Brawn & Brains Coffee (Pico Creative Centre)

The folks behind Brawn & Brains does seem to be on a phase of expanding their operations of the late; whilst they had recently converted the previous Sloth & Messenger Coffee X Brawn & Brains Coffee pop-up concept situated in the back alley of Lorong 35 Geylang into a full-fledged Brawn & Brains Coffee outlet that is classed as a “coffee stand” location which differs from their Hamilton Road operations, they have also opened yet another outlet that is catered to office workers that is situated at the ground floor of Pico Creative Centre at 20 Kallang Avenue. This would be a short walking distance from Lavender MRT Station, and the outlet being a small coffee kiosk concept that primarily exists to serve the office crowds within the building (though public access is allowed). With this in mind, the outlet is decked slightly differently from the usual Brawn & Brains Coffee outlets that we are used to seeing since their Guillemard days — key features like their distinctive self-made dining furniture aren’t found here, and the seating space that is entirely dedicated to the cafe would be the bar counter seating surrounding the counter itself. A concept more aligned to their outlets listed as a “coffee stand” like their location at Lorong 35 Geylang, Brawn & Brains Coffee offers its line-up of bakes, cakes, donuts and pastries at their Pico Design Centre location. Beverages available at Brawn & Brains Coffee mainly comprised of espresso-based specialty coffee, though there are also a couple of matcha options that are listed on the menu as well.

Whilst skimming through the display case at Brawn & Brains Coffee at their Pico Design Centre outlet, we chanced upon a bread offering that we had previously not come across at their other locations before — given the circumstances, we went for the Lemon Cream Cheese and Cherry Jam Pulla which is also an alternative to the Korvapuusti (i.e. Finish Cinnamon Bun) for those looking to give their Nordic-inspired bakes a go. The Pullas from Brawn & Brains Coffee tend to come with a more substantial bite and are best to be had when warmed up; this does help to make the bread feel a little softer and fluffier and easier to have. The Lemon Cream Cheese and Cherry Jam Pulla does differ from the standard Pulla where it eliminates the swirls from the lamination of the dough in the interior; instead, a lemon cream cheese layer sits atop the bread that is pretty much akin to a cheesecake — smooth, luscious and creamy with a slight tang whilst coming with a sour and zippy tang from the cherry jam that comes with the caramalised fruit that provides a soft bite. The combination of the Lemon Cream Cheese and Cherry Jam does create a combination that is similar to that of New York-style cheesecake with blueberry compote drenched over the top — all that with the Pulla at the base.

We have often found ourselves ordering the Iced Espresso Tonic during our recent visits to Brawn & Brains Coffee at their locations at Hamilton Road and Lorong 35 Geylang and we found ourselves going for the same during our visit to their Pico Design Centre location. The Iced Espresso Tonic does seem to have a bit of a glow-up ever since it had been first introduced at their Hamilton Road outlet — one thing that is immediately obvious would be the use of crushed ice rather than ice cubes. We also noticed how the Iced Espresso Tonic is less sweeter and carries more zing from the lemon than before, all that whilst the lemon also does seem to have been sliced into smaller bits rather than an entire slice that seems to be more viable to be served in a takeaway cup setting.

It is interesting to see how Brawn & Brains Coffee have come so far in their journey within the local F&B scene in Singapore — their “coffee stand” concepts does remind us of the defunct Brawn & Brains Coffee Run concept that they have once introduced within Fragrance Hotel Imperial at Penhas Road, though this time round being a bit more mature and more integral a concept to their main brand with the availability of almost the full line-up of their bakes and pastries offered at Hamilton Road apart from the sliced cakes. The Pico Design Centre location is also an interesting pivot that sees them appearing as a set-up within an office building for the first time, with its primary purpose being to serve as a cafe for office workers to grab a quick cuppa a go, and a supplement for its tenants to host their guests at the lobby of the office building. As always, would like to congratulate the folks behind Brawn & Brains Coffee for the opening of their coffee stand concept at Pico Design Centre; would also like to wish these folks all the best in what is to come — looking forward to what these folks have up on their sleeves next as they start to make their operations more nimble to stay competitive in the increasingly crowded F&B in Singapore!