Brunch Review is a column dedicated to our exploratory adventures of Shanghai's weekend brunches.
Previously open for just Saturday brunch, El Willy's new Sunday brunch promises live guitar music and six tapas-sized courses for RMB175. Throw in another RMB100 and you get free flow red, white or sparkling wine for two hours. That's excellently priced for the Bund, and it doesn't have that pesky 10 percent service charge we're seeing more of at Shanghai's fancier eateries. 
First up came three bowls of traditional ajo blanco, a chilled Spanish soup from Granada and Málaga. The ajo blanco came with fresh grapes and parma ham in it. This sounds bizarre but the combination works, and honestly it's nice to have something a little more challenging at brunch than just garden-variety eggs Benedict.
Even less 'brunchy' but no less delightful was 'Tiradito de Vieras,' thinly sliced raw scallops on a smooth avocado purée with crunchy fried scallions. Delicately delicious and light.
Intriguingly, 'tiradito' is a Peruvian dish of sashimi-style raw fish plated as if it were a carpaccio, and demonstrates the influence of Japanese immigrants on Peruvian cuisine. So when you eat it at El Willy, you're essentially eating a Japanese dish by way of Peru, Spain and China. Call it globalization.
At last, El Willy gives us what many a hungover brunch patron is truly after: EGGS. Served onsen style (gently sous vided at 65 degrees), and paired with seared foie gras and potato chips. A similar dish is also on the dinner menu, but why the hell not eat it for brunch too.
Next, piquillo peppers stuffed with beef and topped with a classic Romesco sauce. As a dish that uses inexpensive ingredients to flavorsome effect, it certainly felt aptly included for this well-priced brunch.
If that didn't fill you up, El Willy also includes a portion of their signature 'juicy rice,' a riff on the Spanish classic paella. This one comes topped with grilled shrimps and parsley. Tasty and simple, but just ever so slightly meek for our MSG/la jiao jiang-addled tastebuds.
Last but not least there comes dessert, a 'butter bread' (we think that means brioche) pudding soaked in milk and spices, served with a scoop of excellent coffee ice cream. Very delicious, but we felt a simpler plating would have served this comforting little dish better. No need for crumble or flower garnishes.
Booze-wise, El Willy stays true to their word and dutifully topped up our Champagne glasses when they ranneth dry.
So is brunch at El Willy a fiesta? Yes, we say, and certainly so for the price. Management says the current brunch menu will change every few weeks, so go soon if you're trying to sample the dishes we tried. That's also nice since it gives us a fresh excuse to return when they roll out the next brunch menu.
Price: RMB175 per person (+RMB100 for free-flow wine or Cava for two hours)
Who's going: mixed bunch of expats and locals
Good for: boozy brunch, Bund views, medium groups, Spanish food
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