*** Brunch. The most important meal ever. Here's some out there in Beijing. ***

SALT

Venerable Beijing contemporary cuisine restaurant SALT has a brand new brunch menu and it's... "delicious. organic. fresh." The menu was constructed under the aegis of new Brazilian chef Camila Betin and features an array of beautiful and breezy contemporary constructions and deconstructions -- frilly, foamy, speckly, sparkly things -- delivered unto you on oceanic white plates. Pictured above is the Goat's Cheese Ravioli -- "poached duck egg, braised spinach, vicyssoise foam, speck, popcorn crumbs". It was very righteous. The brunch deal is thus: You're looking at a one-page document in three sections -- opener dishes, main events, and deserts. Two courses is 198rmb and the full three is 228rmb. There's also the option of tagging on a free-flow "bubbly and beer" (three hours worth), which knocks those prices up to 398rmb and 428rmb respectively. It's all very contemporary, contemporary, contemporary, and the menu specifies vegetarian, healthy / low fat, and gluten-free options. So gluten is a thing. Huh. The vegetarian options in particular are quite finely wrought. In section two they have an "Open Lasagna" -- "tomato-lemon fondue, arugula béchamel, char-grilled zucchini, aubergine, semi-dried tomatoes, mozzarella-basil foam, parmesan crumbs". This is really quite a dazzling thing this. You don't even want to eat it, just take pictures of it, and send them to home your mum to let her know what important things you're doing with your time. If you're looking for a little meat on your brunch, their options span monkfish, cod, Angus rib-eye, pork terrine, beef tenderloin, and more. It's all very expansive and pyrotechnical, while at the same time being clean, budget-friendly, and discernible. Pro tip: The churros. That's the dessert to get. -MS Sat-Sun: 12pm-3pm For a full brunch listing click here. ***

Blue Frog (Sanlitun)

One of the more robust weekend brunches in town, Blue Frog offers a hearty range of options to soak the previous night's booze away. If you're trying to capture that familiar feeling of heading to a diner while still sloshed and incoherent from the night before, sidle up to a padded booth and order the Big Blue Breakfast (90rmb): two eggs with sausage, bacon, and ham ("and," not "or"), plus pancakes, rye toast, home fries, and a complimentary dollop of shame. From there you can scale down to some lighter fare, such as a Smoked Salmon Omelet (85rmb), Eggs Florentine (65rmb), or an attractive little French Toast with Mixed Berry Compote for the sweet tooth (65rmb). That last one is pretty good, served with walnuts, whipped cream, and fresh mint, because you deserve it. All main brunch dishes come with two cups of coffee gratis. Blue Frog also offers a Breakfast Burrito (50rmb for 1, 70rmb for 2), but I'm going to say that you're probably better off sticking with Cantina Agave next door for the Latin-themed brunch items. Go with the gut-busting Big Blue — that'll set you right til' next Friday. -JF Sat-Sun: 10:00am-4pm For a full brunch listing click here. ***

Stuff'd

Mmmmmmmm... Pictured above is the "The Full English Meal Deal", which is the most heart-attacking-est thing you can get for brunch at Hutong sausage shack, Stuff'd. It clocks in at 82rmb and comes with "2 pork sausages, 2 rashers of bacon, baked beans, mushroom, sauteed potatoes, grilled tomato, and the eggs of your choice". It comes with a free coffee, but you should also apply Bloody Mary's and beer to this to taste, but that's extra. Pretty standard and straight-forward -- no real surprises, it's just a big-ass English breakfast. Really tying the room together, however, is those pork sausages, which are made on-site by some German DJ, or maybe his partner, or their assistant chefs, or whoever. Really great sausages though. Smooth and beautifully spiced. Full-on radness. If you're feeling like the Full English is too large of a commitment, the rest of Stuff'd brunch menu is built around Eggs Benedict -- several variations on poached eggs dishes with nods to French, English, and Norwegian breakfast traditions -- in the 40rmb range or so. Stuff'd is like a nice little cottage in the Hutongs. Real home-style vibes and no pressure if you just want to gorge on a bleary-eyed breakfast that will contribute significantly to shaving off those bad years at the end of your life. Thumbs up, my friends. -MS Sat-Sun: 11:30am-2:45pm For a full brunch listing click here. ***

Flamme

Despite its reputation as an upscale steakhouse, Flamme has some pretty budget-friendy deals as well. They have a generous happy hour, that 99rmb all-you-can-drink fancy cocktail thing from 7-9pm on Wednesdays, and a solid brunch offering on Saturdays and Sundays. Beef is still the centerpiece of Flamme's brunch menu, with creative spins like the Wagyu Beef Sausage Omelet (58rmb), Steak Eggs Benedict (78rmb), and the Flamme Steak Stack (98rmb), which is equivalent to a short-stack of pancakes if you're on the Atkins. They also feature some Western standards such as an American Breakfast (three eggs and fixins for 78rmb) and Huevos Rancheros (eggs poached in spiced tomato chili sauce for 68rmb). I got the latter since I'm from Texas, and while it doesn't quite taste like home, I'm always happy to see fresh avocado slices on top of any food I order. Miss those little guys. Curious to see how the Huevos Divorcados next door at Cantina Agave stacks up. Next time... Ordering any main brunch dish gets you a free bottomless cup of coffee, which is a huge bonus in my book. As for fortified liquid accompaniment, Flamme's Bloody Mary (70rmb) is one of the best in town, made with chili-infused vodka and crushed cherry tomatoes all up in it. Pro-tip: Flamme's brunch runs from 11am-4pm, and their daily happy hour (50% off all cocktails) starts at 3pm. Who gets to brunch before the last hour it's being served anyway? -JF Sat-Sun: 11am-4pm For a full brunch listing click here.