Oolaa

October and November are my favorite months in Hong Kong. In October, the humidity dissipates and the weather starts to cool down. If you're lucky, some evenings, the air can even smell fresh. In Central no less! But November is when Hong Kong truly becomes lovely. It's the month during which you should plan to have every meal al fresco and enjoy long, leisurely hikes. The weather is sunny but cool and breezy, before the chill of winter creeps in.

Hong Kong doesn't offer a ton of al fresco dining options, probably because for 9-10 months out of the year, it's either too hot, too humid, too cold or too rainy to enjoy. One of my favorite spots for a semi-al fresco brunch in Hong Kong is Oolaa, which sits on the edge of Sheung Wan and Soho. The seating is technically indoors, but the floor-to-ceiling glass doors open up completely so that you get the al fresco feel.

Oolaa is the type of neighborhood joint everyone should have in their neighborhood. It's a terrific spot to drop in for a cappuccino or glass of wine at the bar, or to spend the afternoon reading the newspaper, or to have a casual business lunch, or to meet friends for an after-work drink. But most of all, it's best for a leisurely weekend brunch. Unfortunately, I'm not the only who thinks so, as evidenced by the crowds that descend each Saturday and Sunday morning, well into the late afternoon. If there's a wait (and there always is on the weekends), I like to pull up a stool at the bar and have a drink while we wait for a table. There are three distinct seating areas: a formal dining room, a casual communal dining room and a lounge-y area in between. I like the casual dining room the best - it reminds me a lot of Fillmore Street in San Francisco.

Mimosas are made with fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Breakfast bruschetta - grilled bread topped with grilled tomatoes, avocado and red onion, poached eggs and hollandaise. Served with a side of cured bacon. Love this dish!

Brekkie burrito - full of meat, but would be better with sides of sour cream, guacamole and salsa!

Food rating: *** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 4.5 for brunch and weekday express lunch; 3.5 for dinner

The essentials:
http://www.casteloconcepts.com/locations/hong-kong/oolaa-hong-kong
Location: G/F Centrestage, Bridges Street, Soho, Hong Kong
Average price of brunch for two: $350

Txistorra with fagioli beans and bell pepper

The first time I tried txistorra was in Valencia at Casa Montaña, a fantastic tapa bar near the beach. It was presented simply on a white plate, fried in hard cider. Txistorra is a cured sausage from the Basque country, seasoned with garlic and paprika. It's fantastic for frying and serving with eggs for breakfast or as a tapa. Because it's rather fatty and salty, I like to fry txistorra with either mushrooms or beans, both of which mellow out the salt and spice. I've prepared txistorra a half dozen times now, but this recipe, which I assembled from what was available in my fridge and pantry, is my favorite so far. I served this dish for brunch along with Spanish tortilla, roasted asparagus and fruit salad.

Ingredients/Sources in HK

Txistorra - Available in the refrigerated cured meats section at CitySuper IFC

Fagioli beans - I used a can of beans that I picked up at Oliver's

Yellow bell pepper - anywhere, but try to get organic

Olive oil
Red wine 

Preparation

Heat a pan over medium heat and add about 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Chop the txistorra and add to the hot oil, lower heat to somewhere between low and medium. The sausage should slowly brown, and the spices should be seeping out so that the olive oil is a bright burnt orange color. Drain the can of beans and rinse well. Chop the bell pepper into thin slices. Once the sausage has browned around the edges, add 2-3 tablespoons of red wine and cook until the alcohol has evaporated. Add the bell pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the drained beans and continue to cook until beans start to brown (but they should not get mushy). Turn off heat and serve immediately.

The Pawn

Brunch at The Pawn isn't for the faint of heart, literally. The delicious fare at this wonderfully cozy, modern British gastropub is a cardiologist's nightmare: heavy on fatty meats, butter and other saturated fats. But don't let that keep you away, because you'd be missing out on some of the best brunch fare in Hong Kong. On a recent visit, I had an absolutely delicious (and artery-clogging) plate consisting of a crumpet topped with a thick slice of black pudding, bacon, ham, fried duck egg - and if that weren't enough, it came with a generous piece of seared foie gras on the side. The execution of the dish was perfect - every element was cooked to perfection and came together wonderfully. The eggs benedict was also solidly executed, although the hollandaise was just a tiny bit too rich. The Pawn's version of a Bloody Mary is made with freshly blended tomatoes, so thick that it was more like a big glass of gazpacho - it could use some spicing up with tabasco and worcestershire sauce.

The best thing about the Pawn though isn't the food, it's the atmosphere. In most cases, I absolutely don't believe in "paying for atmosphere," but I might make an exception for The Pawn - it's laid back yet slightly pretentious, cozy yet modern, shabby yet chic - contradictory but in a way that works. Definitely one of my favorite brunch finds in Hong Kong so far, and also a great place for drinks.


