Brawn & Brains Coffee (Hamilton)

Always intrigued whenever the favourite place lists something new on their POS system every now and then — it has almost come to a point that it is a little bit like a hunt for Easter eggs that we had not recalled seeing in the menu during the prior week. Still glad that they are still consistently churning up specials and new items every now and then nonetheless.

The Burnt Sugar Vanilla Custard Pudding is essentially what one would call the Purin (i.e. Japanese Custard Pudding) — some would also relate it to a Flan / Creme Custard. Whilst looking like a simple dessert item, it seems like the folks at Brawn & Brains have gotten the intricacies of the dessert just right — that smooth, silken custard that hints lightly of a fragrance of vanilla beans just hits the spot; so soft and wobbly and done just right. This differs from that of some of the Flan / Creme Custard that we had come across that is a little overdone — a bit too stiff and comes with air pockets; and if the custard is done correctly, similar dishes from of other establishments tend to come with caramel that lacks complexity. The one here at Brawn & Brains differs from those, with the bitter undertones of the burnt sugar being really evident and brought about the flavours contrast the pudding needs – all that with the top of the pudding having absorbed those notes from the burnt sugar as well. A dessert that we would gladly pair with the Espresso Tonic; a refreshing concoction featuring tonic water, a shot of espresso and a wedge of lemon that is zippy, slightly sweet and fizzy — totally compliments the Burnt Sugar Vanilla Custard Pudding. Now planning on when is a good time to give the Matcha & Banana Slice a go …

I visited the Brawn and Brains Hamilton Branch this afternoon for my Sunday brunch. It was my first time here, as I usually frequent their East Coast branch.

To start, I had the mentaiko curly fries. The flavor was fantastic—not too heavy—with mentaiko sauce topped with seaweed and sesame seeds, making it a perfect beginning to the meal.

I then ordered their signature baked molten egg. It was so enticing that I dug in as soon as it arrived, hence, I didn’t manage to snap a photo. But trust that it lives up to its reputation!

Next, I had the Masala Chicken Taco, a dish I had previously enjoyed at their East Coast branch. The chicken was perfectly spiced with a slight kick of heat, wrapped in a crisp taco shell. The papadum retained its crunch even after being left out for a while and was fried to perfection.

I also tried their recommended favorite, the chicken avocado sando. The combination of chicken and avocado was excellent, but what really elevated the sando was the nicely toasted house-made brioche bun.

For drinks, I have previously enjoyed their iced chocolate, iced mocha, and iced white, all consistently great. This time, I decided to try something new and opted for the slightly indulgent BnB Kopi Shake, which turned out to be a delightful treat.

Highly recommend Brawn and Brains for a great brunch if you're in the area!

Visited the favourite place yet again recently and found another two (2) items on the menu that we hadn’t really come across whilst scrolling through the online POS system to submit our orders. Have been trying out their various rendition of their donuts since their release over the years — did not recall that they had carried a Matcha & Cream version of their bomboloni-style donuts so found ourselves giving this a go; all whilst having an Espresso Tonic (also a recent addition to the menu here) to pair it with.

The donuts from Brawn & Brains Coffee are ones that we love for its softness, yet carrying a bit of tension to chew apart — themselves being just aptly dense and comes rolled in sugar that provides a sugary and crusty exterior for a bit of sweetness and contrast of textures. Piped inside the donut would be the matcha-infused cream filling; we liked how the matcha-infused cream largely focuses on the bitter undertones of the tea — very much the starting note that hits one’s tastebuds as they sink their teeth into the Matcha & Cream Donut. The cream itself comes pretty thick; rich of the inherent flavours of matcha without being overly sweetened, creamy or milky — would work fairly well with matcha lovers for the most part. The Espresso Tonic in the meanwhile was something that we were really looking forward to have — having been ones whom would make an order for Espresso Tonic elsewhere at establishments that offers it; definitely happy to finally see it included in the menu here and the version here definitely hits the spot for us with the tonic water adding a contrast to the coffee with a complexity in the depth of flavours. More options to add to the list of items that we would be considering to order whenever we make our visits here!

Was hanging out at the regular spot for coffee at their Hamilton Road outlet over the weekends as usual and found yet another item that we had not seen on their menu bring listed in the online POS system that really intrigued us when we were trying to make our orders for coffee. Of course, curiosity got the better of us and we decided to order the said item even despite us having had quite a full-sized lunch before making our visit there — this is also considering that the said item was also fairly reasonably priced at $3.80 per piece.

There was not much of a description provided for the Morning Bun on the online POS system; that being said, we were told that the item was actually one that is inspired by that of the Voisilmäpulla (i.e. Finnish Butter Eye Buns) — the item was given an alternative name given the fact that Brawn & Brains had given their rendition a slight twist that makes it rather different from the typical Voisilmäpulla. Based on online sources, the Voisilmäpulla is a bun that consists of butter and sugar, and comes with a hint of cardamom — the Morning Bun is exactly that, though it is being baked in a bread pan so it bears a slightly different look from the typical round Voisilmäpulla with an indent in the middle. Despite so, the Morning Bun here is soft, light and fluffy — comes wafting with an alluring scent of buttery goodness with a light hint of sweetness from the sugar; the hint of spices from the cardamom not being particularly strong though we are not sure if this was toned down considering how local tastebuds aren’t quite tuned to such spices especially with breads. Baking it in a bread pan also meant that there is a crusty texture from the browned exterior of the Morning Bun that makes it all the more interesting to eat. Overall, a rather simple bread item; though one that is pretty much a flavour bomb on its own without being overly jelat — definitely a comforting one to be accompanied with a cup of Long Black by the side for a breakfast / tea-time treat!

oatside really beings out the fruity notes of the single origin blend!! one of my fav oat whites now

Yet another day at the favourite place and yet another item that piques our interest. Not sure when exactly it was that the folks at Brawn & Brains had introduced the item on their menu, though we don’t really recall ever seeing “squares” being served on their BB – Cakes section of their online POS system when one dines in at any one of their locations.

Considering how their wedge-sized cakes can sometimes being rather overwhelming for one individual to consume as a tea break item together with a cuppa on the side, it does seem that the Cream Cheese Red Velvet Square is a slightly more manageable option for single diners here. The price point of the Cream Cheese Red Velvet Square also seems to have suggested so, considering how the item is priced at $4.80 as compared to their other non “slice” options like the Earl Grey Layer
Cake and the Honey Yuzu Cake that is priced at $8.00. Where flavours are concerned, the Cream Cheese Red Velvet Square is as classic as a typical Red Velvet Cake is; the cake layer comes with a dark red hue and carries an evident, but not heavy note of cocoa. To provide for some form of texture, a layer of cream cheese can be found both in between the red velvet cake layers and above the top layer itself; the mascarpone itself is sufficiently dense but not too greasy nor clumpy, while providing for a slight tang to round of the notes of cocoa in the cake layers without being too sweet — probably one of the more balanced red velvet cakes that we have had over the years. Yet another one of those cake items from the favourite spot that we are likely to see ourselves ordering again for how well it pairs up with our usual cup of Black on the single origin that we tend to go for here!