Commune Reserve Mixes Things Up With New Brunch Options

Having swept up north from Shanghai last year, Commune Reserve has become a hit in Beijing. They’ve got burgers, they’ve got pizza, they’ve got an interesting array of craft beer options. And now the venue has upped their brunch game as well.

Entering the confines of Commune Reserve on a sunny day is a stark contrast from the evening; a whole different world. At night the place is dimly lit, a smart and sophisticated yet welcoming restaurant bar. During the day, the natural light makes everything all the more warm and open.

And while Commune Reserve is known for its more hearty dishes – Oxtail Grilled Cheese anyone? – the new brunch menu plays on this sunny feel by bringing in a little more light of its own.

To start things off, there’s the antipasti. This platter features wheat bread slices topped with smoked salmon or roast beef, cheese, cold cut slices and even some cheese-filled red peppers and olives strewn about.

For something a bit more filling but still on the light side, there’s two new salads. The first of these, the Smoked Salmon Salad (RMB 98) sees smoked salmon slices tossed with avocado – can’t skip on those Omega-3s – cherry tomatoes and more for a truly healthy feast. This, in my opinion, is topped by the second option, the Commune Reserve Salad (RMB 98).

Here, shrimp is paired with mozzarella, red bell pepper, yellow squash stuffed with feta, tomato, arugula and pesto. It’s like Italy and the rest of the Mediterranean teamed up to make a salad better than anything they’d ever concocted on their own.

Of course, this being brunch, it wouldn’t be the same without the classics, and Commune Reserve delivers on this front as well. They’ve got bacon with eggs, a waffle decked out with all kinds of fixings – from powdered sugar to fruit to jam to syrup. They’ve even got the aptly named Hangover Burger (RMB 88), with two Wagyu beef patties, pastrami, cheddar, a fried egg, onion strings and chili aioli sandwiched between a brioche bun.

If more of their classics are what you’re looking for, their Commune California Burger (RMB 78) is also available. Also featuring two Wagyu patties, it comes topped with white cheddar, grilled onions, butter lettuce, tomato and a special house sauce.

But if you’re gonna go all out, then you might as well pair it with a vanilla shake as well. They have a special beer shake too, but the plain vanilla is just as good. It’s what I imagine the Five Dollar Shake from Pulp Fiction might taste like, except this one is just RMB 38 a pop.

Whatever your brunch predilicitions may be, Commune Reserve is here to cater to them with the new menu. From fresh salads to pizza to filling burgers that can cure a hangover, it’s all here and all good.

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Images: Vincent R. Vinci, Mina Yan