Brunch is one of the few things we are willing to wake up for on weekends, so we were excited to check out DiVino Wine Bar & Restaurant’s new Weekend Recovery Brunch, which promises a superfood spin on our weekend favourites.
DiVino Wine Bar & Restaurant is a veteran in the Hong Kong F&B scene, having been around since 2003. While it's better known for its unparalleled wine list, DiVino’s latest brunch offering is aimed at embracing the growing demand for healthy food by integrating all-natural, organic superfoods with its Italian foundations.
We rocked up to Central on a sweltering Saturday afternoon (complete with a Very Hot Weather Warning issued by Hong Kong Observatory), where DiVino’s cosy interiors, friendly service and soothing Italian background music provided a welcome respite from the heat.
The Weekend Recovery Brunch offers a modest à la carte selection of savoury and sweet options alongside detox waters and smoothies, which sound like they will give any credible health food joint a run for its money.
Parched from the heat, we immediately opted to try the ice-cold detox waters ($58; refillable), which purport to improve digestive and overall health. These are available in lemon and ginger (lemony water with a hint of spice from the ginger and chilli), sweet herbal apple (water subtly sweetened with apple, orange, rosemary and a dash of Himalayan salt) and pomegranate infusion tea (black tea with refreshing notes of mint and pomegranate).
The pomegranate infusion tea – sufficiently sweet and flavourful without feeling excessive – was our favourite. It also seemed to offer better value compared to the other two options, which, although refreshing, were essentially flavoured water.
Food-wise, the menu offers healthy meats like hormone-free chicken and sustainable wild sockeye salmon, DHA eggs (that’s docosahexaenoic acid – an omega-3 fatty acid good for brain and heart health) and vegetarian options with Italian flourishes like black truffle petals.
We decided to try the healing bowl ($138), which features an ingredient list that would make a nutritionist blush: poached DHA pasteurised egg, organic quinoa, Scottish salmon, avocado, capers and baby spinach with pesto sauce.
This felt like a much healthier version of our brunch go-to eggs Benedict, where the usual buttered English muffin had been replaced by quinoa. We’re glad to say it still tasted delicious (or 'well-thy-licious', as the menu proclaims). The liquid egg yolk paired well with the generous helping of salmon, and the muted flavour of the quinoa was balanced by the richness of the avocado and pesto and occasional salty tang from the capers.
We finished our meal with the gluten-free buttermilk pancakes ($108) because, well, what is a weekend brunch without pancakes?
While the pancakes were a tad dense and slightly grainier that what we normally prefer, this was made up for by the generous helping of gently caramelised banana slices. The sprinkling of Piedmont hazelnuts offered a delightful counterbalance to the softer textures of the banana and pancakes. This dish also provided fairly good value for its price given the sizeable portion, which was definitely good for sharing (or not – #treatyoself).
If pancakes aren't your thing, DiVino also serves gluten-free chocolate cake as well as (fat-free) Greek yoghurt with granola and superfoods like chia seeds and bee pollen.
Verdict
While it’s not the buzziest of brunch spots, DiVino Wine Bar & Restaurant’s Weekend Recovery Brunch offers a solid take on healthy eating that still feels indulgent (like a cheat day without the cheating – yay!). Coupled with the friendly service and comfortable interiors, it's certainly a place worth considering the next time you’re looking for a quiet, comfy and guilt-free brunch to balance out the week’s excesses.
73 Wyndham Street, Central, 2167 8883
