3:10 to Zuma: The Neverending, Free-Flow Brunch of the Century
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.”
Zuma’s weekend brunch still has me in a euphoric state, more than 24 hours after indulging. It was hyped up to no end by friends, acquaintances, and even the random geriatric German man with a cane who tried to fight me on Peel Street one night. And, it more than lived up to the hype.
With experiences like this, it is better to show rather than tell, so let’s have a look at what you can expect at the ‘Zuma Hong Kong Weekend Brunch’.
The Admin: Pricing, Packages, & Location
Website, Address, & Details: https://zumarestaurant.com/, Hong Kong Menu & Reservations: https://zumarestaurant.com/locations/hong-kong/
Location:
No matter where you are in the world, if you are a brunch enthusiast, the name ‘Zuma’ should ring a bell. Having first opened its doors over 20 years ago in London, and now sporting over 13 permanent locations and 7 seasonal venues (from Las Vegas to Doha), Zuma is a Japanese izakaya-inspired restaurant and behemoth in the food and beverage industry, where dishes are continuously brought to your table throughout service.
Zuma Hong Kong is considered the ‘most prestigious location’ of the bunch, located in the luxurious, centrally-located, four-component, Landmark Building, home to the Four Seasons, high-end shopping boutiques, and other award-winning fine dining restaurants.
Their Saturday and Sunday Weekend Brunch is available from 11 AM to 2:45 PM, with the last order at 2:30 (don’t quote me on that exactly). Get there early so you don’t leave anything to chance. This brunch is worth waking your hungover self up for.
Pale Ale Travel Tip: In the Hong Kong free-flow brunch game, Zuma and Aqua are the two names you need to know. Check out my post breaking down Aqua’s free-flow brunch where I literally tested the all-you-can-eat (and drink) limit. Or, for a complete list, see my breakdown of the best free-flow brunches in Hong Kong.
Before we start, I have a confession. As I’ve had a last big month with Christmas festivities, going out, and socializing, I just needed a break from drinking and did not partake in the free-flow alcohol package. Instead, I opted for the standard neverending brunch package that clocks in at HKD$758 per head and comes with free-flow ice tea (as someone who isn’t usually a huge ice tea fan, this stuff was delicious). Also, I wanted to save as much room as possible for the food.
When I am back in Hong Kong, I will surely be opting for either the HKD$998 ‘Signature’ free-flow package, which comes with 2.5 hours of free-flow champagne, wines, and other alcoholic drinks (including my favorite, the Aperol spritz).
For those who know their champagne well, or have a taste for the finer things in life, consider opting for Zuma’s ‘Deluxe’ champagne package at HK$1388 or their ‘Premium’ package at HK$2288, the latter granting 2.5-hour free-flow access to Dom Perignon.
Keep in mind that all packages are subject to a 10% service charge – which is well worth it (and then some), as Zuma staff was one of the most efficient, knowledgeable, and professional service industry teams that I’ve ever encountered. I really do think this is what elevates the Zuma brunch for me. These are trained professionals who are at the top of their craft and treat it seriously. I spent most of the night that followed commenting to my buddy just how top-notch I thought the service was.
Pale Ale Travel Tip: Not in the mood for a full-on, boozy, belly-breaking brunch to start the day and looking for something a bit lighter instead? Make sure to check out my article breaking down the best avocado toast spots in Hong Kong.
2 Feast 2 Furious: The Neverending Brunch Story
All good things come to an end. But that is what makes everything THAT much sweeter. And trust me, 2 and a half hours of never-ending food and booze is going to feel like forever (in the best way possible, not in that 10th-grade high school algebra way).
Remember, you can order as many of the below as you want (except the mains). Zuma staff are coming around your table every several minutes with new dishes, refilling your drink, and inquiring about if you’d like another round of anything (yes, I had 4 sashimi boats).
Here is everything that I gorged on at Zuma.
I’m never the biggest edamame fan. It’s because I’m lazy and I consider it too much work to pop the peas out. However, Zuma’s edamame was juicy and coated with a crunchy dust of sea salt which made me reconsider my past edamame prejudice. I knew I was in for a treat when I somehow worked my way through the entire bowl.
This round of spicy fried tofu in a lime soy sauce (pictured on the right), beef tataki with truffle ponzu (front and center), seared little salmon bites with shiso and soy (center back), and Japanese potato salad, made me briefly consider that I might not even make it to my main after my buddy and I ordered three rounds of these.
You aren’t going to believe it if you have read any of my other posts but the fried tofu in lime soy was the highlight of this round for Big Body. Crunchy, soft and creamy on the inside, and kicked up a notch with a slight hit of spice and citrus, this tofu can go toe-to-toe with most meat appetizers (in my humble opinion).
The beef tataki (“meat sashimi” as I call it), was delicate, light, and perfectly marinated in a non-overpowering truffle and citrus sauce, and reminded me why I’m a meat eater. Pair a slice with the fluffy, creamy, Japanese mashed potatoes (yes, they have mayonnaise in them and I actually ate them), and you might have a candidate for one of the best bites of the meal.
The number of seared salmon bites I ate to begin the meal was a mistake (or accomplishment) due to the 4 sashimi boats I would later order and devour. However, the slightly basil-y taste from the shiso was a nice addition to a classic.
