Checked out Butler Koffee’s newest digs at 39 Neil Road over the weekend; the coffee stand previously located at 333 Kreta Ayer Road had since moved into its new space which it shares with Beng Who Cooks. With their move to their new home, Beng Who Cooks/Butler Koffee now serves up a whole new brunch menu, and also does carry bakes from Nuage Patisserie is located at Kampong Bahru.

With the brunch menu comprising mostly of Tartines (or open-faced sandwiches, if you may), there is also a Tarter Puff and a Legendary Mushroom Soup being listed in the menu here. We found ourselves going for the Crab Tartine — the item features sourdough, mayonnaise, blue swimmer crab with mustard grain and salad. As much as how basic the item may look on first sight, I liked how the Crab Tartine here is executed pretty well; pretty glad for how they used a good sourdough here that came with a fluffy centre and crusty exterior that gives quite a good bite — it also carried a tinge of tartness from the fermentation process of making the sourdough, which is pretty much the way I like my sourdough to be. Stacked above the sourdough will be the leafy salad that also comes with arugula; provides for a slight bitter note that surprisingly cuts through the umami sweetness from the shredded swimmer crab meat over it. Also liked how they are pretty generous with the crab meat here; enough to bring a burst of fresh crustacean sweetness for the dish. The mustard grains here was a thoughtful touch; gives the dish a hint of earthiness, while the slight douse of mayonnaise above adds that creaminess that gels all the different elements in the dish together without being at all overwhelming. All in all, a very well thought-out dish that attempts to touch on a variety of taste categories that is beautifully rounded off in one package.

It is collaborations like these where diners like us benefits the most — where notable establishments all come together to provide a wholesome experience from coffee to brunch to desserts all in a single seating from different merchants; it is indeed something that we sometimes take for granted. Rather than looking at it in entirety, perhaps it is better to just slow down, appreciate the creations of the various brands offered here and enjoy what each of them have to offer — that way, there will be a greater appreciation for each of the merchants for their craft; be it Butler Koffee’s expertise and knowledge on coffee, the details placed and execution of the food from Beng Who Cooks, or the dainty, yet delicate bakes from Nuage Patisserie, each has definitely got their own story to tell and worth a visit on their own.