Many brunches in Hong Kong offer great buffet and semi-buffet options with the option of free-flowing drinks and a whole lot of afternoon fun. If you’re wanting to steer clear of the brunch buffet scene (’cause we all need to exercise some self control every once in awhile), there are tonnes of other options throughout the city that offer a fantastic a la carte brunch menu. My most recent find (though this restaurant has been serving up a bomb brunch for awhile now) is Aberdeen Street Social brunch. Basically, if you haven’t been, you need to go. Like, right now. Go. Now.

Vibe During Aberdeen Street Social Brunch

Aberdeen Street Social manages to be both laid back and chic, without being pretentious. The downstairs is quite casual and has outdoor seating if the weather is on your side. Upstairs is slightly more formal (more so for dinner) and also has a few tables out on the terrace. The waitstaff are attentive and friendly, and the decor is appealing in a minimalist sense.

Drinks

There’s no better way to start brunch than with an Aperol Spritz, and Aberdeen Street Social sure knows how to make a good one. On the brunch menu, there are five different bloody mary’s to choose from, which was pretty exciting (you should all know by now that I’m an absolute sucker for a bloody mary). The Bloody Maria (HK$88) made with Cimmaron tequila, lime, tomato juice, and ‘Mexican Mix’, garnished with a Dorito and a spoonful of guacamole had my name written all over it. Aside from the cute cactus-inspired glass to go along with the drinks’ Mexican theme, this Bloody Maria packed a hit of spice and might even be better than their signature Bloody English.

Mains

Since avocado on toast is all the rage these days, we opted to start our brunch with Aberdeen Street Social’s Avocado on Toast with Two Poached Eggs (HK$98). While this dish is easy enough for anyone to make at home (even with my extremely limited cooking ability), Ab. Street’s avocado mash is so incredibly creamy with a hint of zesty lemon that it wouldn’t even be worth an attempt in my own micro-sized kitchen. If only the egg yolks were more runny, this dish would have been perfect. Our lovely waiter recommended the Lobster Roll (HK$218), as it had just been featured the previous weekend at Taste of Hong Kong and continues to be a big hit with diners. The presentation of this dish alone is enough to want to order it, with the large lobster claw as the center piece. While I loved the thick lobster chunks throughout, I felt like the overall taste was missing something to give it that “wow” effect. Another glowing recommendation by our waiter was the Pastrami Sandwich (HK$128) with swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. This was by far our favourite main; the pastrami was unbelievably delicious and extremely generous, and the cheese and sauerkraut added to the overall flavour, making this a must-order at brunch. We ordered the dressing on the side and were happy we did, as we loved the flavours of the three main ingredients together without the addition of a dressing (though the dressing was good in small amounts!).

Dessert

Aberdeen Street Social’s dessert menu has an extensive list of sweet treats to finish off your meal. If room in my stomach and money in my wallet weren’t a factor, I likely would have ordered every single thing off the dessert menu. We started with the ever-popular Sticky Toffee Pudding (HK$98) with ice cream. Though sometimes difficult to eat, food in mason jars wins me over every time and this sticky toffee pudding also tasted amazing. After a serious debate with my brunch partner, we decided this just might be the best sticky toffee pudding we have ever had. The Carrot Cake (HK$60), made with caramelized white chocolate cream and candied orange, was moist and tasty, however, I was expecting a traditional cream cheese icing to go along with it (completely my fault for not reading the menu more closely), so I was slightly disappointed when it wasn’t. We couldn’t leave Aberdeen Street Social without having a signature “JAAL” Chocolate Chip Cookie (HK$15). Incredibly chewy and filled with dark chocolate chips, this cookie is certainly up there in the top 5 best cookies I’ve ever had. It may look small, but don’t underestimate this cookie: it’s quite thick and is so satisfyingly rich.

Verdict

Aberdeen Street Social certainly knows how to do brunch in Hong Kong well. While other restaurants only have a few items on their brunch list, Ab. Street offers a wide selection suitable for all and their large dessert menu is the perfect way to round off an indulgent meal. With a humble interior boasting lovely outdoor seating, friendly staff, and drool-worthy food at affordable prices (for HK standards, at least), Aberdeen Street Social brunch is one of my new favourites in Hong Kong.
Aberdeen Street Social 
PMQ, G/F, 35 Aberdeen Street
Central
Hong Kong 

Tel: 2866 0300