Brotherbird — toffeenut escargot + pistachio twice-baked croissant ($11.50)!
Brotherbird Singapore bakery — toffeenut escargot pastry with chopped nut crumble, plus pistachio twice-baked croissant with meringue dollops. $5 + $6.50.
Cafe stop at Brotherbird — two of their signature laminated pastries, $11.50 for the pair. The bakery the cafe crowd queues for. 😋
What was on the tray ($5 + $6.50):
- Toffeenut Escargot ($5, left) — round spiralled escargot-shape pastry, golden laminated layers visible at the edges, topped with chopped toffee-nut crumble + icing sugar dusting. The signature dark caramel-toffee filling peeks through the spiral gaps.
- Pistachio Twice-Baked Croissant ($6.50, right) — wide flat twice-baked croissant with dark chocolate drizzle stripes across the top, decorated with three white meringue dollops + a sprinkle of chopped pistachios. Filled with pistachio cream inside.
Brotherbird is the SG craft bakery that specialises in laminated viennoiserie — croissants, escargots, twice-baked breads done at the proper French technique level. They’ve built a cult following thanks to flavour combinations you don’t see at chain bakeries.
The toffeenut escargot is the bakery’s most accessible signature — escargot-shape coils of laminated dough wrapped around toffee-caramel filling, topped with chopped roasted nuts + icing sugar. Each spiral bite gives a different ratio of pastry-to-toffee-to-nut. The sugar dust softens the bitter edge of caramelisation.
The pistachio twice-baked croissant is the show-off pastry — a regular croissant gets day-aged, sliced, filled with frangipane-style pistachio cream, then re-baked. The second bake crisps the outside + caramelises the cream filling. Topped with chocolate drizzle, meringue dollops + chopped pistachios for the final flourish.
Twice-baked croissants are the Parisian bakery trick for using day-old pastries — the second bake transforms them into something different (and arguably better) than fresh croissants. Brotherbird has been doing the technique consistently and it shows.
The meringue dollops are the unusual choice — they add a marshmallow-soft sweetness contrast against the dense pistachio filling + crispy croissant base. Most bakeries skip meringue on croissants, this is the playful touch.
Total: $11.50 for two premium pastries.
Overall: 4.5 / 5. Toffeenut escargot was the comfort pick, pistachio twice-baked was the showstopper. Brotherbird’s lamination technique is the real deal. Will queue again. 😍👍🏼
