There are so many things to like about the Easter weekend.
Mainly chocolate, I’ll admit to that.
But also, 4-day weekend!
Which means twice as many days for brunch!
But there’s only that many Eggs Benny even a brunch lover like me can eat in a row…
Luckily, I know just the place to mix things up a little!
Chinese Laundry is a casual dinning room inspired by 80s Chinese family life and food.
Which you can clearly see as soon as you pass the door.
So very kitsh yet totally Pinterest-worthy.
The menu focuses on the fewer known delicacies from Northern Mainland China, with a couple of clever Anglo-Chinese fusion dishes thrown in as well.
We started off with some Jasmine tea (when in China…)
And a tall glass of salty lemonade.
Yes, salty. Apparently, salty drinks are a big thing around Asia.
And quite a nice one, I must admit!
The menu is short and sweet and pretty much impossible to choose from.
So we just went with ‘one of each’. Almost.
Starting with the Laundry Full.
Looks like a British brekkie, but sure doesn’t taste like one!
With braised beef loumei, tea egg, king oyster mushroom, peanut loumei, pickles, crispy bacon and milky little buns, it’s so much lighter than the traditional breakfast and the perfect trompe l’oeil!
Dumplings had to be ordered (they are one the traditional dish for brunch in China after all), so Dumplings Stir Fry it was!
With heaps of garlic, crispy bacon, peanuts, fresh herbs and a creamy sweet pepper sauce, Chinese Laundry’s dumplings certainly didn’t disappoint.
But the star of the brunch was the Egg Cong You Bing (Crispy scallion pancake).
Flaky pancakes, oozy egg and a bit more of that lovely homemade sweet pepper sauce, that’s all my brunch dreams on a plate.
Oh, and they give you the cutest milk-flavoured bunny-stamped sweets as well.
Just one more reason to make sure you hop by Chinese Laundry this weekend!
Chinese Laundry, 107 Upper St, Islington, N1 1QN
Cake and Whisky 
This place is really intriguing and can’t wait to check it out. Parts of Asia where it is hot, salty drinks are important for retention of water. I remember growing up in Malaysia, mum would always give us a snack of cucumber and a plate of salt to dip!
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Yes! My boyfriend said the same about salty drinks (he grew up in India). I must admit it’s all very new to me, but getting used to it slowly!
Sandra x
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The spring onion pancake looks delicious! Love how they’ve combined traditional Chinese dim sum flavours with Western brunch, and man those White Rabbit sweets make me nostalgic for my childhood! Got to try this out soon 🙂 x
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The pancake was my favourite actually (well, that and the bean-looking peanut on the full breakfast!!). Lovely place (as long as you add some hot sauce on the side!)
Would love to hear your thoughts if you go!
Sandra x
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