When Mr Holmes Bakehouse first came to our shores, there was absolute frenzy over their famed cruffins and all-pink interior. After all, this San Fran bakehouse is the original mastermind behind the cruffin itself, a hybrid croissant-muffin that first gained global recognition in 2014. They’ve just opened their second store at one of the CBD’s skyscrapers, MYP Centre, so you can easily pop by during office hours.
At the MYP store, they’ve got the usual ensemble of pink neon lights, stylish tiled tables, and most importantly, a new cruffin menu with limited edition flavours. Don’t expect a mainstay menu though – all cruffins are seasonal bakes, and as of now, the variety of sweets include coconut cream, raspberry mocha, and pistachio cream. Each will set you back $6.50.
The cruffin itself is known for its flaky shell, akin to a croissant’s buttery layers. Now, you would expect the very inventor of the cruffin to have gotten the pastry down pat. The scattering of sugar did lend a crunch, but we found the overall dough to be slightly stale – not as buttery nor airy as an ideal cruffin should be.
The fillings though, weren’t terrible. Having been generously piped in, so that every bite oozes with cream, this somewhat made up for the lacklustre pastry. Go with the pistachio for a more subtle, nutty flavour or the coconut for a toasty cream infused with dried coconut bits. The raspberry mocha was startlingly sour – not necessarily in a bad way, but it might be a little too in-your-face for some. Interestingly, there’s also a savoury cruffin ($7.50) that’s piped with a sun-dried tomato and bacon jam.
They also have a savoury menu, with easy grab-to-go salads and sandwiches: egg mayo and candied bacon ($10), chicken fajita ($13), roasted veggie and hummus ($10), and a croissant filled with spam, egg, and kimchi ($13). Of the four sandwiches, go with the spam and kimchi croissant ($13) – it’s borderline salty but flavourful. The roasted veg on sourdough isn’t half bad either, for its delightful garlic hummus spread and mishmash of roasted brussels sprouts and charred cauliflower.
Other menu items include stuffed brioche donuts ($5.80 each) with seasonal flavours of banoffee, strawberry lemonade, and rose lychee. There’s also an ongoing collab with Two Men Bagel House, featuring bagel Pigs N’ Figs ($16) which has layers of smoked ham, fig jam, and cream cheese and a sweet Two Men Bagel House Cruffin ($10) with white chocolate and banana cream.
No doubt that Mr Holmes Bakehouse has made a name for themselves on our side of the world and easily made the most of Singapore’s love for new-fangled bakes, but we’re still left wondering if we’ve overglorified The Cruffin.
Find the new CBD outlet of Mr Holmes Bakehouse at 9 Battery Road, #01-01 MYP Centre. Mon-Fri 8am-6.30pm.
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