SINGAPORE - Egg lovers, the wait is almost over.
Famed Los Angeles egg sandwich chain Eggslut is finally opening its doors at 11am on Sept 9 at Scotts Square in Orchard Road.
The menu is the same as the one in the United States, with a mix of imported and locally sourced ingredients, says Eggslut's co-owner Jeff Vales, 36, in an e-mail interview with The Straits Times.
He adds: "As far as consistency goes, we have recipes, standards, guidelines and supply chains for our product that allow us to maintain a common experience."
Staff training has been ongoing for the past month - which ST witnessed during a preview of the 50-seat restaurant on Tuesday (Aug 31) - and will continue until opening day.
Protocols are in place to ensure perfectly cooked and seasoned scrambled eggs, as well as carefully assembled and wrapped burgers - or sandwiches, as the brand calls them - that present their best Instagram-worthy looks.
Highlights include the signature Fairfax sandwich ($12) with soft scrambled eggs, chives, caramelised onions, cheddar cheese and sriracha mayonnaise; and Slut ($11), a coddled egg on housemade potato puree in a glass jar topped with grey salt and chives, served with a sliced baguette.
The word "eggslut" here refers to a chef adding an egg to everything.
Other offerings include the Gaucho sandwich ($23) with seared wagyu tri-tip steak slices, over-medium egg, chimichurri sauce, red onions and arugula; bacon, egg and cheese sandwich ($12); and the egg salad sandwich ($10.50) with hard-boiled eggs and chives mixed in honey mustard aioli, and topped with arugula.
The sandwiches are made using brioche buns flown in from South Korea. You can also go bun-less and instead have a side salad served at no extra charge.
Sides include truffle hash browns ($4.50), a housemade buttermilk biscuit served with honey butter ($6) and a salted chocolate chip cookie ($3.50).
The beverage selection features collaborations with local brands such as Common Man Coffee Roasters (from $4.50 for coffee) and craft brewery Brewlander ($4.50 for a craft soda). Soda flavours include elderflower and lemon, as well as grapefruit and ginger.
In a small corner of the restaurant, customers can buy branded merchandise such as memo pads ($11 each) and clip pens ($6 each).
The outlet, which has a yellow and black industrial-chic design, marks the brand's first foray into South-east Asia and is its 15th outlet worldwide.
It entered Singapore via South Korea-based food company SPC Group, which also brought in bakery chain Paris Baguette and New York burger chain Shake Shack.
Co-founded in 2011 by Mr Vales and his cousin, Filipino-American chef Alvin Cailan, Eggslut started as a food truck in Los Angeles. Its flagship location launched two years later at the city's Grand Central Market. It also has overseas outposts in London, Tokyo and South Korea.
Mr Vales says: "As we grew in Asia, the South-east Asian market just made so much sense. And because of that, Singapore seemed destined to be our next location. We hope to grow our brand in Singapore and share our food with more people in the region. We're eager to continue that process."
On how the brand remains relevant 10 years on, he adds: "Our core menu is intended to maintain a simplicity that allows us to provide a unique and consistent product. But as we expand, we keep an open mind to new offerings that fit within our brand. Finding that balance has been key."
Egg sandwiches are popular among Singaporeans.
One such brand here is Korean-inspired Egg Stop, which has outlets at VivoCity, Rangoon Road and Bedok North.
From Thursday (Sept 2), McDonald's is bringing back its scrambled egg burger (from $4.10), which comes with cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and either chicken or sausage. The breakfast-only item is available at all outlets while stocks last and can be ordered via McDelivery, GrabFood and foodpanda.
Eggslut opens at 11am on Sept 9 at 01-12 Scotts Square, 6 Scotts Road. From Sept 10, opening hours will be from 8am to 10pm daily.
