Brunch @ Oolaa

近年上環成為不少熱門新餐廳聚集的地方，Oolaa不算新餐廳，但是作為一家主打悠閒週末早午餐（Weekend Brunch）的餐廳，的確很有水準，且環境舒適，猶如置身外國般寫意，值得推介，成為我們最喜愛吃Brunch的地點之一。Oolaa分為兩邊：一邊是可供訂座的餐廳，另一邊是可隨意Walk-in的部分。 早餐菜式如Eggs Benedict ($110)及Oolaa' Big Breakfast ($120)，賣相與味道也奇佳，確實優異。其他菜式也不俗，但當然不及美妙早餐。雖然有些外籍侍應完全沒笑容，但是星期六中午也座無虛席，可見Oolaa的吸引力。午餐大概每人＄150到＄200。

After looking at apartments in Sheung Wan a few weeks ago, we walked passed Oolaa when D said he had never eaten there before.  It's been a while since we have come to Oolaa, so we decided to come here for a weekend brunch with D and Sher.  Although the vast Sheung Wan neighborhood has begun to show ripples of gentrification with many new and hip restaurants popping up, Oolaa remains to be one of the affordable and casual brunch diners that is emotionally sincere and culinary focused and continue to be an extremely popular spot for weekend brunch. 

Located on the ground floor of the very expensive apartment building, Centre Stage, Oolaa is divided into two sections, a restaurant section for eating in and a walk-in section consisted of communal sofa seats where you can order from the counter or from the restaurant menu.  The room immediately renders a elegant and decent American ambiance.  The restaurant section was completely packed with a variety of customers and we were glad that we made a reservation one week before.  With the amount of customers, the service however lacked the level of attentiveness and friendliness we would expect (some of the female waitress didn't smile at all!). There was a breakfast-focused menu and a normal a la carte menu.  Brunch was priced at around $150 to $200 per person. 

(1) The Eggs Benedict ($110) C ordered came with smoked salmon and buttered baby spinach was one of the best options at brunch. The place certainly mastered some of the most perfect poached eggs in town which were round and huge with the well-executed runny yolks.  The salmon and spinach both had very clear and enjoyable flavours, smothered in a delicious and satisfying hollandaise sauce! 

(2) Oolaa' Big Breakfast ($120) that D picked was served with 2 eggs, pork sausages, smoked bacon, roast Roma tomato, baked beans, mushrooms, home fried potatoes & toasted sour dough.  Anyone who was still sleepy on a Saturday morning would definitely wake up for this dish.  While the French toast was satisfying, the scrambled eggs also had a pleasing runny texture.  On the other hand, the meat of the dish, bacon and sausage, were both well-grilled and not overcooked. 

(3) Sher didn't want breakfast food and chose the Wagyu Spaghetti Bolognaise ($150) topped with shaved parmesan and served with garlic bread which was very generous in portion.  The dish had a strong and attractive aroma of the wagyu beef and tomato sauce, and the rich taste was equally delicious and alluring, making you want to have more than one bite.  The pasta was also delightfully fresh and we all like its texture!

(4) Finally, we had the Mango Crumble ($65) topped with vanilla ice cream to end our brunch with.  Although it took quite some time before its arrival (due to the baking time), the  dessert was fantastically tasty and pleasant while the mango was fresh and sweet! 

Overall remarks: As fans of weekend brunches, all of us were definitely impressed by our brunch at Oolaa.  The dishes and the environment were both breezy and casually tuned at Oolaa, which captures the essence of what a good relaxing weekend brunch means beautifully.  D noted that the place reminded him of the high-end brunch places in New York.  Despite the service was slow and unprofessional at times, you can certainly feel at ease and find amazing, wonderful brunch here.  Apparently, after this brunch, every one of us would like to find an apartment in Sheung Wan so that we can stick to Oolaa for weekend brunch in the future. 

Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Service: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

INFO

Oolaa
G/F, Centre Stage, Bridges Street, Soho, Sheung Wan 上環蘇豪必列者士街聚賢居地下舖
Telephone: 2803 2083

Brunch @ BRICKLANE

Brick Lane 本是倫敦東邊的一條以印度菜聞名的街道，所以當知道這餐廳以BRICKLANE為名，但卻不是主打印度菜，而是英式早午餐（English Breakfast），也大感相當詫異。餐廳的裝潢很有英國特色風味，牆上的單車佈置頗有心思，令人感覺十分悠閒寫意。但是它的菜式如Egg Benedict with Scottish Smoked Salmon ($98) 和Pancakes ($78) 等就平平無奇，更遠遠不及真正的英式早餐般傳統多變的味道。它的 All Day Breakfast（＄88) 不會令人失望，是最有水準的一道菜。雖然BRICKLANE的理念是要把傳統英式菜帶來香港，可惜現在看來純粹宣傳技倆，不理想之處很多，希望可以好好改善。午餐要大概每人＄150 到＄200。

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. 

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

Brunch @ The Pawn

位於灣仔的The Pawn絕對值得棒場，它的Weekend Brunch又一次表現出如何讓西方簡單的菜餚成為一個有品味（Tasteful)又休閒（Casual) 的享受。The Pawn 前身是一間建於1880時期的當鋪，很有歷史價值的建築。老實說，我們一直也覺得這間美麗的餐廳是給旅客觀光，所以這次在這裡吃C的生日Brunch，心裡還是挺興奮的。Weekend Brunch以傳統英國食物作主打，包括Eggs Benedict和Fish & Chips。 雖然菜式都很簡單，份量也不大，價錢也偏貴，但是室內環境卻真正融合了英式風韻和殖民地的色采，而且二樓設有露台，可以一邊看著街景，一邊進食，非常寫意。食物也很有水準，特別是那個Fish & Chips。Weekend Brunch 大概$100 到 $200一位。

We have never dined in this iconic building which was originally a Chinese pawnshop, so we could not contain our excitement when we had brunch at The Pawn last month.  The Pawn made a name for itself to plop us down in a "colonial" venue that's so obviously in quotes, we know that it must be as heartily tasteful and cultural as its antique exterior suggests.  The place has  long been lingering on our "to-go" list, but we often brush it off as another "touristic" restaurant.  Finally, we had an excuse to go there for C's birthday brunch. 

As a heritage building from the 1800's, The Pawn's weekend brunch menu offers some of the most traditional British dishes, including a variety of eggs dishes and its famous fish and chips.   Make sure you find the elevator at the side entrance (which was more modern looking than the storefront) that leads to the 2/F so that you do not have to hike up the flight of narrow steps.  We were seated indoor and the setting's tastefulness and minimalism resembled the casual atmosphere you can easily find in many British pubs.  It also has a cheerful outdoor terrace on the 2/F rendering an incredible view of Wan Chai and warm sunlight.  The weekend brunch menu is priced at around $100 to $200 per head. 

(1) C ordered a Poached eggs on toasted muffin ($85).  Popularly known as the eggs benedict, this is served with Hollandaise & gammon ham or baby spinach.  The birthday boy went for the gammon ham, which was deliciously tender.  The poached eggs were heavenly and once cut open,  the running yolk just melted instantly on the thin layer of ham.   The muffin just brought this dish further and it was a very satisfying dish. 

(2) The Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon ($95) is served on various kinds of bread: white, brown, granary or brioche.  The eggs were adoringly moist and the perfectly seasoned smoked salmon just gave a nice twist to our tastebuds, and we certainly wouldn't mind the simplicity of the dish. 

(3) British Accent decided to go for the traditional British signature fish and chips: Beer battered lemon sole with peas & chips ($180).   And it did not disappoint!  The finely fried fish had a fantastic aroma and texture.  Although it did take a while for it to arrive, it was worth it as the fish tasted very fresh and soft. 

(4) The Kedgeree Risotto ($185) was served with Smoked haddock, radishes, soft boiled egg.  It was a gentle-looking and enjoyable dish, but this dish could have trended a little more fully and now it was nothing to rave about. 

