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ON ONE OF THE WETTEST, coldest mornings of Cyclone Fengal, we shot out from under our many blankets layered like puff pastry, jumped into a speedy auto, and ducked into Muro: determined to break fast and make this review’s deadline on time. Our blurry pacing through the world was paused immediately, on entering the cocoon of Muro’s tropical refuge – its roomy, outdoor seating area with tall, leafy plants; dark wood furniture and comfy furnishings. Parked into a cushiony, corner table, I settled in to enjoy the perks of professional duties.
While Muro has staked its claim on the city’s nightlife landscape with its creative, thoughtful and researched approach to its kitchen and bar programmes, we’re here to sample their recently launched weekend breakfast spread: Muro Café.
Ready to stir up some fun
One of this writer’s favourite breakfast rituals – definitely swiped from some obscure, arty, slow-paced film – is pouring a glass of chilled, iced orange juice into the last bit of black coffee. On the first sip of this concoction, right away, I felt like an erudite, mysterious grown-up with a backstory at a windy cafe overlooking the ocean. I’ve always been tempted to add a splash of alcohol to this surprisingly refreshing mix – but haven’t gotten around to it. It seems like the skilful Sahil Essani – beverage manager at Muro – had heard these wishes and given it a ride. So, while waiting for my breakfast buddy – a growth builder with a media company – I asked for the Cafe L’Orange. Here, the marriage between the rich cold brew coffee and the sweet, chilled orange juice is masterfully negotiated with the help of the bénédictine, a herby liqueur, and over-friendly encouragement of the fruity, spicy cognac.
Our companion arrived late, more than slightly harassed by the cyclone, so it was easy to convince her to drown her troubles in the coffee pandan rum. The warming heat and sweetness of Havana rum together with the floral and grassy notes of the pandan leaf act as a swift vehicle to sunnier times away from our damp reality. Soon, our table groaned with pork neck and a prawn pumpkin danish; eggs benedict toast, pork and prawn suimai, crab omelette, an egg salad sandwich and a khao soi chicken. We go into attack mode: the puff pastry of the danishes was buttery and beautifully shattered on each bite; the pork neck succulent and sweet, and the prawn pumpkin topping spicy, creamy and delicious.
This South-Asian flex to brekkie continued with a savoury, let-us-go-back-for-more tom yum hollandaise and slivers of salmon on the perfect toast; the sprouts in the crab omelette lent an earthy, green note to the wonderfully fishy flavour, and the egg salad cut with a heavy hand of sharp mustard transported us to playful picnics during our school summer vacations. The rain started up again, and the coconutty, creamy and punchy bowl of khao soi was soothing against the chill.
My kind of wake-up call
Feeling like beached whales, we browsed through their list of speciality coffees and teas, and found our way back to the cocktail menu. I went for the Coffee Santo, and she for the Espresso Martini #2. Having used palo santo to clear bad juju in my own apartment, it had a similar effect of recharge and refresh; while her cocktail was smooth and sinful. Maybe we should have stopped at one before returning to position one: beached whales.
Our server spotted our renewed spirits and suggested the French toast with pandan cream. And we gave in. There were absolutely no regrets: a thick, pan-fried, caramelly shokupan toast smeared with generous lashings of fragrant, sweet pandan-infused cream. We rode our sugar highs and booked autos to rush back to snuggle under our blankets and pass out.
5, Onyx Center, Ground Floor, Museum Road, call 8069456060 for reservations. Muro Café, the weekend breakfast, runs on Saturdays & Sundays, 9 am-12 noon.
