Red Rose Blooms Through the Winter Frost With Hearty Brunch Menu
Bringing a heavy dose of Shanghai expertise with them, Xingfucun gastropub Red Rose has been winning fans ever since their fall opening with excellent cocktails and innovative-yet-accessible pub grub. Now the relative newbie revamps their initial menu to include a plethora of brunch options available daily, 11am-3pm.
With early afternoon light streaming through its large windows, Red Rose looks like the kind of cozy, modern space that could be packed with paperback-reading, latte-sipping brunchsters in any city in the world. The deep leather couches, earth-toned textiles and pedestal lamps transition surprisingly well from day to night, matching rather than clashing with the copper-chrome bar accents and pizza oven.
Our favorite 'design' element by far however, is Alfie, owner David Li's gentle five-year-old British bulldog. Softly plodding from nap-spot to nap-spot under the gaze of the various bulldog themed sculptures and paintings dotted about, he is a world-weary but benevolent King, unopposed to accepting scritches from his brunch-going subjects.
But if you think that the trendy vibe will translate to a minimalist menu, you'd be wrong. The multi-page brunch menu could almost be mistaken for a classic dinner menu, so abundant are the options. However, if you ignore the items that seem out of place for the time of day (I'm looking at you, braised beef brisket and Wagyu bolognese pasta, RMB 68), you'll be able to pull together a very nice meal from all of the noise.
Coming right after starter soups (the moreish creamy mushroom and roasted chestnut soup (RMB 58) was our favorite) early in the menu are the toasts. They range from the classics like smashed and sliced avocado with lime (RMB 22); smoked salmon and tzatziki (RMB 28) to the more unusual like pastrami, aged cheddar, and sauerkraut (RMB 28); and caramelized banana, candied almonds, and chocolate peanut butter (RMB 20). In the land of bad bread, these slices were good, even when they didn't quite come together structurally (the winter mushroom and thyme (RMB 18) could use a spread of some kind to keep the tender mushrooms from falling off their slice).
Little plates like this are perfect for sharing, but there is no shortage of too-big-to-be-really-good-for-you breakfasts either. The Granny Smith apple pancake (RMB 88) is probably a two-person job, as is the steak and eggs (RMB 138). For us, a standout was the Southern-inspired chicken and waffles (RMB 78), served in pretty tonkatsu-style slices, an original idea that gives a nice Eastern spin on the American classic. The chicken was perfectly tender, with flavorful skin, and served with soft churned vanilla butter and maple syrup for pouring over the golden waffles.
The wild berry waffles (RMB 58, pictured at top) proved that the waffles weren't just a fluke the first time, even if the serving of cream and jam could easily have been doubled; eating waffles should be a fight to the death, with you holding them down to drown them with a sticky glaze (but perhaps that's just me).
If you can't imagine brunch without eggs, the poached organic eggs and smoked salmon (RMB 98) is well executed, with just-right asparagus, served on an English muffin, and a rich tarragon Hollandaise sauce. Should you happen to end up here with people who don't like to brunch (gasp), rest easy, because the menu has enough variety – again, some may find this a hindrance over a benefit – with plates like the beetroot hummus and pita (RMB 38) and spiced lamb chops (RMB 118) to keep everybody satisfied.
Going home hungry just isn't an option at Red Rose, and if they add a couple of cocktails (Mimosa and Bloody Mary spring to mind), then Alfie might have to compete for nap spots with patrons looking to sleep off their post-brunch coma.
READ: Four to Try on Red Rose's New Winter Lunch Menu
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Photos courtesy of Red Rose