VERDICT

Overall remarks:  The Pawn's antique/modern style is one schematic tasteful showcase of the most traditional British dishes after another, rendered in an incredibly simple and minimalistic prestige dining experience.  We all felt that the service could have been better as the waitress sometimes forgot our orders, which made the experience slightly disappointing.   The simplicity and portion of the dishes may not justify its price, but the casual and historical atmosphere and the delicious British brunch dishes will surely bring us back! 

Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 
Service: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

INFO

The Pawn  (website)
2/F, 62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai 灣仔莊士敦道62號2樓
Telephone: 2866 3444

Brunch @ Madam Sixty Ate

入到十月，是C的生日月份，代表會有很多餐生日飯要吃了。有名氣的餐廳去過很多，但當CD族要去C期待已久的Madam Sixty Ate吃午餐時還是興奮無比！這趟Madam Sixty Ate之旅猶如置身愛麗絲的仙境或童話世界的糖果屋內，雖然菜式很簡單，但真的全都很奇妙又自成一格，別樹一織，成為芸芸高級餐廳中最印象深刻，是我們近來最欣賞的餐廳之一，特別適合愛奇特趣怪的朋友。餐廳是以一堆圍繞著這個女仕發生的奇異事情故事為主題，而它的食物就以古靈精怪的賣相見稱，用料很特別，又能把烹飪與藝術煮出新境界，菜式份量不大，價錢午餐大概每位＄200-＄300。

October is C's birthday month, thus, meaning there will be lots and lots of birthday meals coming up for us.  We have been to many high-class popular restaurants, but we still couldn't help but feel very excited when we visited C's long-awaited Madam Sixty Ate! What made it so special? 

Some restaurants are so quirky and fun that they are so deeply affecting as you are eating. Madam Sixty Ate is one of those restaurants. Located on Ship Street in Wan chai, Madam Sixty Ate does not have a big venue,  but the decor is anything but ordinary, filled with surrealistic paintings of animals, exuding both weird and modern sense of coziness as we immediately felt like we were in someone's living room, dining room and kitchen.  

The theme of the restaurant is based on the fantastic events surrounding a heroine, Madam Sixty Ate, and the dishes were inspiration of those fictional events happening to her. The food here was known for its strange and variable appearance. Chris Woodyard, Chef Director of the restaurant succeeds in expanding the artistic, or artsy, vocabulary of culinary, to explore both wonder and the food that makes wonder possible.  The portion of each dish is not big, weekend brunch is about $200 to $300 per head. 

(1) Each meal came with a complimentary loaf of bread and it was quite huge and full of fragrance with olives hidden in it. Even it did take a long time for the bread to come, it was very satisfying because you could still feel the leftover warmth fresh from the oven steaming from the bread.

(2) For the Eggs Benedict with Crunchy Hollandaise ($110), there's a choice of Cured Salmon, Pork Belly or Spinach. We chose to go with the Cured Salmon. Once we saw the dish, the first thing that came to our hungry minds was "Is this enough?"  But it proved to be remarkable because it was both a fantastic spectacle and an exquisite joyful taste. Not only were the poached eggs nicely cooked, the muffin was sweet like pancakes, which served perfectly with the cured salmon and hollandaise sauce. This attractive dish just made our hearts sing loudly!

(3) Another wonderful dish coming right from was the Pancakes with honeycomb, coffee cream and hot butterscotch sauce ($100). The beautiful taste of the smooth coffee cream, combined with the thick butterscotch sauce-soaked pancakes was just a match made in heaven, or at least the heavens. It captured the essence of pancakes and achieved such a "sweet" dish! 

VERDICT

Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 
Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★   

Overall remarks: A visit to Madam Sixty Ate felt like a journey to Alice's Wonderland or  Candy House in fairy tales.  Although its dishes were simple,  each of them was truly quirky and fantastic, and at the same time it offered something wondrous and imaginative, comforting and intimate, the kind of restaurant that made you feel connected to it and left both of us impressed.  Among so many expensive restaurants, Madam Sixty Ate really stood out to be different and fun, sending us to a mouthwatering and dazzling neverland, if such a thing is possible. 

INFO

Madam Sixty Ate  (website)
1/F J Senses, 18 Ship Street, Wan Chai