Humpback

I'd been hankering to return to Humpback, and after repeated rainchecks taken by our flaky friends to revisit the Seattle-styled seafood restaurant together, decided to head there on our own. The Sugarhall-affiliate had recently launched their Sunday brunch menu, and I'm always happy to add another worthwhile brunch spot to my roster.

Perhaps it was Valentine's Day, perhaps it was the roll-over from Chinese New Year get-togethers, or perhaps it was the usual state of affairs, but Humpback was packed to the gills. Lucky for us, we made reservations before going down. Be sure to do likewise.

Service, much like Sugarhall, was bubbly and earnest, in no small part due to the fact that most of the staff looked to be in their early twenties (oh to be that young and possess the fat-burning metabolism of a twenties-gal!).

The food, though faultless, wasn't really my thing. We don't really eat oysters, and aren't keen on shellfish in general, all of which are precisely why diners flock to Humpback.

The Fried Egg ($14), with a sunshiny octopus-laced orzo, and spiked with tete de moine, was a recommendation by the tall hunky drink of water whose muscles were bigger than the Hubs' head. This was indeed awesome, and not because Mr Hunky Dory suggested it. The sous vide egg , breadcrumb-coated and fried to a beautiful crisp, stayed perfectly soft-boiled on the inside. Brilliantly finessed.

Strictly as a matter of preference, I preferred the Scrambled Egg ($10) fluffy and moist, and complemented with crunchy asparagus, sumptuous ribbons of prosciutto, and toasted sourdough as an anchoring balance.

I'm not the biggest fan of lobster, or mayo, so I was surprised by how much I liked Humpback's tobiko-flecked Lobster Roll ($39), rich and buttery and creamy and meaty and nuanced, set off against a whole lotta paprika fries and the obligatory frisee bunch.

Humpback's brunch mainstay, the Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($10) with sriracha was southern cuisine at its most soulful. The touch of lime helped cut through the grease and potent heat of the chilli sauce.

Humpback
18-20 Bukit Pasoh Road
Tel: 6750 4461 / 9772 9896
Open Mondays to Saturdays from 5pm to 12midnight;
Sundays from 11am to 3pm for brunch
Website: www.humpback.sg