Weekend brunch offering is an unstoppable tide, with restaurants jumping on board by the day. We’re not complaining though; indulgent dishes, lazy afternoons and boozy cocktails are what we live for here at Foodie. The only thing we find less than satisfactory, is the hefty price tag that often comes along with it. Over the last year or two, the word brunch has become synonymous with leaving a hole in the wallet. Lucky for us (and now you), we recently came across this new weekend brunch at Da Ping Huo. Priced at $180, it’s a steal but it makes no compromise in quality.
The brunch comes in 6 courses, including free-flow sichuan dan dan noodles (that had us sold instantly). We started off with two of their signature starters, the hot and sour jelly noodles and the mouth-watering chicken, both of which were only mildly spicy but extremely flavourful otherwise. The chicken absorbed the flavours of the multitude of spices readily and was soft and extremely binge-worthy. Moving on to the mains, we adored the Mrs. Wang’s stewed beef brisket, which was tender and hearty, pairing perfectly with its accompanying bowl of rice. The fried cabbage served as a great palate cleanser, was crunchy and had just the right amount of mild heat for an amateur spicy food eater. The dan dan noodles were the only let down in the whole meal, which we found too numbing for our liking. But what more than redeemed it was the dessert, Mrs. Wang’s sweet bean curd, which was basically a perfect meld of doufuhua (豆腐花) and snow fungus soup (雪耳糖水). As someone who grew up eating both of these desserts, it never once crossed my mind that they could come together so well. The sweet base of the snow fungus soup was a great alternative to the syrup or brown sugar that we normally add to doufuhua, and the snow fungus added another layer of crunchy texture to the soft and smooth mouthfeel of the tofu.
Verdict:
There are plenty of amazing weekend brunches out there, what’s unfortunate is that most of them would also inevitably downsize your wallet. Da Ping Huo is a great option if you’re looking to mitigate the damage while still have good food in a very comfortable setting.
Sichuan Cuisine Da Ping Huo
Facebook Page or Tel: 2559 1317
Every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday (12:00nn – 2:30pm)
Price: $180/Person (+ 10% service charge)