English crumpet topped with black pudding, bacon, ham, foie gras, sweet onion marmalade and fried duck egg - a delicious heart attack on a plate


Eggs Benedict with perfectly poached eggs and buttery hollandaise

Food rating: ****
Bang for buck rating: 3.5

The essentials:
www.thepawn.com.hk/
Location: 62 Johnston Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Average price of brunch for two: HKD$350

1300 on Fillmore

I have a Pavlovian reaction to grits. I hear the word "grits" and I start salivating. I love me some grits. I like them boiled simply with water and salt, I like them with melted butter, I like them cheesy, I like them creamy, I like grits on its own, I like it with a side of bacon or ham, I like it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. But by far my favorite (before discovering 1300 on Fillmore) were the shrimp and grits I had in Charleston, South Carolina - buttery grits topped with barbecue shrimp in its own gravy.

Whenever I find grits on a menu outside the deep South (and especially in NorCal), I will order it just because I'm happy to see it on the menu, only to usually be disappointed.

But at 1300 on Fillmore I discovered what has to be the best grits west of the Mississippi....and perhaps the best grits on planet earth. The barbecue shrimp and grits at 1300 on Fillmore are TO DIE FOR. Creamy, perfectly cooked grits topped with succulent, savory shrimp, gravy, diced tomatoes and fried garlic slivers. It is a bowl of culinary perfection.

The fried green tomato salad with goat cheese and honey-lavender dressing was also excellent, as was the warm cornbread wedges with honey butter and sweet red pepper marmalade. The fried chicken was juicy and tender and the portion was very generous. I thought the mac n' cheese was disappointingly bland, but this was the only flaw, and one I can happily overlook in my ecstatic glee at discovering this awesome restaurant, which I will definitely be visiting many many many many times in the future. I also love the subdued but classy decor - and I'm loving the revamped area of the Western Addition!

Did I mention the amazing grits?

Black skillet roasted catfish

Barbecue shrimp n' creamy grits

Black skillet fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits

Food rating: ****
Bang for buck rating: 3.5

The essentials:
www.1300fillmore.com
Location: 1300 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
Average price of meal for two: $80

Tartine Bakery

I would seriously move to the Mission Dolores area for one reason alone: Tartine Bakery. Tartine is so quintessentially San Francisco - the crowd is a diverse mix of hippies, hipsters and yuppies of all races and age groups congregating at shared tables (or separate tables thisclose to each other so that you might as well be sharing a table) over newspapers, chess games, and the perfection embodied by Tartine's frangipane croissants, lemon tarts, bread pudding and croque monsieurs.

Yes, you'll have to wait 30 minutes in line just to order one croissant, so make sure you order EVERYTHING you want the first time around because you don't want to underorder then debate (after finishing off your croissant, smacking your lips and licking your fingers) whether you should get in the now 45-minute line to order that other pastry you were eyeing.

Tartine makes me oh-so-happy. Even though my visits to Tartine are rare (it's just so out of the way for me), it makes me happy just to know that it exists and that if I am craving a perfect cup of bread pudding covered with fresh berries, or a cup of muesli made with Strauss organic yogurt and chock full of muesli, nuts and fruit, or a perfect flaky frangipane croissant oozing with almond paste filling, or a perfect tangy and creamy lemon tart, I know exactly where to find it in San Francisco.

Tartine, je t'aime.

Food rating: **** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
http://www.tartinebakery.com/
Location: 600 Guerrero Street, San Francisco
Average price of meal for two: $30

Elbow Room Cafe

For a greasy spoon brunch experience, complete with long wait, shoddy service and servers with attitude, Elbow Room Cafe is the place in Vancouver. A plaque on the wall proudly boasts: "Reader's Choice, Best of Vancouver: Best Place for Surly & Indifferent Service." And yet people don't seem to be deterred - during the weekend, waits are mandatory. Perhaps it's the humongous portions of tasty breakfast fare that keeps them coming back for more.

Consider yourself warned

Mauna Kea: a fruit omelet stuffed with kiwi, bananas, pineapple and apples. Usually topped with mozzarella and pecans, but I had them hold the mozzarella and make mine with egg whites.

The New Yorker: Two poached eggs with mushrooms, onion, tomato, bacon and pepperoni in a spicy tomato-BBQ sauce, served over a croissant and topped with hollandaise sauce. I think it should be renamed the "Heart Attack"

Food rating: ***
Bang for buck rating: 3

The essentials:
www.theelbowroomcafe.com
Location: 560 Davie Street, Vancouver, Canada
Average price of meal for two: $35

Lauderdale

Lauderdale is the kind of place that makes me feel so cozy and happy that ever since my first visit, I've been planning my next. It's the type of place I would love to live next to so I could stroll in every morning for a cappuccino and newspaper before heading to the office. I loved the kitschy hats on the walls as decor, the laid back brasserie vibe, the shabby chicness, feeling like I was caught somewhere between Paris and the West Village in New York.