Pale Ale Travel Tip: Looking for inspiration for things to do in Hong Kong? Here’s a post walking you through what I consider to be my perfect day in Hong Kong.
The Zuma salad with barley miso dressing was very reminiscent of the slightly nutty, sweet tang that you get from a sesame dressing (maybe it is just their way of saying ‘sesame dressing’) and is a salad that can play for Big Body any day of the week.
As a gyoza aficionado, my only comment would be that I would not consider these traditional gyoza. The dough wrapping was far thicker than what I am used to and what I would equate more to a potsticker. Nonetheless, I worked my way through three plates of these and loved the sour tang that covered the gyoza (thanks to the wafu sauce – a vinegar/soy sauce/mirin mix).
Tempura is criminally underrated. These monstrous prawns and assorted fried vegetables were like Dennis Reynolds from ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ – Golden Gods. They were light and crispy, not overly oily (tempura batter typically uses far less oil), and a nice primer before my several boats of raw fish.
I’ve eaten a lot of croquettes in my day but never a shiitake mushroom croquette. Golden and crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside with a slightly earthy taste of the mushroom (and truffle), these are what I would call the ‘Pringles’ of the brunch – because you can’t eat just one.
As a devoted izakaya patron and enthusiast, I would just note that the grilled chicken wings with sea salt and lime were standard izakaya fare – definitely not the best thing on this brunch menu but it was grilled well (not dry) and the skin had a nice natural glaze and snap.
It was hard not to love this sweet corn with shiso butter as it was a modern take on an absolute classic – it was also apropos as I recently commented to a friend that I was angry at myself for not eating enough corn.
Not much to say for these sashimi, sushi, and maki boats with fresh oysters, other than that you aren’t going to order just one – my favorites of the bunch were the whitefish (nice little crunch to the top), avocado roll (creamy and slightly buttery), and of course, tuna (not overly fatty and a hint of sweetness).
I think these pictures are all from the same boat.
Know that when you order more sashimi or sushi you do not have to order an entire boat and that you can pick and choose the ones that you like!
Crunchy, tenderstem broccoli (kale and broccoli hybrid) came towards the end (right before the mains) and provided a nice little contrast to the boatloads of silky, fatty, sashimi.
The Mains
The main dishes are the only ones that aren’t ‘free-flow’ or ‘neverending’ – just let your server know which one you’d like at the beginning of the meal and they will time things perfectly as you are wrapping up with your unlimited izakaya morsels.
What I loved about the mains is that Zuma just focused on the actual “main” part of a “main” – the meat. You already worked your way through countless appetizers, small plates, and bites, you don’t need an overwhelming feast to end the meal.
You need high-quality, reasonably-sized cuts of meat (or seafood) that are elevated by creative, Japanese-inspired, gastronomical excellence. And that’s exactly what you can expect.
This is unequivocally one of the best pieces of lamb that I’ve had the pleasure of coming across (nice to meet you lamb chop). Glazed in a Hatcho miso, a darker (somewhat reddish) miso traditionally made of soybeans (sans grains), this lamb chop was packed to the brim with a robust, umami flavor – reminding me of an elevated teriyaki chicken wing (if that makes sense).
This slightly spicy and sweet beef tenderloin was cooked to perfection (medium rare is always my go-to) and melted in the middle while retaining a discernible texture on the outside due to the char glaze from the soy’s sugary base.
The pièce de résistance, the inside of a perfectly cooked tenderloin.
The Final Send-Off: Dessert
The deluxe fruit platter is definitely a play on the traditional fruit plates that you can find at the end of most meals at Asian or local restaurants.
Throw in a gooey lava cake topped with vanilla bean ice cream, a sweet yet light strawberry cheesecake yogurt parfait, and cantaloupe (way better than honeydew), and you just learned what makes this ‘deluxe’.
Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you are boozed up and want to continue on with your day, make sure to check out one of my favorite rooftop shisha lounges in all of Hong Kong – Mono Lab.
Stop Reading This & Go Get Zuma Now
The total damage on my end came out to HK$1,959.10 for two people – this is slightly more than the number mentioned above as my buddy and I finished the meal off with some coffee (espresso and cappuccino). Additionally, some of the mains (like the spiced lamb) cost extra – so you’ll see that an additional HK$140 was added for the lamb.
If you made it all the way to the end of this post and still haven’t made your reservation at Zuma, I’m not sure what you are doing – do it now. I think after this experience I am classifying my life into two distinct time periods: B.Z.B. and A.Z, ‘Before Zuma Brunch’ and ‘After Zuma’.
If you have tossed a few glasses of champagne back over three or four sushi boats at Zuma, I would love to hear about it! Also, if you have any favorite brunches or free-flow restaurants in Hong Kong you think I should check out, please let me know in the comments!
I’ll catch you all in Saigon for the next few months.
Best and be/eat/drink well,
Big Body
Big Body is a voracious lov…eater, a cowardly fighter, and a self-proclaimed curry goat BBQ-eating champion (don’t forget the donkey milk) who likes Stoicism, baseball, and writing in the third person. Having worked for himself for the last 7 years, he isn’t particularly successful but he does still drink ice-cold Sapporo draft beers with the best of them and knows his way around a Dai Pai Dong or two. He is based in Hong Kong but you can still find him in Saigon, Osaka, and Vienna for extended periods.