Brunch Review is a column dedicated to our exploratory adventures of Shanghai's weekend brunches.
It's finally happened. The Nest, Shanghai's most ~buzzed about~ gastro lounge bar has expanded its repertoire to brunch, following the success of the Nordic-inspired dinner menu.
In the kitchen is Frenchman Freddie Raoult, who spent time in Finland learning about Nordic cuisine and how to pair it with vodka-led cocktails. The Nest, after all, is the brainchild of premium vodka label Grey Goose.
As you might expect, brunch here doesn't skimp on the good stuff (booze). Nest mixologist Carson has crafted seven brunch-worthy cocktails, including a well-balanced Espresso XO Patron Martini (RMB68) – a great way to get your daily dose of vodka and tequila in one sitting! Thanks, Grey Goose!
Onto the food. RMB198 gets you three courses of your choosing, plus a fizzy little welcome drink. Each additional dish is RMB68, but we found the portions to be decent for medium-sized appetites.
Just about every brunch has eggs benedict on it these days, and The Nest keeps it simple with just two varieties. Pancetta and asparagus:
...and 'Nordic' eggs benny with smoked salmon. We'd say they're both as good as each other, and we particularly enjoyed Chef Freddy's choice of using toasted brioche instead of the obligatory English muffin. He fancy.
The humble hollandaise sauce also gets an upgrade to become a light and delicate mousse, steering well clear of becoming cloying.
From the so-called 'Healthy' section of the menu are these vegan sliders, which see crisp tempura eggplant team up with fennel coleslaw and a really tasty sweet 'n' smoky tomato relish.
Less Nordic and more Northern Europe are the vegetarian Lithuanian 'kugelis' pancakes, AKA potato rosti if you're not in Lithuania.
Great crispy texture and a generous dollop of sourcream, but we'd like a bigger portion next time and something piquant to spice it up a bit. Maybe some of that tomato relish...
Kale salad, for the basic betch in your group who also likes lots of bacon and Parmesan. For more meatier appetites, the RMB198 also includes venison ribs with sweet potato fries or wagyu steak with béarnaise sauce. Damn wish we ordered those two now.
The Nest is famous for their RMB98 half dozen oyster deal, but serves them à la 'Rockbund-Fella' at the brunch. These guys are topped with fresh herbs and breadcrumbs before being lightly baked.
The unanimous favorite, however, was the classic grilled cheese sarnie (British for 'sandwich'). Filled with English cheddar, blue cheese, Parmesan and mozarella, our dining companion devoured this in 30 seconds and immediately tried to order another one. But alas, last orders had been called.
Yes it's a little small, but size doesn't matter. At least not when it comes to this grilled cheese...
For sweet stuff, Chef Freddie puts more of that brioche to good use in his French toast dish, which comes with mixed berry and pecan "blast" and a tasty Bacardi rum sauce.
They've also got Finnish-style pancakes (that were completely sold out) and a chocolate brownie. Pretty good but feels a little unfinished compared to everything else.
Last but not least, the Grey Goose Bloody Mary, which comes with a veritable salad of celery, basil, ricotta-stuffed tomato and olive (RMB68). Simple, but refreshing. These guys know what they're doing when it comes to cocktails.
So is The Nest worthy of a daytime visit? We think so – the menu has a decent range of stuff for carnivores, vegetarians and cocktail drinkers, plus the comfy couches and armchairs lend themselves to mid-brunch naps for the truly hungover.
Book early to avoid disappointment, and bear in mind the menu is apparently set to change every few weeks. Happy brunching!
Price: RMB198 per person (cocktails RMB68-88)
Who's going: wealthy locals and hungover expats
Good for: groups, eggs benedict, boozy brunch, Nordic food
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