Attempts to brunch outside the hotels reveal both gourmet finds and kitchen disasters...

Recently, my friends and I made a pilgrimage to a local luxury hotel brunch extravaganza. We ate oysters and roasted beef and quaffed fine Champagne with glee. Sometimes, though, I want a more gentile, less alcoholic meeting of the minds. But as I discovered, finding a good non-hotel brunch in Beijing can be a hit-or-miss affair.

Mosto has a reputation for serving up some of the city’s most delectable bites, and the weekend brunch menu is no exception. Chef Daniel Urdaneta’s black truffle risotto with saffron sauce and parmesan crisp (¥95) is one of my favorites. The rice has a light, creamy texture, none of the gluey mess common in lesser variants. I love the salmon ceviche with avocado tartare with corn chips (¥60). The citric tang of the salmon combined with the buttery avocado makes for a refreshing reprieve from heavier traditional brunch offerings. I adore Mosto meals and expect delicious things from Modo.

A recent visit to Vineyard Café proved that business in Wudaoying Hutong is alive and well, despite some mixed reviews on service. The gut-busting English breakfast (¥68) keeps fans returning weekend after weekend for a smorgasbord of hearty sausages, grilled rashers of bacon, baked beans, fried potatoes, roasted tomato and a fried egg atop toast. It’s a cholesterol bomb, perfectly complemented with the gratis cup of freshly brewed coffee. The eggs Benedict (¥24-35) and pizzas (¥58-74/medium) are also popular.

When I first arrived in Beijing, Alfa, with a Canadian embassy chef, was the place to be for brunch. Times have changed. The fresh orange juice (¥20) was indeed fresh, and the bottomless cup of coffee (¥20) would have been a decent deal, if it had ever arrived. Our sides of scrambled eggs (¥18) and grilled potatoes (¥12) arrived after 15 and 30 minutes, respectively, before the French toast (¥32) and eggs Benedict with dill salmon (¥38) they were meant to accompany. Actually, we asked the apathetic server to cancel the eggs Benedict, which naturally led to the order arriving promptly at our table. After slicing into one egg and discovering it was poached to a hard-boiled consistency, we returned the dish, only to watch it being re-served to a neighboring table minutes later.

My friend Maggie summarized the meal perfectly by suggesting, “I think they must hate us.”

Brunch is an opportune chance to re-connect with friends over a leisurely meal. Just make sure to choose your venues wisely and eat, drink and laugh with gusto.