[Shanghai] Henkes (Brunch)

Henkes | Dianping
Address: 南京西路1601号芮欧百货1楼E铺(近常德路) – 1E/Reel Mall, 1601 Nanjing West Rd near Changde Rd (静安区 Jing’an District)
Date visited: 2014.03 for brunch
Total bill: RMB¥291 for two people
Will return: Yes
What to get:
– Poached eggs
– Pancakes

Brunch hours at Henkes on weekends are from 11am to 5pm. This is practical because on days when I miraculously get up at 9am (in my dreams), I can eat early and get on with my day. And on days when I decide my first meal of the day will be at 3pm, I know someone is still serving brunch.

Brunch at Henkes was suggested by my fellow Shanghainese friend, whose taste in fashion I so adore. She always meets me wearing a bag or a pair of shoes I never knew I wanted but now must acquire after seeing how good it looks on her (it was a Celine bag this time).

Shanghai girls is an interesting topic. Shanghai girls have a global reputation, some positive but mostly negative, about the way we are. We are famous for being high maintenance and we know it. We are a breed of our own and on the spectrum of bad to worst, I would rate myself… sane. If my dining habits give even the slightest insight into my personality, it is pretty clear I am very picky (and becoming particular as well these days). If something goes wrong, all eyes at the table immediately shift to me, knowing I will do something about it and thankful to not be on the receiving end of what happens next. I attribute the general pickiness more to being a Shanghai girl than a food lover. Not everyone will like us but the few that can handle us (like the poor souls who have to sit through dinners with me) will be rewarded.

In terms of food, my friend and I also have petty similar taste so we shared something salty and something sweet.

Darjeeling, Earl Grey (RMB¥45) for myself and Shirley Temple (RMB¥40) for my friend (that’s right, back to those bar/bat mitzvah days).

Pancakes, bacon, banana, maple syrup (RMB¥78)
Recommend: yes
Bacon atop pancakes for a sweet and salty contrast. I never thought to eat bacon at the same time as pancakes but because of how the bacon and pancakes were laid out on the plate, I ate them together and it was genius.  The pancake batter was dense yet moist–so far the best pancake batter I have had in Shanghai. Bacon always makes everything better.

Poached eggs, English muffin, hollandaise
  with spinach (RMB¥78)
  with bacon (RMB¥85)
  with smoked salmon (RMB¥85)
  with the lot – bacon, smoked salmon, spinach (RMB¥128)
Recommend: the lot!
When I asked my friend to pick a place, I told her I wanted some form of eggs benedict because that is my definition of brunch. The eggs benedict at Henkes are simply called poached eggs with English muffin and hollandaise with a choice of spinach, bacon, and smoked salmon. I was debating between the bacon and the smoked salmon and my friend said she had the same dilemma last time and chose all three. I did exactly that and it was the best answer ever. Perfectly poached eggs piled with a mountain of bacon, smoked salmon, and spinach, topped off with sour hollandaise sauce. This is now one of my favorite eggs benedicts in Shanghai (other good eggs benedicts also at Cuivre, Madison, and Maya).

 Again.

And again. Because it deserves it.

Comments

comments