Hustle Co @ Craig Road – Of Indulgent Brunch Fare, Handcrafted Coffee And 12 Craft Beers On Tap

Situated along Craig Road is Hustle Co, one of the newest hipster addition to the Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood. With a curated food menu of hearty mains available all-day from brunch to dinner, it offers a wide selection of craft beers on tap ranging from ale, lager, porter to cider to pair with your brunch offerings, while coffee options are also available for your caffeine fix in the morning.

Tuna Tartare 4.2/5

For the starter, we had the Tuna Tartare ($16) which comes in a portion of fresh tuna chunks well-mixed with avocado and cucumber. An interesting element to the dish - crispy wanton skin is used to pair with the tuna tartare, which contributes a crunchy texture to the creamy avocado mash and fresh tuna chunks.

Salmon Rosti 4.2/5

The Salmon Rosti ($22) features a 160g salmon fillet pan-seared to a perfect skin-crisp while the meat was butter-soft tender and well-seasoned. Coupled with a golden brown crisp rosti, dill creme fraiche and generous amounts of salmon roe. The sour cream is a great, non-overpowering. It complement the savoury salmon and rosti while those mouth-popping granules lend a sweet, mildly savoury note and a refreshing twist to the dish.

Hustler Burger 3.8/5

The Hustler Burger ($18) features a 160g dry age beef patty, mini hash, bacon and a fried egg atop, all held together by two toasted soft brioche buns. While the nicely-seasoned beef patty is slightly tougher in texture, the crispy hash added a crunch element, and together with the bacon and cheese which constitute flavorous additions that give the dish an uplift.

French Toast 4/5

End the meal on a sweet note with the French Toast ($18) which features two pieces of soft pillowy brioche toast with a slight crisp in its pan-fried exterior, and paired with glazed apple, mixed nuts and vanilla ice cream. The pieces of glazed apple provided a subtle juicy sweetness to the french toast while the nuts has a nice crunch to it. The vanilla ice cream is sourced from Apiary, which is known for their house-made creamy and rich ice cream. Overall, a pretty decent dessert constituting a medley of accompaniments with lusciously sweet notes atop well-executed fluffy french toasts.

With just less than half a year into operations, Hustle Co has undergone a series of menu tweakings to introduce a variety of unqiue offerings to indulge in for brunch. Instead of being the conventional brunch-and-coffee cafe, it places a stronger emphasis on their local craft beers on tap as well, which provides for a great avenue to unwind with your friends after a long day of hustle.

Words and photos by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Hustle Co
52 Craig road
Singapore 089690
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat: 9am - 12midnight
Sun: 9am - 5pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Orchid Hotel. Walk to Tanjong Pagar Road. Cross the road and walk to Craig Road. Continue on Craig Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

Folklore @ Destination Singapore Beach Road - Celebrates Lunar New Year With Tok Panjang

For a different kind of Lunar New Year celebration, Folklore at Destination Singapore is offering Tok Panjang to celebrate the beginning of Spring. The lavish spread of of heritage Perankan feast will be available from 15 February to 2 March 2018, specially put curated by Chef Damian D'Silva. The festive spread will have up to 15 different heritage dishes, a repertoire of Chef's grandmother's recipes.

Peranakan Prawn Salad 4.2/5

Be warn! The Peranakan Prawn Salad which features poached prawns on a bed of fresh Chinese lettuce leaves is super fiery! The chilli plum sauce is not for the faint hearted.

Kueh Pie Tee 4/5

Kueh Pie Tee is not really uncommon but what makes it different here is that it comes with bamboo shoot and pork slices which has been cooked in a prawn and pork stock, on top of the hand-shredded turnip.

Bakwan Kepiting Sup 4.5/5

The Bakwan Kepiting Sup or Crab Meatball Soup comes with succulent meatballs that is made from a mix of minced pork, crab meat, chopped prawns and bamboo shoots. The comforting bowl of soup comes with a hint of garlic which has been sauteed till fragrant before pork and prawn stock is added.

Fish Maw Soup 4.2/5

The Fish Maw Soup is lighter in taste compared to the crab meatball soup. However it is brimming with many ingredients such as pig stomach, pig intestines, fish maw stuffed with minced meat, sea cucumber, fish and prawn balls.

Itek Teem 4/5

The Itek Teem or Salted Vegetable Duck Soup has a bit of heat on top of its slightly sourish flavour. To make the soup, duck pieces are added to a pot of water together with sour plum, ginger, salted vegetables, garlic and tomato.

Otah 4.2/5

Mackerel is used to make the Otah, together with in a spice mix and coconut milk. It is then wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. Love the chunky bites of fish meat on top of the aromatic spices.

Babi Pongteh 4.8/5

One of my favourite Peranakan dishes is the Babi Pongteh. Chef Damian has set the bar even higher now with his version of braised pork with fermented bean paste, slow cooked with bamboo shoot. dried mushrooms and dark sugarcane. The babi pongteh I had usually is on the sweet side but the version here has a sourish finishing to it which is very appetising.

Sambal Belimbing 4.5/5

This is probably the first time I come across the used of belimbing in cooking, a type of miniature starfruit. Cooked together with the sauteed sambal and coconut milk, the Sambal Belimbing gives the prawn dish a sharp tanginess that will whet up the appetite.

Ayam Buah Keluak 3.8/5

A dish that requires a lot of effort to prepare is the Ayam Buah Keluak. The buah keluak fruit itself its actually poisonous and it required proper fermentation to be edible. It is also known as the Asian truffle to some. The taste can be acquire to some though. For me I like the nutty flavour of the buah keluak and how it gives a distinct character to the ingredient, in this case the chicken. While the flavour is spot on, I felt the chicken was a bit on the dry side.

Grandma's Chicken Curry 4.2/5

This is one of Chef's Damian's favourite dishes from his grandma's recipe. The Grandma's Chicken Curry is made from a spice mix of shallots, dried chillies, ginger, and homemade curry powder. It did not look as fiery as it seen. The spicy level is quite mild and balance. A homely and comforting dish that calls for an extra bowl of rice.

Kueh Bengkah with Ice Cream 4.2/5

Not to be missed at Folklore is their traditional Peranakan kueh. Chef Damian is not only good with savoury dishes, his desserts are awesome too. The signature Kueh Bengkah and Kueh Kosui will be also available among the Tok Panjang festive spread.

Kueh Kosui 4.5/5

Folklore Chinese New Year Tok Panjang is available for dinner from 15 February to 2 March 2018 from 6pm to 930pm daily, at $68++ per adult and $28++ per child (12 years old and below). Chinese New Year set lunches are served at $18.80++ per person. A la carte menu will not be available during this promotional period.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Folklore
Destination Singapore Beach Road
(Beside Golden Mile Complex)
700 Beach Road
Level 2
Singapore 199598
Tel: +65 66792900
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Website
Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 930pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Nicoll Highway MRT station. Take Exit A. Take the overhead bridge to Beach Road. Turn right onto Beach Road.Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]