This month we revisit some old Shanghai hands for brunch, binge on inordinate amounts of sashimi and explore a newly-revamped dim sum joint on Shanxi Nan Lu. ***
Inagiku
Last weekend, Inagiku, the Japanese restaurant in the Marriott Shanghai City Centre unveiled a brand new brunch, and it's pretty ridiculous (in good way). For 688rmb you get eight courses. It starts with a few appetizers like boiled mini abalone or sweet amaebi (sweet shrimp) with fish roe and a seafood soup in a teapot. Then they unleash an unlimited sashimi course on you. It's all the tuna, salmon, sea urchin and fresh scallops you can handle. That's followed by another course of all-you-can-eat tempura. They're frying lots of unique little treats like foie gras and apple, snow crab legs, fresh oysters . We advise that you go easy on all of this AYCE action, though, because they follow it all up with four more courses: classic miso marinated cod, wagyu beef with baby lobster, a choice of fried rice or udon noodles and a dessert of strawberry mochi. And there's free booze. All the sake or sake cocktails you can handle. If you want to add champagne to the mix, they'll pour unlimited Mumm for an additional 108rmb. Sat–Sun: 11am–2.30pm For a full brunch listing click here.
Dim Sum Garden
Wei Yuan Yue Pu, previously known in English as Vivi Kitchen, shut its doors for a refurb. It recently re-opened with an updated decor a new bar and an expanded menu. They've given it a snappier English name, too: Dim Sum Garden. The selection is pretty expansive. It's mostly Cantonese classics like har gau (shrimp dumplings) beef balls and mati gao (water chestnut cakes). They throw in a few Chaozhou staples too like fen guo, a crunchy steamed dumpling stuffed with ground pork, garlic chives, dried radish and chopped peanuts. You'll find the requisite HK sweets, like bo luo you (buttered pineapple buns with butter) and a whole assortment of milk teas with everything from coffee to tapioca pearls as well. Don't miss their brand-new shaved peanut ice dessert. We dare say that it blows Charmant's out of the water. It's a solidly reliable option and is eminently affordable. Two people can walk away full-to-bursting for about 150rmb. Available all day, every day.
M on the Bund
This place has been around for so long that it's easy to forget about it altogether, but they still do a solid brunch. For 248rmb plus a 10% service charge you'll get you two courses along with bottomless tea or coffee. Throw in another 40rmb to get dessert. The affair starts with your choice of appetizer including blueberry pancakes, fried frog legs and beef tripe or salmon gravlax with with a sweet mustard sauce (our favorite). For the mains it's an array of selections including fish and chips, steak tartare and goat cheese soufflé. Their attempt at brunch staple eggs Benedict is – meh, unextraordinary. M’s Weekend Fry up dish featuring minute steak, lamb chop, bacon and grilled sausage served over a bed of mashed potatoes with a side of fried egg, is enough to redeem the situation, though. Finish it off with a generous slice of M’s famous pavlova, a meringue dessert filled with whipped cream and topped with fresh fruits. Wash all that down with a glass of complimentary bloody Mary, mimosa, champagne cocktail, kir or orange juice. Bear in mind, of course, that this is The Bund. The bill adds up. Come with deep pockets. Sat-Sun: 11:30am-3pm. For a full brunch listing click here
Element Fresh
Probably everybody already knows this one. And, to be honest, it wasn't our first choice for this column either. But our first choice was so unremarkable that it didn't warrant a mention. So Element Fresh seemed an obvious and reliable standby to write about. The same can be said when it comes to eating here, too. Let's face it. This is the Honda Accord of Shanghai brunches. They offer a daily breakfast menu that features sets, like the "Big American", a heaping breakfast of four eggs, three strips of bacon, two sausage links, two pieces of French toast potatoes, fresh fruit and endless coffee or tea. That's a hell of a lot of grub for 88rmb. Or there is the "Healthy Start", which features an egg white omelet (something we will never understand) with assorted veggies, wheat toast and fruit and yogurt and a glass of juice. You pay 10 kuai less, and you get about that much less flavor, too. They also offer breakfast plates like a breakfast burrito stuffed with scrambled eggs, cheese, bacon, sausage, bell peppers, onions and jalapeños and served with salsa 65rmb. Or you can just do a simple three egg omelet (pictured above) with fried potatoes, toast and a choice of three fillings. It's not the most exciting or inventive menu in town, but it's good enough, the quality is consistent and the place is clean. More importantly, the service — at least in the KWah Centre branch — is impeccable. From the second you walk in these guys are all smiles — cheerful, friendly and attentive. It's a rarity at this price point and is reason enough for a return visit. Mon-Fri: 8–11am Sat-Sun: 8am–4pm
