Common Man Coffee Roasters @ Martin Road ~ The Place To Go For Aromatic Brews & Awesome Egg Benedicts!

Martin Road is a lot nearer to my office than I thought, as I walked towards Common Man Coffee Roasters, the latest gourmet coffee joint to hit town. Located just a stone's throw away from Robertson Quay, it serves not only aromatic brews, but a menu of scrumptious bistro-quality food as well.

I wondered why it is called 'Common Man' when I expect something uncommon to come out of this collaboration conceptualized by Harry Grover, Australian specialist roaster Five Senses Coffee and The Spa Esprit Group. With Harry as the man behind hipster cafe 40 Hands and a string of highly successful F&B outlets by the Spa Esprit Group, surely some specials is in the house?

Ahh it turns out that the name of the cafe pays tribute to the common man who grow and drink the coffee. Steaming from the belief that great coffee should not be a privilege, and a desire to share the knowledge surrounding it with the greater public, quality coffee is now made accessible for all to enjoy.

The spacious cafe features ample seating and a long coffee bar which allows patrons to watch the team of seasoned baristas in action as they ensure your preferred blend goes the best way into your cup. It's the perfect set-up for coffee appreciation sessions too.

This cute looking guy behind the counter is none other than Harry Grover himself! He personally made us a cup of Filtered Coffee ($6) which turns out to be one of the most memorable I've drank recently. The coffee was vibrant, strong yet delicate at the same time, leaving behind a trail of aroma with a slight bitterness which was very pleasant. There was no trace of any tannic sour aftertaste at all.

The menu presents all-day-breakfast and lunch options which looks like the standard cafe fare at initial glance, but my eyes soon spotted some unique offerings, like the Organic Eggs Benedict ($24) which is not served with the usual ham or smoked salmon, but with Braised Ox Cheeks!

My friend tasted it first and announced "You must have this!". Upon a bite into it, I understood why. The perfectly poached eggs oozing a divinely creamy yolk center is a perfect match with the flavorsome beefiness of the tender ox cheeks. Combined with artisanal sourdough toast and chive hollandaise sauce, it was simply awesome! This was notches up from all the other egg benedicts I had, and I probably wouldn't look at one the same way again.

The Turkish Common Man Breakfast ($25) is not a choice which I would normally made if not for the recommendation. I had absolutely no idea that this would turned out to be such a fantastic one until my friend 'murdered' the crunchy nest of phyllo-wrapped ball with a cut from his knife, revealing a soft-boiled organic egg with a most vivid orangey-yellow yolk! It looked great and tasted delicious! It was easy to like the pita bread too, the cucumber and brilliantly sweet tomatoes served to cut the richness of the crispy feta and hummus and made a very refreshing accompaniment.

Our choice of Grilled Chilli Chicken ($25) from the lunch menu became seemingly boring after the excitement of the above breakfast items, but the boneless breast meat with crushed avocado salsa and caramelized lemon will most likely suit the health-conscious better. Well, too healthy for me :p

My next visit would probably see me ordering the Tender Pulled Pork ($24) with crunchy cabbage slaw, fresh cucumber & mustard or Common Man Burger ($28) of ground rib-eye, provolone. grilled tomatoes, caramelized onions & pickled guindilla, both served on fluffy brioche bun with fries and sounds equally promising.

Dessert selection is limited but I guess it's not really the focus here. We chose Creme Caramel ($12) over Fluffy Churros ($12) and Mango Panna Cotta ($12) and it turned out to be an overly-sweet choice. The custard was drenched in a caramel sauce of extreme saccharine sweetness which made it way too cloying for us to finish. I love to end my meals with desserts, but this time round, a good cup of coffee is all I need.

Common Man Coffee Roasters is one place which stands out among the slew of cafes. It may be comparatively a tad more pricey, but wins hands down for its quality coffee and food. Definitely the place to go for aromatic brews and awesome egg benedicts!

Common Man Coffee Roasters
Address: 22 Martin Road #01-00, Singapore 239058
Contact: +65 6836 4695
Website: http://www.commonmancoffeeroasters.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commonmancoffeeroasters
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 8am-7pm