10/05/2016
From The Hilsian May Ed, Vol. 010-16-03
Reviews on Brunch Cafes
Article by Rebekah Lim
Before I begin my rant on the best brunch spot, let me briefly explain what brunch is. The term brunch is a mash up of the words breakfast and lunch. Brunch refers to that awkwardly timed meal which is typically served in between breakfast and lunch. In Korea, it seems as though the brunch hours are between 11AM to 3PM.
My initial brunch review was going to be a comparison of four different brunch cafes, but Yang Duk lacks diversity when it comes to food. So I will review two cafes I have found thus far. The standard for the brunch review was whether it is similar to an all American brunch served at a regular diner in the States.
The first brunch set I had was from a small cafe called, May 2nd. It was quite empty when I visited. The cafe had a modern feel to it with its interior decorated with mostly white, black and navy. The white marbled tables and the light bulbs in square metal cages adds the overall modern feel of the cafe. The cafe also had a small selection of accessories for sale such as leather wristbands that you can personalize with your initials and small pouches with cute designs.
The brunch set was 9,800 won and I got a cup of coffee with the addition of only 1,000 Won. There were some greens and four small baby tomatoes soaked in Italian dressing. I loved that the dish came with a nice amount of protein. I got two slices of bacon, one large sausage, and fried eggs of any style. The best part of this brunch set was the nice, savory sausage. This cafe did not give me the usual Korean styled sausage that just does not satisfy my American taste palate. Finally, the meal came with two nicely toasted pieces of bread with great consistency instead of the cheap white bread. I also like the fact that the meal came with a small packet of jam and butter.
In fact, I paid them a visit for the second time for a Saturday brunch, and there were much more people this time. The counter lady might forget to give you the strawberry and butter packets, so do not be afraid to ask for them if she does. Also, I noticed that the cook started to put powdered sugar on the toast, and I found that it does not go well with the overall flavor. So, if you do not like the idea of putting powdered sugar on your toast, I suggest that you tell the lady at the counter not to put it on your toast.
The second brunch set was from a cafe named Homestead which is right across the street from Hanaro and beside Two Some Cafe. The store can get pretty crowded as it is popular with families as well as groups of middle aged ladies. The cafe has a warmer feeling to it with its use of wooden furniture and warm toned colors in the interior.
The brunch set was 11,900 won which included a cup of coffee. You have a choice of ordering a brunch set with a mushroom omelet or with cheese pancakes. I ordered the brunch set with cheese pancakes. The platter included an egg, two pancakes with cheese, salad, potato wedges, bacon, ham, Vienna sausage and some vegetables. Overall it was good, but I found that a few of their culinary choices made the meal a little awkward. While the pancakes were great, the sliced cheese that melted in the middle was a little out of place. I felt like I was eating a grilled cheese except the bread was replaced by two syrupy pancakes. I wished I was served a hearty sausage instead of the Vienna sausage. I was not sure if the ham slice and the pineapple slices were attempts of a Hawaiian twist. Finally while I do appreciate the pickled vegetables they served me on the side, I was hoping for a more American styled brunch, and I didn’t think the pickled vegetables went well with the meal.
If I had to choose between the two brunch cafes, I would choose May 2nd because I personally liked May 2nd better, but I would not hesitate to recommend either place for brunch. ▣
May2nd
Homestead
