So there’s brunch, then there’s brunch. Exhibit A: image above is just the selection of starters we feasted on. We were only in Singapore for a few days, but you can be sure that it was filled with epic amounts of eating. Especially because we had expert foodie guides JL and Khee showing us how it’s done! Corner House was voted No. 23 for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (2017) and I can assure you it was one of the best brunches (actually, meals!) we’ve ever had!
Corner House is in an incredibly beautiful location. It’s in the middle of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which is basically a beautifully manicured tropical jungle. The restaurant itself is in a classic colonial-style white building, with chic monochrome decor inside. We sat upstairs, which also has an enclosed balcony wrapping around the building – a picture-perfect view of the greenery surrounding us.
Corner House’s Sunday Brunch (4 Courses – S$88++ per person) starts with a cute little selection of freshly baked pastries. The jam is also home-made and the butter is the creamiest of creamy butters ever.
So, that photo up the top of this post was the Assiette of appetisers that we all shared as a table. This epic feast within a feast included Duck Rilette, Salad with blue cheese dressing, radish and pine nuts, Cod fish croquettes with sriracha sauce, and foie gras with crisp bread. Yes – this is indeed just the starter. We were really quite taken aback by this selection! Each morsul of food was incredibly tasty. Head chef Jason Tan was in the kitchen (he even said ‘Hi!’ to us as we walked past the kitchen on our way up) working his butt off, so of course the food was amazing. Love that kind of dedication!
Alsatian bacon, butternut squash, black truffle, wild rice
For our mains we had a choice of two options. One option was the Corner House egg benedict – Smoked salmon, tobiko, Vin Jaune hollandaise. Throw out all your ideas and preconceptions about eggs benedict and what it should look like. In my opinion, this is an excellent version of deconstructed eggs benedict. I think it just looks like an artwork, don’t you? The other option was the 62 degree farm egg with Alsatian bacon, butternut squash, black truffle, wild rice. Again, it wasn’t quite as we expected (but in a good way!). Once you get over the fact that the wild rice looks like little worms, it is an amazing dish. The bacon’s saltiness really complements the sweet taste of the butternut squash. Similarly, the crunchiness of the wild rice is a great contrast to the smooth texture of the puree and 62 degree egg.
Alsatian bacon, butternut squash, black truffle, wild rice
Oh wait, did I say that was the main course? Whoops – we then had second main courses! Again there were two options – a seafood option and a meat option. M4 Australian wagyu beef with Haricot vert, potato, onion, harissa was amazing, although they should’ve flagged that the sauce around the edge of the plate is very, very spicy! This is the part where ‘brunch’ turns into ‘lunch’, as I don’t think I’ve ever had something like this before midday before!
The seafood option was Atlantic cod – Obsiblue prawn, squid ink, zucchini. I loved the bright colours here contrasted by the black squid ink in the middle. It definitely got messy eating it!
And now for the big finale. Just as we thought the dishes couldn’t get any prettier, we got our dessert: Speculoos – Chocolat, almond, rum, mandarin orange. Heads up, I love speculoos. It’s a thin, spiced biscuit more commonly known as ‘speculaas’, with a caramelly flavour typically eaten around Christmas time in European countries like Belgium and Germany. They deconstructed this simple, little biscuit to create an incredible dessert. By adding the citrus mandarin flavours they also elevated this simple biscuit from the Christmas market to the fine dining restaurant. Eating this dessert felt like an adventure. I tried all the different parts individually and then tasted the flavours together. What an incredible way to finish the meal!
I would highly recommend Corner House to anyone looking to enjoy an epic Sunday brunch in Singapore. I’m sure they also have incredible lunch and dinner menus, plus it’s such a beautiful setting to enjoy amazing food!
Corner House
1 Cluny Road, E J H Corner House
Singapore Botanic Gardens
(Nassim Gate Entrance)
Singapore, 259569
