Dakota
Add: 30 Donghu Lu, near Xinle Lu / 东湖路30号, 近新乐路
Tel: 5403 8906
Hours: [Mon-Sat] 11:00am-midnight [Sun] 11am-6pm
Price: [Brunch] 100 RMB/person, [Dinner] 200 RMB/person
Visited: Nov 2010
2014 update: venue closed.
An American bistro located on Donghu Lu close to Sushi Oyama and El Willy. Lunch and dinner seem a bit overpriced, but come here for a comfortable brunch featuring classic items such eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, omelettes, Croque Madame, seafood chowder, and the likes. It’s simple, and it’s good. The wood-paneled and black leather chair interior is not my usual favorite vibe for brunch, but to occasionally diverge from the typical ‘sunny patio brunch’ path is not so horrible either.
Other than the items mentioned above, you’ll also see shrimp and grits, brisket hash, frittata, egg salad tartine, apple crepes, etc. If you come with a big group, there are some big plates to share as well: “roast leg of lamb served with bone marrow butter, salad, and duck fat frites”, and the “bone-in ribeye served with frisée salad, duck fat roasted potatoes, and béarnaise”.
We started with the Seafood Chowder in Sourdough Bread Bowl (50 RMB), which was thick and creamy with chunks of salmon and other seafood. The sourdough bread bowl was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. A good start.
Here’s a friend’s Omelette with Smoked Ham, Salami, Gruyére, and Mushroom Sherry Sauce (55 RMB). Didn’t get to try.
Then came the Fresh Crab Salad, English Muffin, Hollandaise (65 RMB). The eggs are perfectly poached, the Hollandaise sauce is rich and buttery with a mild tang added by a sprinkle of lemon juice, and the English muffin rightfully spongy. My only suggestion is to volume up on the crab salad, which got lost between its neighboring layers.
The Belgian Waffles with Sauteed Bananas and Mascarpone (50 RMB) were drenched in too much maple syrup and already cold when I got around to them. Sad.
The Raspberry Soufflé (60 RMB) had the ideal melting texture with a barely cooked center. Mmm…it was like eating a piece of raspberry cloud.
Nothing uber fancy, but quite satisfying.
Awesome pictures!!