Common Man is no doubt one of the OG cafes for good brunch and coffee. I first visited the first branch at Martin Road way back in 2013, and even wrote a post on it here! Earlier this year, I re-visited the same branch and found it reminiscent of my first visit – the crowd, the consistency of the food, the same vibes.
Since its inception in 2013, 2 other outlets have sprung up, namely Common Man Stan on Stanley Street and the newest Common Man Coffee Roasters Joo Chiat in the East, where I was kindly invited to for a tasting.
Joining the enclave of eateries in the East Coast neighbourhood, the third outlet exudes a different kind of vibe from the first two – more spacious, breezy and chill. With bold splashes of dark blue and brass, the interiors are decorated with a contemporary industrial look.
We started off the tasting at the dedicated filter coffee brewing bar, the centrepiece of the café. We were served the Slow Brew ($9) by the barista, with notes of tropical and dried fruits.
I also could not resist getting myself a coffee from the Espresso Bar. I went for the Hot Mocha ($6.50), one of my regular orders at CMCR. It tasted as consistent as my previous orders.
A new item on the CMCR menu are the Sourdough Pancakes, available in both sweet and savoury options.
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The Savoury Sourdough Pancakes ($24) comes with crispy bacon, fried egg, pure maple syrup and seasoned creamy butter while the Sweet Sourdough Pancakes ($24) is topped with chocolate almond ganache, almond praline, vanilla ice cream and zesty citrus marmalade. In contrast to the Common Man Fluffy Pancakes which I have tried at CMCR @ Martin Road, the sourdough pancakes may not be as fluffy in texture but makes for a healthier alternative. We preferred the sweet version.
A vegetarian option is the Umami Mushroom Avocado Toast ($22), which was indeed umami thanks to the flavourful oyster and maitake mushrooms, red onions and pickle and togarashi. The focaccia toast is also made with sourdough.
As for the Turkish Common Man Breakfast ($28), it is a not so common combination of a phyllo wrapped soft boiled egg, crispy feta, pumpkin hummus, fresh cucumber, pomegranate and fresh herbs, and pita bread on a plate. My favourite was the chewy wholewheat pita bread.
We also had the Smash Burger ($28) but unfortunately the house made beef patty was rather dry.
A spin on the classic Caesar Salad, the beautifully plated Common Man Caesar ($25) is a huge bowl of butterhead lettuce, chicken breast, grilled brussels sprouts, creamy Stracciatella cheese, focaccia croutons and herb salt.
With this latest café addition to the East Coast, the area would surely be livelier, and hippier.
185 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427456
7.30am – 5pm daily
Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog 