Brunch Review: Fang Fang

If you're in the mood for some Asian flavours at your weekend brunch then maybe Fang Fang will fit the bill. We try out their new 'Asian Fiesta' Saturday brunch.

Fang Fang opened amid much publicity and decent reviews (including ours, here) this summer. It’s a pretty spacious restaurant and bar/lounge in LKF Tower, with a stylish contemporary Asian theme (think black, red, dragon motif). And while the decor probably has more impact by night than at brunch time, the layout is good for groups, so it could be a good spot for brunch with friends.

Chef Kent Lee, Former Executive Chef of Hakkasan, runs the kitchen and you can expect contemporary cuisine with influences from around Asia, and an emphasis on sharing.

The recently launched ‘Asian Fiesta Brunch’ consists of an appetiser buffet, shared platter mains (6 items) and some simple desserts. I went along to try it out and here’s what I thought.

The Appetizers

This colourful appetizer buffet made an appealing sight when we walked into Fang Fang. It was packed full of tasty options and the dishes were replenished quickly so no diners had to miss out – bonus points for this because no one likes a decimated brunch buffet! The selection, flavours and freshness compare very well with other brunch appetizer buffets in this price range.

The highlight was the ‘Tokyo Station’, a gorgeous Japanese platter which included tuna tataki, prawn cocktail, salmon, ikura with cucumber, tuna nigiri and salmon nigiri.

In this picture you can see the charcoal burger with softshell crab from the ‘bun station’, and some of those moreish sushi rolls. The vegetarian rolls in particular not only looked pretty but tasted fresh and delicious.

This picture is the fun presentation of the ‘From the Grill‘ selection from the appetizer buffet, which features grilled skewers of sweetcorn, portobello, shitaki, eggplant, asparagus and paneer so you can get your 5-a-day (or is it 10 now?)

There were oysters and mussels, a fresh salad selection and some tasty spring rolls that went down a treat (but I didn’t take a photo because I know you know what a spring roll looks like), and a lot more besides. This was a plentiful appetizer buffet.

The Mains

Main courses are brought to your table one by one, and we were told that we could request more of anything.  We were served Crispy Aromatic Duck with Pancakes, New Zealand Lamb Chops with Wasabi Plum Sauce, US Beef Tenderloin with Honey Pepper Sauce, Crispy Prawns with Wasabi Sauce, Satay Chicken and Iceburg Wrap Kurbuta Pork Belly. Everything was quite ‘meaty’ but staff told me that vegetarian mains are available on request.

Crispy duck pancakes are always a favourite and Fang Fang’s were no exception, though there was no sauce, which I would have liked. Both the lamb and the beef were tender, flavoursome and well cooked and seemed to be decent quality ingredients.

Overall my impression of the mains was that everything was tasty and well prepared, but nothing really stood out in terms of flavour as a ‘wow’ dish here. Having said that, there were no let downs and everything met our expectations.

The Desserts

There’s a small selection of  lighter desserts, which make a good contrast to the somewhat heavy main dishes.

Here’s the tofu and sesame ice cream, which was good to try.

The Drinks

The free flow on offer at Fang Fang includes Möet Chandon, Asahi, red and white wine, sake, alcoholic iced tea station, bloody mary station and bellini. The alcoholic ice tea selection makes a nice alternative to the usual brunch drinks selections and the staff regularly topped up our drinks for us.

Good for Families?

This is a spacious restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, which is always good for families. There was a small area set aside for kids too, at the time we visited there were no toys and no supervision. But I noticed that it’s now being advertised as a supervised kids area so maybe there will be something else on offer now. One under 10 eats for free, subsequent under 10s are $160 per head, but there is no special menu on offer. So really it depends on your child’s appetite and food preferences as to whether this would work for your family.

The Verdict

I loved the appetizer selection and would go back for that alone, and the mains were also decent. The environment is pleasant and laid back, the staff were friendly and helpful, which also helps to make a good brunch experience. I should mention that we went on the opening weekend so our experience may not be absolutely typical. In my view this is a solid new option for an Asian flavoured brunch and would be perfect with a group of friends for a lively, free-flow-fuelled catch up. The price point ($510 with free flow) is decent value for what you get and comparable to similar brunch options around Hong Kong – such as The Optimist, Lily & Bloom and Al Molo (find more in here).

Booking

When:  Saturdays, 12pm-3pm

Price:      $350 per head; $50 for non alcholic free flow including soft drinks and flavoured ice teas; $160 for premum beverage package including Möet Chandon, Asahi, red and white wine, sake, alcoholic iced tea station, bloody mary station and bellini; one child under 10 is free, $160 per head for subsequent children.

Where:  8th Floor, LKF Tower, Wyndham Street

Book:   2983 9083, or

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This review was not paid for or sponsored by Fang Fang.

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Find more fabulous free flow brunch options in this post.

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