Brunch Archives - Pale Ale Travel

9 Free-Flow Brunches in Hong Kong to Live that Good Life Like Kanye & T-Pain

April 1, 2024May 21, 2024Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, nothing may ever compare to a Hong Kong pastime for balding middle office Deutsche Bank muppets bursting out of their newly tailored pants, social media marketing evangelists dreaming of that next highly derivative viral Instagram reel, and [insert other self-absorbed, inconceivably, unskilled expat workers here] quite like the free-flow brunch. While I once tried to infiltrate corporate culture and was quickly spat out and sent on a dejected Charlie Brown walk out of IFC, I still pine for free-flow Aperols and sushi boats like the best (or worst) of them.

As Dr. Evil, in the G.O.A.T.’ed Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, remarked to the ultra groovy, womanizing, anachronistic, and strikingly hairy international spy himself, “We’re not so different, you and I.” So, I’ll say it. We’re not so different, you and I.

And, unlike the for-profit “foodie” magazines that churn out regurgitated gastronomic platitudes at the behest of whichever “up and coming,” Christ-like F&B gospeller has filled out their contact form and paid the troll toll, I’ve gone through and tested each of these free-flow brunches in Hong Kong for myself – multiple times over. So much so that I wrote this wondering if a gastrointestinal transplant from a cow to a human was and/or is possible.

I Tested the All You Can Eat & Drink Limit at Aqua’s Free-Flow Weekend Brunch

February 4, 2024April 23, 2024Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

“If the limit never approaches anything, the limit does not exist.” – Mean Girls

There isn’t any institution or activity in Hong Kong that strikes both fear and joy into the hearts of chubby, balding, expat bankers and social media marketing evangelists (who create day-in-the-life TikTok reels) quite like the free-flow brunch. And very much like Mark Mcguire and Sammy Sosa of the infamous home run battle in the summer of ‘98, there are only two real names: Aqua and Zuma.

Considering I’ve already written about Zuma’s free-flow brunch and sung its praises, it was only time that I ponied up and made my way across the Harbor to its Darkside (Kowloon) counterpart – Aqua – to test the free-flow food and booze brunch limit and capture the love (and attention) of the dreamy Aaron Samuels from calculus.

So, I gathered a gaggle of Frenchmen (Mes frères – aka ‘The Revolution’), threw on the one nice outfit that I own (no, not my ‘Official Bikini Inspector’ t-shirt), made sure I was in bed by 9:30 PM the previous night, and Steamboat Willie strutted (only using this reference because the copyright is in the public domain now) my way over to Tsim Sha Tsui for I day I wouldn’t forget, or remember, or forget, or remember…

Fran’s Brunch & Greens: a Bangkok Brunch on Steroids

March 19, 2023March 19, 2023Asia, Food, Thailand BigBody Leave a Comment

I think I may have found my absolute favorite brunch spot in all of Asia – Fran’s Brunch and Greens. Located a stone’s throw away from Lumphini Park (a spot that has become a daily staple for my walks) in the Northeast corner of Sathon, Fran’s is a brunch powerhouse serving up elevated takes on breakfast classics, creative and fresh Acai and fruit bowls, and open-faced sandwiches that will make your momma blush.

In my ten-plus years in Asia, I am declaring Bangkok as the “top dog” gastronomically for affordable, high-quality, Western and local cuisine. In this past month that I’ve given myself in Bangkok, the city has kicked through the doors of my “Cuisine Constitution” and torn down the walls of what I thought I knew about food in Asia.

Fran’s is the icing on the cake, the dot at the bottom of an exclamation point, the final stab by the orchestra to cap off the night (or start the day). Here’s why…

3:10 to Zuma: The Neverending, Free-Flow Brunch of the Century

January 12, 2023April 2, 2024Asia, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

If you are looking for the holy grail of all brunches in Hong Kong, look no further than ‘Zuma’s Weekend Brunch’.

This is the brunch mecca to go on pilgrimage to, where you cast the ring into Mount Doom to prevent Sauron from destroying brunches across Middle Earth, your final resting place as you kick up your feet and hum R.E.M.’s ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It’ while digging into free-flow champagnes and wines, neverending gyoza and sashimi bowls, and other Japanese izakaya-inspired fare.

… “And I feel fine.”

The 5 Best Brunch Spots in Saigon

November 28, 2019December 28, 2023Asia, Food, Vietnam BigBody Leave a Comment

Ahh brunch. A term that elicits memories of rounding up your house fully of mid-twenty somethings after a big Saturday night out, boozy brunches, and the best damn avocado toast you’ve ever had. I can’t think of many better cities than Saigon for not only great tasting and high quality brunches, but an affordable ones as well. Buckle in.

In this article, I’m walking you several of the best brunch spots in Saigon. But first, for the Vietnamese readers, what’s the meaning of brunch? Brunch là gì?