Hatchery Teams up With Jing-A for Delicious New Brewer’s Brunch

The sun is finally out again, and it’s time to get excited about sitting outside. Making the most of the opportunity for al fresco dining, Jing-A Taproom has teamed up with Hatchery for a revamped edition of Brewer’s Bunch series, which was first launched back in 2015.

Guest Chef Simone Thompson of Hatchery, who was based in London over the last eight years working in a number of kitchens and restaurants, has gone to town, designing a whole host of new brunch dishes that highlight her passion for pickled, fermented, baked, crisped, and cured things. A menu fit for a day in the sun, this is.

The three-course set costs RMB 108 per person, including a bread and dips starter board to share, as well as a choice of mains from eggs Benedict, fattoush salad, Hungry Man's Hash, veggie Benedict, Laoban’s Eggs, a NY-style bagel with lox, or the "One-Pot Breakfast," which includes two eggs, a tomato and pepper stew, spicy sausage, and a slice of sour dough bread. Dessert simply consists of a pineapple cheesecake.

The bread and dip board comes with a gouda and onion grilled cheese, as well as thick cuts of pickled radish, pepper, and fennel, beetroot dip, hummus, and crispy flatbread. The fennel was particularly punchy and will go a long way to extinguish whatever residue of hangover you may or may not turn up with. The earthy but mild beetroot dip was also a winner.  

In our opinion, the eggs Benedict trumped the Laoban’s Eggs for the simple fact that soft boiled eggs were perfectly cooked and the whole combination of bread, kale pesto, and hollandaise sauce made for the perfect beer accompaniment, especially the cured, crispy bacon.

The Laoban's Eggs will be more suited for anyone that prefers a healthy mound of soft scrambled eggs and feta, piled on top of thick-cut sourdough toast with arugula and cured bacon. Not enough bacon? Add extra bacon, avocado, a fried or poached egg, sourdough toast, or hollandaise for an additional RMB 15; or extra spicy pork sausage, bagel, or feta cheese for RMB 20.

The finishing pineapple cheesecake includes a base mixture of Greek yogurt and creamy mascarpone, topped off with caramelized pineapple chunks and homemade granola. It was also spot-on and had us licking the remnants directly from the little pot from which it came.

Aside from a series of Jing-A beers, there is cold pressed If juice (RMB 35), coffee or Chinese green tea served in a 800ml a French press (RMB 40 each), and iced tea with lemon for RMB 25 a glass. We also recommend you try their special beer cocktails: Beer Belly-Ni (RMB 30), and the particularly potent breakfast beergarita (RMB 30), which includes tequila, lime, triple sec, topped with Jing-A’s Flying Fist IPA, served on the rocks in a glass rimmed with salt.

The brunch is available on weekends from 11am-3pm. Because of limited outside seating, we recommend that you call ahead to book your spot on 6501 8883.

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Jing-A, Tracy Wang