latte — just to name a few.

Was pretty interested to give the new items at Breakfast Grill’s outlet at Lorong Kilat a go after skimming through the items on their menu — the Smashed Prawn Toast being one that really caught our attention whilst doing so. The menu describes the Smashed Prawn Toast to be an item that comes with smashed prawns, brioche toast drizzled with a “flavourful sauce” and Tobiko; the Smashed Prawn Toast can also be found in the “Brunch” section of the menu. The smashed prawn paste actually sits above the brioche toast — the overall concept of the dish does seem to have taken inspiration from that of the Korean-style Menbosha (i.e. Fried Shrimp Toast) that has been slightly reconstructed. The smashed prawn paste also seems to have been flame-torched to give it a slightly charred appearance for more physical appeal. Slicing down the brioche toast, we note that the brioche roast is crusty on the exterior — the best way to enjoy this dish is to slice a little bit of that toast and portion it with a little bit of the smashed prawn paste and spread the “flavourful sauce” onto both elements; the bread does absorb the flavours of the sauce which turns out to be something that felt almost in between of that of sriracha mayonnaise and Mentaiko which was an interesting hint of umami and creaminess. The smashed prawn paste does come with a natural hint of sweetness from the prawn, though we did feel that the consistency of the prawn paste was a little bit on the drier side — perhaps from the flame-torched treatment of the dish. Overall, still a dish that is worth giving a go for.

During our visit to Breakfast Grill at their Lorong Kilat outlet, we also went for the Counter Brekkie from the “All Day Sammies” section of the menu — the menu describes the Counter Brekkie to come with elements such as smoked pork bacon, organic avocado slices, over easy egg and sriracha butter. This would be one of the few “Sammies” that would be the type of offering that Breakfast Grill had specialised in since their inception at the East Coast Road location. The menu does mention that this is an item that comes as lighter option to the other Sammies that they have to offer, and we do agree that those looking for a more substantial eat might want to consider the other items that are listed in the same section of the menu. The Counter Brekkie does come with toasted brioche bread that comes with its own inherent sweetness whilst being sufficiently crusted on the outside; there is also a lingering buttery note that one can detect as they sink their teeth into the sandwich. Otherwise, this is a pretty wholesome and hearty sandwich considering the other elements at play; the crispy and savoury bacon being a contrast of textures to the smooth and buttery slices of avocado that one. Can find in the middle of the entire sandwich, while the overeasy egg comes with soft egg whites and runny egg yolk that does not reek of any undesirable notes of overused oil.

We also managed to give the Lemon Meringue Tart a go; whilst the menu does not mention it, it does seem that the Lemon Meringue Tart at Breakfast Grill is being sourced from Sarah’s Loft — the photo featured in the online POS system is the same that is featured on the website of Sarah’s Loft. Sarah’s Loft does operate their very own takeaway / order collection shop space along MacPherson Road, and we have previously tried some of its offerings at PROX Coffee at Aroma Coffee Co.. Didn’t really like the plate that they had used for the plating of the Lemon Meringue Tart as the plate has a curvature on its base that somewhat bends the tart as it sits within the plate; the shape of the plate also makes it difficult to slice through the tart without rocking the plate and throwing it off balance. Nonetheless, the tart base does crumble neatly, while the lemon curd was a good balance of being tart and zippy whilst still carrying an adequate level of sweetness; the meringue layer providing a fluffy texture whilst coming with a more neutral level of sweetness to cut through the flavours of the lemon curd beneath.

We went with the Flat White to go along with our orders of our main dishes and pastries during our visit made to Breakfast Grill at Lorong Kilat outlet. It is actually interesting to know that Breakfast Grill actually roasts their own coffee beans which they also retail in small bags. Our cuppa turns out to be pretty decently-pulled with a medium body, and an earthy and nutty flavour profile. Having visited Breakfast Grill previously when they had just first opened their doors at East Coast Road, it does seem like these folks had learnt quite a fair bit from its past and have matured over time in terms of the food that they are offering — not only is there more innovation and creativity that can be seen with the items listed in the All Day Sammies and Brunch section of the menu; one can also feel the slight shift in the quality of its offerings that seem to have been improved since their very early days. Prices of the items listed in the All Day Sammies and Brunch section of the menu are within the range of $13 to $24; the lowest-priced items being the Cheeses, Croque Monsieur and Counter Brekkie from the All Day Sammies section of the menu, while the highest-priced items would be the 1-800-SURF-N-TURF from the All Day Sammies section of the menu and the Kimchi Tako Toast and All Filled Up section of the menu. The Lorong Kilat neighbourhood is one that is saturated with plenty of cafes around it that are all pretty well-established names in the local F&B scene at this current juncture however; it will be interesting to see how Breakfast Grill will fare in the long run in this neighbourhood that they are a new entrant in.