After a week spent putting in the midnight hours or shopping the days away, one of the best ways to unwind and prepare for the coming week is by pampering oneself at a lazy weekend brunch. In this city though, there’s nothing sleepy about many of the spreads on offer. Many venues - particularly hotels - offer excellent value and a fine array of dishes for gluttons. But when it comes to kicking the feet up with paper in hand, enjoying a warm outdoor breeze, bringing the kids along (or suffering through the early morning hangover for night owls) AND enjoying a feast fit for royalty, the following restaurants will do more than fit the bill: they’ll leave you longing to repeat the whole luxurious food workout the following weekend.

 

Zuma, where it just keeps on coming...
"Please don't write about us," one Zuma manager joked. "We're packed to beyond capacity every weekend!" It's not hard to see why. The 10,000 square foot, two-floor Central venue (complete with outdoor terrace) offers a dazzling array of dishes in a relaxed setting that encourages unwinding with the Sunday papers while feasting on a freshly prepared sushi platter and a glass of Perrier Jouet champagne. One of the clear favourites from the selection are the oysters, of which the restaurant goes through 450 oysters for each brunch session, followed by the sushi, sashimi and chicken skewers.. Diners may also opt for the freshly-prepared soba noodles, crab cakes, hot pot or seaweed salad. Among the main dishes from the open kitchen are yakiniku-style sirloin steak and grilled pork belly with watermelon and cucumber salad, which set the bar high here. Then it's time for dessert in the form of exquisitely prepared chocolate delights arranged with fresh melon and ice cream scoops over ice. While dining here, one could clearly see how the early morning (11:00 am-1:30 pm) and afternoon sessions (1:30 pm onwards) evolve. The energetic families arrive early while the fashionably dressed in full hangover recovery mode check in for the later session. Yes, Zuma is the place where if you're lucky enough to get a table.  

Prices range from $550 per person, $428 per person exclusive of beverage, while children under 10 are free of charge.

5/F, The Landmark, 15 Queen's Road, Central. Tel: +852 3657 6388.

 

The Grill at the Grand Hyatt - poolside delights
Got pool with that? It's certainly the rare dining venue - brunch or otherwise - where you can sit outdoors under a sun umbrella beside a full-sized Olympic swimming pool. That automatically raises the appeal for brunch outdoors at The Grill on the 11th floor of the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. All you have to do is make sure that you're dining there on a sunny day and the multi-award winning hotel will take care of the rest. Unfortunately, unless you're an in house guest, diving into the pool between courses isn't an option, but the ultra fresh food and a warm breeze still make this a super option for diners who want to chill out and graze at the same time. The "Weekend Barbecue Brunch" offers plenty of homemade sausages, fine array of Wagyu beef and filet mignon. chicken wings, sardines, baby squid and salmon steak. Seafood lovers will automatically gravitate towards the fresh Australian lobster, while vegetarians are likely to have their eye on the mango and coconut salad. Another star of this outdoor food bonanza are the Eggs Benedict and all the other varieties of dishes that can be freshly made to order by pan-laden chefs. Those with a sweet tooth will be glad to know that the desserts are rotated weekly with the exception of the regular homemade ice cream station, which is extremely popular during the hot summer months. Alcohol-free patrons can opt for the fresh homemade smoothies while those who can't brunch without their champers will find that the Chandon Brut hits the spot.  

Priced at HK$398 for adults and HK$164 for children.

11/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. Tel:+852 2584 7772.

 

 

The Verandah, a classy snapshot of history
If you want to imagine actor Peter Sellers giving you the wink, nod and a stumbling excerpt from his hit 1960s film The Party, or holding court with Marlon Brando, then The Verandah at The Repulse Bay is the place to do that. At one time, those notable guests and many more stayed at this 90-year-old venue. The entire site has just gone through an extensive renovation, which has added more features (such as an Ernest Hemingway memorabilia room) while retaining the open aired, bright, wood dominated interiors. Add some live music and this is destination dining that oozes old-style charm and class without feeling stuffy. Keeping in mind its colonial roots in an Asian setting, the food caters for both potential audiences. Seafood lovers can pile their plates with Alaskan king crab legs, oysters and prawns while those who crave dim sum can find fresh portions alongside their sushi, sashimi and Asian salads. Another standout with popular appeal is the pasta station, where fresh cooked varieties can be topped with sauces of one choosing before coming back for round two or three. Be sure to relax and have a sip of that champagne before heading off to the dessert station. Its homemade pancakes and flavored soufflés all around if you so choose - or cheeses and fresh fruit if you want to keep that cholesterol intake to a minimum.  

Book at least two weeks in advance to enjoy the window seats. Priced at HK$468 for adults and HK$234 for children.

109 Repulse Bay Road. Tel: +852 2292-2822.

 

Harbourside at The InterContinental, a circus of food with unlimited acts
In terms of big-ticket restaurants, the InterContinental certainly has its share: Alain Ducasse's Spoon and The Steakhouse Winebar & Grill for starters. Yet Harbourside's relaxed Sunday Champagne Brunch may just be its most underrated and extravagant display. To give you an idea of scale, 160 guests gawk, graze and frankly pillage the 96 fresh items that are rotated in and out of the gargantuan spread every seventh day. The brunch resembles a three-ring circus of food with a view of Victoria Harbour to boot. When it comes to dining - or gorging - here, it's best to start off with a glass of Moet & Chandon (unlimited by the way) before checking out the assortment of lobsters, prawns, scallops, seafood and four different kinds of crab. They'll all go fast, but not far behind on the popularity stakes are the prime rib, foie gras and Peking duck selections.Somewhere in the vicinity of the chocolate fountain, devoted chefs are also busy making a wide variety of pancakes, crepes, waffles and soufflés. Those who wouldn't stoop to such lip smacking, finger smudging detail may opt for a cheese and ham platter to finish off the day, but one thing's for sure: nobody who enters the Harbourside Brunch at 11:30 pm is going to be remotely hungry by 3:00 pm.

Priced at HK$638 for adults and HK$318 for children.

18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Tel: +852 2313 2323. 

 

Domani, a downright decadent spread and setting
You'd expect lavish food at Domani's, which is poised like an opulent white house in Pacific Place with its atmospheric garden patio. The restaurant recently introduced a semi-buffet weekend menu that translates into choosing a selection of mains, from pizzas to pastas and secondis, then tucking into an overwhelming spread of Italian starters and desserts that's all-you-can-eat. It's a foodies' dream especially if one adores fine-tuned Italian food. From the two dozen or so antipasti buffet with various cold cuts, salads and other Italian bites, must-tries include the tuna or beef tenderloin carpaccio, or thinly sliced veal enveloped with a creamy and rich tuna sauce. Another magnet for brunchers is counter of sautéed lobsters in a garlick-tomato and parsley sauce that's also bottomless. For mains, pastas are an ideal choice as executive chef Michele Bernacchia is adamant about using fine basic ingredients like Italian "double zero" flour applied to dishes such as passatelli pasta with fresh tomato sprinkled with pungent pecorino. If you opt for pizza, they arrive intimidatingly huge (although perhaps they seemed so after we were already full from the starters buffet). Toppings include buffalo mozzarella speckled with fresh basil leaves or Italian pork sausage and mushrooms. Though hard, try not to overindulge before reaching the dessert spread of fancy Italian treats from classic tiramisu and panna cotta to fruit-centred white wine jellies and various creative puddings layered in tall or martini glasses.

Price varies from HK$348 to HK$448 per person depending on the choice of main.

Level 4, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty. Tel: +852 2111-1197.