When we first heard that BRICKLANE was opening in Hong Kong serving English breakfast dishes, we were definitely very skeptical. The name of the restaurant, "BRICKLANE", refers to a street in East London which is famous, not for English breakfast diners, but for Indian curry houses. So we thought it was a misconception that the English breakfast dishes brought by BRICKLANE would be anywhere near representative of the true Indian dining scene of Brick Lane in London. But BRICKLANE is dedicated to take the iconic landmark in London and turned it into a popular and cute English diner that highlights the best and worst English breakfast dishes for Hong Kong.
First opened in Tsim Sha Tsui, BRICKLANE opened its Hong Kong Island branch in the quiet Citic Tower in Admiralty which was a good news to most Island people. The layout of the restaurant is laid-back and stylish, complete with a bicycle on the wall, a patio area, and a bar/cake counter. It was almost reminiscent of the airy and comfortable coffee houses and diners you would find in London. The staff were all very welcoming and friendly. Brunch was priced at around $150 to $200 per person.
(1) We started off with Egg Benedict with Scottish Smoked Salmon ($98). The place provided a wide selections of toppings for egg benedict such as Gammon Ham, Parma Ham, and Corn Beef. You can also choose to add extra toppings such as Black Truffle Paste or Caviar. The English muffin was deliciously thick and buttery, and the smoked salmon was flavourful and juicy. However, the poached eggs lacked the runny yolks which were essential probably due to being overcooked which is a common error made by many undertrained chefs. Sadly, this was quite fatal to the whole dish and render the taste to be subpar.
(2) The All Day Breakfast ($88) may be ordered with 3 choices of food and D went with Bacon, Hash Brown and Mushrooms. This combination was utterly satisfying. The bacon was beautifully grilled on the surface without being too oily but keeping its softness and tenderness. The scrambled eggs were marvelously runny and smooth. The hashbrown and mushroom were also delicious. This definitely hit all the right places on our taste buds and was ultimately an authentic and substantial English breakfast combo.
(3) The Pancakes ($78) were the most disappointing dish of them all. They were unattractively ordinary, and each slice was cold and not fluffy at all. D commented this was even worse than the ones he had at McDonald's, which might very well be true.
Overall remarks: BRICKLANE might feel contrived, artificial and its dishes needed improving, but it didn't have to be. It is hard to dislike the restaurant because of the casual and laid-back London atmosphere it successfully re-creates, which was certainly not like Brick Lane in East London. It was an interesting concept, but their opportunities to offer alluring dishes were repeatedly squandered when the lack of cookery skill could be overlooked and replaced by its ambiance. BRICKLANE could have been so promising, which makes the final result really mediocre.
(2) The All Day Breakfast ($88) may be ordered with 3 choices of food and D went with Bacon, Hash Brown and Mushrooms. This combination was utterly satisfying. The bacon was beautifully grilled on the surface without being too oily but keeping its softness and tenderness. The scrambled eggs were marvelously runny and smooth. The hashbrown and mushroom were also delicious. This definitely hit all the right places on our taste buds and was ultimately an authentic and substantial English breakfast combo.
(3) The Pancakes ($78) were the most disappointing dish of them all. They were unattractively ordinary, and each slice was cold and not fluffy at all. D commented this was even worse than the ones he had at McDonald's, which might very well be true.
Overall remarks: BRICKLANE might feel contrived, artificial and its dishes needed improving, but it didn't have to be. It is hard to dislike the restaurant because of the casual and laid-back London atmosphere it successfully re-creates, which was certainly not like Brick Lane in East London. It was an interesting concept, but their opportunities to offer alluring dishes were repeatedly squandered when the lack of cookery skill could be overlooked and replaced by its ambiance. BRICKLANE could have been so promising, which makes the final result really mediocre.
Food: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Service: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
INFO
BRICKLANE
Shop 404, 4/F., Citic Tower, 1 Tim Mei Avenue, Admiralty 金鐘添美道1號中信大廈4樓404號舖
Telephone: 2363 2500
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