ACHY BREKKIE

If you need a remedy for a long week, The Masses Hangover ($18.90), another dish off The Masses' Weekend Gin & Brunch menu, just might do the trick!

12-hour cooked pulled pork on top of tortillas with pinto beans, red salsa and chincharron scattered beneath a fried egg, and chamomile yoghurt surrounding the dish; this felt like the most unconventional dish in terms of the ingredients that are put together.

If you know me well enough, it'd be no surprise to think I would have hated this dish because of the presence of beans - I tend to detest beans coz my mouth can't deal with the mushy pasty texture when you bite into them - but perhaps it was having a bit of every component together that helped masked that away, as psychological as that might sound.

Tastewise, the pulled pork is definitely a win for me, and indeed every aspect compliments each other well, tastewise and texturally! Don't forget to squeeze the lime for added zest. 😋

This is part of a meal hosted by @themassessg.

The Earl Grey Pancakes ($16) from 👊 really do lookd quite stunning!

Not just that, but they taste pretty nice too. The pancakes aren't the most amazing, but they are definitely good enough to please my palette. The earl grey taste is pretty light but still distinguishable, while the white chocolate macadamia crumbs could do with more white chocolate taste, but that's just me. 😅 Else, it adds a good crunchy texture to the dessert/brunch item. I really like the chocolate coated pear because it complements the pancakes very well with its un-overbearing sweetness. 😋

As I usually believe in with the case of pancakes or waffles, sharing is ideal especially with a stack of 3, but if you're a fanatic, I'm sure you can chow this down on your own with little issue. 😂👌

Located just outside Royal Square at Novena, there's a mix of some things new and familiar here and it is split into breakfast and legends bagels. You can even choose the type of bagel you'd prefer, such as seeded, salt and all-sorts - which I'd assume includes a little of everything - to go with your selection.

The Lamb is part of the breakfast bagel menu and it includes a pamb patty, cheese melt, fried egg, greens and hollandaise sauce. I like that the lamb isn't so gamey, while the rest of the bagel helps to counterbalance any strong tastes whatsoever from the meat. It can be quite a mess to eat this because of the egg ane sauce, but this would make do for a wholesome and hearty meal for any time of the day. 😋

From the legends bagel menu, I tried the Primal with which you'll find smoked brisket, house pickles, peppers, onions, cheddar and mustard barbeque sauce. This does feel like the healthier option of the two, and the portions of meat and veggies are generously spread, providing a thoroughly balanced flavour as well as a good range of textures. I did find it a challenge to eat this because it is really huge, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless.

Whether you'd like a laid back outdoor dine-in option (seats are relatively limited though, but there are seats just opposite the branch as well) or a nice takeaway option with good portions, Two Men Bagel House is definitely an ideal place to satisfy your hunger pangs should you be hanging around Novena.

The Ultimate Combo ($12) is described as the all-day breakfast option for those who can't decide on what to have because it comes with two pancakes with butter and maple syrup, two sunny-side up's, a cheese sausage and bacon.

It's not anything stellar but it's certainly satisfying especially with the pancakes not being dry! I would suggest eating a bit of everything at once with each mouthful for a complete experience, or maybe I'm just assuming anyhow. 🤣

Blueberry Pancakes
topped with blueberries and served with maple butter sauce

Upon first look, it doesn't look like much, but cut a slice, spread some blueberries and dip into the maple butter and let the magic happen in your mouth. The pancakes are hands down one of the fluffiest pancakes I've had in some time, and are pretty thick in size, but the true winner of the dish would be the maple butter sauce which is just perfection with an addictive sweetness that balances out the sourness of the blueberries; even a slight dip is enough to fill your tastebuds with much happiness (but save a generous amount for that last mouth!)...