Sidetrack Coffee Bakes Brunch

The Rail Mall has been seeing quite a number of new tenants move into the shop units in recent months — we have written about the opening of the new Maeklong Kitchen, as well as the comeback of BakersField & Co that was on a hiatus previously for a couple of years after the closure of their original space in one-north. Sixteen Ounces Bar & Kitchen isn’t a new addition to The Rail Mall; in fact, it has been in operations for quite a number of years, being situated beside the rather recognisable outlet of the Springleaf Prata Place within the same compound. That being said, Sidetrack is a new addition to Sixteen Ounces Bar & Kitchen; while Sixteen Ounces Bar & Kitchen is an establishment that is perhaps best known for being a bar serving up craft beers on tap, the space has been recently renovated to accommodate Sidetrack; the “morning shift” of Sixteen Ounces Bar & Kitchen that serves up specialty coffee, bakes and brunch. An espresso machine now sits on the counter-top that faces the window looking towards the iconic railway truss bridge, with the variety of bakes available for the day being displayed prominently beside the espresso machine as well. The brunch menu at Sidetrack is being served by the folks behind Taco Mantra; Taco Mantra being a concept that used to be appear at pop-up events, though has now found home in Sixteen Ounces Bar & Kitchen itself — the brunch menu features a selection of wraps, tacos, quesadillas, cheeseburgers and sandwich; typical fare that one would expect from a taqueria, while there are also side dishes such as mozzarella sticks, wings and popcorn chicken available as well. Being the “morning shift” of Sixteen Ounces Bar & Kitchen that serves coffee, Sidetrack’s beverage menu is no short of espresso-based specialty coffee offerings, as well as a range of brewed tea sourced from The Gryphon Tea Company; they also do offer canned drinks, as well as a variety of alcoholic beverages if having a tipple for brunch suits one’s fancy.

Skimming through the variety of items which Sidetrack has to offer on their menu for brunch, we found ourselves quite drawn to the Breakfast Tacos; this is especially so when we realised that the brunch menu is curated by the folks behind Taco Mantra, which made us pretty intrigued to give their tacos a try. The Breakfast Taco is described on the menu to come with elements such as chorizo, sunny side-up eggs, chili oil, and cilantro. Coming in a portion of two pieces of tacos, The Breakfast Taco is quite a light brunch item that would suit those whom are not looking for something that is quite filling — we were initially a little lost deciding on whether should we be using cutlery to consume the Breakfast Taco, though we found ourselves ending up using our hands instead. That being said, one should still be mindful of the potential mess if doing so; the elements of the Breakfast Taco tends to slide out of the Tacos when one picks the taco up by hand. The taco shell here carries a somewhat chewy texture; this went well with the other elements as each element pretty much carried a different texture for some contrast — the shredded cabbage provides quite a bit of crunch that refreshes the tastebuds from the saltish and bouncy chorizo sausages. It is also interesting to note that the shredded purple cabbage also comes with a drizzle of nacho cheese sauce that helps to bind all of the elements together as well. Sitting atop the whole taco would be the sunny side-up; whilst we were a little bummed by how the sunny side-up comes with a fully cooked egg yolk, we were actually also somewhat glad that it came the way it is — we could imagine it being even more difficult to manage to eat by hand if it were to come with a molten egg yolk. The addition of chili oil in a form that is similar to Lao Gan Ma chili was quite a smart move; it added a light bit of crispness, yet also a slight hint of umami that dribbles into the shredded purple cabbage for good flavour — quite a thoughtful touch.

We had given Sixteen Ounces Bar & Kitchen several years ago when they had first opened their doors; we recalled that they were serving up pretty decent fare — not an entirely gastronomical experience, but definitely bar food that was somewhat beyond average to go along with their range of craft beers on tap. It seems that the folks at Sixteen Ounces Bar & Kitchen has long moved on from that particular phase, and has moved into focusing more on the craft beers that they have to offer. That being said, its collaboration with Taco Mantra has allowed Sixteen Ounces Bar & Kitchen to move beyond what they had initially set themselves out to be; it does help them to provide an integrated experience for both its food and drink offerings, yet leveraging on what other concepts have to offer. Sidetrack seems to be much of an extension of Sixteen Ounces Bar & Kitchen that still stays true to the spirit of the main brand — likely to be targeting the hiking crowd that would be trekking the Rail Corridor on a weekend morning considering how Sidetrack operates from 8am to 3pm on Thursdays to Sundays only. The food quality is pretty decent; there is nothing particularly gastronomical with the Breakfast Tacos that we have had, though the composition was decently put together and felt hearty and comforting enough. Meanwhile, the Nutella Banana Bread was a clear winner for us; best had when it is served tot he table warm, the Nutella Banana Bread came with oozy, molten Nutella spread that is oh-so-good with the aptly dense and sweet banana bread — totally on-point. The Iced Espresso Tonic was also satisfying; a strong note of caffeine whilst carrying that zing from the addition of tonic water and being fizzy enough. Prices of the brunch menu items at Sidetrack ranges from $10 for the Granola Bowl, to $25 for the Double Cheeseburger; we would say that these prices are pretty reasonable though portions bee may be on the smaller side for bigger appetites. A spot worth considering making a stopover for brunch whilst hiking along the Rail Corridor.