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April 24, 2014

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Good choices available as brunch turns stylish

By Wu Huixin | April 24, 2014, Thursday | Print Edition

BREAKFAST and lunch have traditionally been distinct meals with clear boundaries in China. But as the pace of modern life speeds up, the Western concept of brunch has started to seep in, especially on weekends.

With increasing pressure from work and other obligations, it has become more important to relax during “off” days. That can mean sleeping late on weekday mornings, reading the paper lazily and then going for a meal that is later than traditional breakfast.

It’s a habit young office workers are picking up, and more and more business managers and other white-collar workers in foreign-funded enterprises are becoming accustomed to doing brunch on Sundays with their foreign colleagues.

In response, some restaurants and hotels have launched brunch service catering to them, including a couple of Hangzhou’s upscale hotels, which offer a tasty spread with traditional dim sum and Western dishes. Shanghai Daily recommends three hotels where you can linger over a casual meal and sample delicacies.

Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hangzhou

Café Royale of Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hangzhou features brunch with activities for children. A new Kids Corner provides children with toys to while away brunch time. Clowns and magicians put on performances. They can get desserts there, and cotton candy is made by machines on site.

The brunch includes fresh oysters, scallops, crab, prawns, barbecue and refreshing drinks.

Sunday brunch: 11:30am-2:30pm

Address: 555 Fengqi Rd

Reservation: (0571) 8761-6888 ext 6321

Hyatt Regency Hangzhou

The hotel’s Café buffet restaurant is designed around an interactive open kitchen, allowing guests to watch skilled chefs at work.

The outdoor booths face beautiful West Lake, providing diners a relaxing environment.

The menu offers both Western-style food and local dishes, containing the traditional Hangzhou dim sum cong bao hui.

This deep-fried, thin pancake wrapped around scallions is also related to the story of General Yue Fei and Chancellor Qin Hui.

Qin Hui was a chancellor of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). He is widely regarded as a traitor for his part in the execution of Yue Fei, a general regarded as heroic who fought for the Song.

Cong bao means a wrap with scallion, while hui refers to Qin Hu. Since the renowned general was executed on the orders of Qin, Hangzhou residents vented their hatred by making dough into a shape resembling Qin and then frying it.

The hotel updated this ancient food and placed it on the brunch menu, evoking Hangzhou natives’ childhood memories, when they bought yum cong bao hui from roadside vendors.

Another signature dish on the brunch menu is Taiwan beef noodles. Chefs select imported beef and simmer it for hours with various seasonings, then cook it with vegetables and noodles.

The wine for brunch is Champagne Louis Roederer.

Sunday brunch: 11:30am-2:30pm

Address: 28 Hubin Rd

Reservation: (0571) 8779-1234

JW Marriott Hotel Hangzhou

Cru Steakhouse of JW Marriott Hotel Hangzhou is a hangout for middle-class locals. Its brunch features seafood, sashimi, salads, steak and desserts, steak being the signature dish. It pairs well with French-style oysters and selected wines. A free-flow alcoholic beverage special is now offered for 78 yuan (US$12.48).

Cru’s menu varies every month. Recommended dishes include potato gnocchi mixed with spinach in Parmesan cream, sliced abalone topped with lemon, braised New Zealand lamb ribs and quality Champagne. Chefs cook the dishes in an open kitchen, from which guests could acquaint with the procedure of making savory food.

To celebrate Mother’s Day on May 11, the steakhouse will present a Sunday brunch with a maternal love theme priced at 398 yuan per person. Dishes will include a variety of seafood such as fish steak and assorted sashimi, as well as Wagyu beef and other mom-pleasing delights.

The Asia Bistro at the hotel also has a special brunch menu for Mother’s Day with food ranging from Australian oysters and baked Boston lobster to Belgian waffles stuffed with berries and rose desserts.

Also, those who follow the hotel’s WeChat account jwmarriotthangzhou have a chance to learn cooking from a JW Marriott executive chef.

Sunday brunch: 11:30am-3pm

Address: 28 Hushu Rd S.

Reservation: (0571) 8981-7337, 8981-7357

Hangzhou


 

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