The Masses’ new farm-style Sunday brunch showcases rustic French fare and bottomless bubbles

Let’s face it: Brunch in Singapore can sometimes feel like a game of style over substance. But every so often, a concept comes along that brings both to the table.

Franco-Asian restaurant The Masses by chef Dylan Ong’s at The Capitol Kempinski is one such shining example.

Its new Sunday brunch concept takes the form of a rustic, communal-style meal, designed around generosity, flavour, and a touch of countryside charm.

Slow Sundays

For those who’ve followed chef Dylan’s journey since his Saveur days and the early years of The Masses on Beach Road, this latest chapter marks both a physical and philosophical evolution.

Now housed in the elegant surroundings of The Capitol, the restaurant retains its democratic ethos — “food is a blessing” — while refining its vision through a more elevated, yet accessible, lens. 

Chef Dylan has become known over the years for his bold Franco-Asian mashups, but this new brunch menu leans into his French training with heartfelt clarity.

Launched in April, the Farm-Style Communal Sunday Brunch (S$68.80 per adult, S$38 per child, six to 10 years old) is everything its name suggests: Laid-back, shareable, and brimming with soulful French classics prepared with finesse.

The Masses’ Sunday brunch takes place every Sunday from 11am to 4pm, and requires a minimum of two guests to dine, as well as full table participation.

Diners are treated to a seasonal 10-dish spread that’s equal parts refined and comforting — think buttery brioche, refined charcuterie cuts, and caviar-studded eggs, all served at a languid pace that invites lingering.

It’s the kind of brunch you’ll want to gather your friends for, whether to trade stories over bottomless bubbly and house-made chips, or to sneak second helpings of roast chicken while pretending you’re somewhere in the French countryside (jazz music and all).

Appetisers to linger over

The Masses’ Sunday brunch menu is structured into three acts. 

First, you get a wave of appetisers (bread and dips, salade, cold cuts, caviar or roe, tartare, and egg), followed by protein-rich mains (chef’s special, signature meat or seafood, and seasonal roasted vegetables), and lastly, dessert — with optional oysters (available at a top-up of S$30 for six pieces).

For drinks, you can opt for a la carte beverages (from S$4.80), or go full celebratory with a two-hour free flow of Prosecco (S$48) or Prosecco and wines on tap (S$58).

The meal opens with house-baked bread and dips, a moreish spread featuring kombu French butter, zesty smashed avocado, and a nostalgic Bonne Maman red cherry preserve. 

Everything here paired especially well with the two oyster varieties (which will change periodically depending on seasonality). We had the sweet, plump Amelie Super Speciale from Marennes-Oleron and the brinier, mineral-forward Boutrais La Sentinelle from Ireland.

Charcuterie lovers will be pleased with the cold cuts, a flavour-packed selection of pork and chicken liver pate, smoked salmon rillette, parma ham, hot smoked mackerel, crunchy breadsticks, and pickles.

The pate was a standout, with its salty depth and richness. For something lighter, the rillette is almost zesty — perfect on a crisp breadstick.

But what really had us reaching back for more was the caviar or roe dish, featuring house-cut potato chips with sour cream, chopped egg, chives, and caviar.

The combination of crisp potato with salty, briny caviar, and smooth eggs was rich, textured, and borderline addictive — we had to consciously pace ourselves.

Conversely, the tartare of hay-smoked hamachi with citrus and Avruga caviar served as a refreshing palate-cleanser.

The interplay of grapefruit, soya sauce, and extra-virgin olive oil gave the dish a buoyant, almost sashimi-like clarity, especially when accompanied by a flute of bubbly.

Memorable mains

Similar to the rotation of oyster varieties, the signature meat or seafood dish will change periodically. When we visited, the highlight was a crispy chicken leg with sauce supreme.

Here at The Masses, the chicken is brined for 12 hours and then air-dried for another 12 hours before being pan-roasted. 

The sauce supreme is made with a veloute (a stock of either chicken, beef, or fish, that is thickened with a roux) of chicken jus, mustard, pepper, champagne, Xeres vinegar, and cream, and elevated with the addition of morel mushrooms.

The result is a moreish dish that tastes homely and comforting — with an impressively crisp skin amidst a silky, creamy sauce.

In contrast, the chef’s special of barramundi a la meuniere when we visited, was a tad more delicate and refined, with brown butter, capers, and citrus forming a sunny, herbaceous foil to the richness of earlier courses.

Room for seconds (and dessert)

Before diving into dessert, diners can request second helpings of selected dishes at no additional charge — a lovely touch that makes this brunch feel even more indulgent.

Items such as the bread and dips, salade, caviar or roe, seasonal roasted vegetables, and eggs are available for replenishment. However, offerings may vary depending on when you visit, so be sure to check with the team on what’s available.

Once we got our fill of seconds, we ended the meal on a high with the dessert being a French strawberry tart layered with rhubarb jam and cloud-like Chantilly cream.

For those craving extra indulgence, Hokkaido milk ice cream is available for an additional S$4 — though we found the tart’s sweet-sour balance already pitch-perfect, and didn’t opt for an additional scoop.

With its mix of abundant portions, elegant technique, and heartfelt hospitality, The Masses’ Farm-Style Sunday Brunch doesn’t just hit the mark — it reminds us what brunch should be, and at a very reasonable price of S$68.80 for 10 dishes, too. 

Here, at The Masses’, Sunday brunch seems less about showing up for a trend and more about showing up for each other — with good food, good company, and maybe a slightly more indulgent weekend than you strictly need.

This was an invited tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on Hup San Social Club, a cosy, hidden basement bar, and our guide to these kid-friendly restaurants in Singapore.

Book a ride to The Masses’ Sunday brunch at The Capitol Kempinski.