And I adored their mushroom and cheese souffle - served perfect straight from the oven: airy, light, savory, delicious. Lauderdale sugar-coats the rim of the souffle dish so that you get a slightly sweet finish to each fluffy bite.

The brunch specials all come with your choice of two sides, one of which can be a breakfast beverage (coffee, OJ, tea, etc.). All in all, it's great value for great food, and Roppongi Hills was in need of a refreshing new restaurant. Lauderdale, je t'aime!


Blueberry pancakes


Perfect mushroom and cheese souffle


Mama's garden omelette with bacon

Food rating: *** and a half (4.5 for the souffle)
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
No website
Location: Off Keyakizaka Street in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo
Average price of meal for two (brunch): 3500 yen (~$40)

Beacon

One of my absolute favorite things about living in NY was Sunday Brunch. I loved how in NY, it was like...a thing. I so looked forward to Brunch - from the cozy little nooks such as Tartine in the West Village to the hip places like Balthazar to the underrated places like Zoe (loved their bread basket) to the ridiculously long waits at Good Enough to Eat (but totally worth it for the thick-cut bacon!) to the institutions such as Sarabeth's...I can't recall ever having a bad brunch experience. Because brunch is more than just a meal to obtain sustenance. It's an event. It's what you plan your entire Sunday around: where, when and with whom to have brunch. And you don't just eat. You shoot the shit. While away the hours over mimosas and bloody marys and multiple cups of coffee. Sunday brunch is one of the things I miss most about NY.

But it turns out you can have a New York [style] Sunday Brunch in Tokyo! Down a small street halfway between Omotesando and Shibuya, Beacon offers up a New York-style Sunday brunch. The crowd is so international, the decor is so hip but understated East Coast and the food is so wonderfully authentically American that for a few hours, you can pretend you're back in Manhattan eating, nay doing, Sunday brunch.


BLT + A (Bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich on toasted whole wheat with delicious french fries)


Huevos rancheros with green rice and hot link sausage - the brunch dishes are accompanied by your choice of croissant, muffin or toast, a tiny plate of fruit and coffee

Food rating: ****
Bang for buck rating: 3.5

The essentials:
http://www.tyharborbrewing.co.jp/restaurants/beacon.html
Location: Between Omotesando and Shibuya stations
Average price of meal for two (brunch): 5500 yen (~$60)

Weekend Brunch at Roti Roppongi

Tokyo may be home to the most Michelin stars in the world, age old family-run establishments that serve cuisine that has been refined to perfection over generations, the world's best sushi/udon/tempura/kaiseki restaurants and even some of the best patisseries in the world, but it is really lacking in quality American-style brunch places. So I was thrilled to discover Roti Roppongi, which serves up authentic, non-Japanified Eggs Benedict and some of the most delicious spice-rubbed home fries I've ever had.


Eggs benedict, classic style with ham (you can also get it with sauteed spinach or smoked salmon)


Blueberry pancakes - it was declared that "they taste like Aunt Jemima," but honestly, I crave American instant mix pancakes living in Tokyo!


Smoked salmon club sandwich

I've also been to Roti for dinner and their Peruvian rotisserie chicken over cilantro rice and beans is tender, moist and flavorful.. and I wanted to lick the little bowl of jalapeno-garlic-cilantro dipping sauce that came with the chicken.

Food rating: **** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 4.5 (best brunch bang for buck)

The essentials:
http://roti.jp/en/index.php
Location: in the Pyramide building, Roppongi, Tokyo
Average price for meal for 2 for brunch: 5000 yen (~$55)

Brenda's French Soul Food

Sadly, I don't have photos to accompany this post. But I do have the happy memory of praline covered pancakes sitting in my belly. I wrote this entry for yelp awhile back:

Comfort.

Is my ratty Ugg slippers. Is my flannel pajama pants and 10+ year old favorite t-shirt. Is reading a good novel under the covers in my uber-comfy king-size bed. Is spending a leisurely Saturday morning with a person who knows you inside out and feeling that amazing connection found once in a blue moon. Is Brenda's sweet potato pancakes with pecan praline syrup, Brenda's cream biscuits smothered with homemade peach jam, Brenda's extra-buttery grits, Brenda's potato hash and Brenda's fried oyster and bacon omelet.

Brenda, you got soul. Your food made me so happy that it caused me to display random acts of kindness all day for no reason other than that I felt giddy, warm, happy and loved after having brunch at your restaurant. The answer to world peace may be in Brenda's sweet potato pancakes smothered with a brown sugar, pecan and butter concoction that could make anyone forget about differences in religion, politics, or why you broke up. Why should such trivial things matter when we can focus on the things that really matter in life, the things that unite us as humans: good food and good company?

Food rating: **** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 4 (the prices are fine, but the long wait....oh the wait!)

The essentials:
http://www.frenchsoulfood.com/
Location: The Tenderloin, SF
Average price for meal for 2: $40