[Shanghai] Liquid Laundry

Liquid  Laundry

Add: 2/F Kwah Centre, 1028 Huai Hai Zhong Road, Shanghai 淮海中路1028号，嘉华坊2楼
Tel: +86 (21) 6445 9589
Website: theliquidlaundry.com
Hours: [lunch] Mon-Fri 11:00am-2:30pm; [brunch] Sat-Sun 11:00am-2:30pm; [dinner] Sun-Tue 5:00pm-12:00am, Wed-Sat 5:00pm-2:00am
Price: RMB150-250
Visited: August 2016
Will return: Definitely

One of the most popular brunch spots in town, Liquid Laundry offers a delicious menu of brunch classics and a long list of house-brewed beer guaranteed to satisfy your weekend needs, whether you’re recovering from a hangover or looking for one (or both). Here are a few of my favorite dishes from recent visits.

The ultimate brunch classic Eggs Benedict (78) is decked out with tender smoked BBQ beef brisket that packed a powerful spicy kick sure to wake up your palette, but I wish they were more generous with the hollandaise.
Recommend: yes

Another popular brunch item at Liquid Laundry is their Potato Rosti with Smoked Salmon and Salsa Verde, and we were very tempted to try it. But in the end, we ordered their summer brunch special that caught our eyes: Summer Sweet Corn Fritters with House-Smoked Salmon, Avocado Mash and Poached Egg (118), which turned out to be very summery and delicious. Still, I’ll go back soon just to try the potato rosti. (Lesson: bring enough people to order both!)
Recommend: definitely

The Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich (98) is layer upon layer of crunch: crispy chicken, crunchy slaw, and a sprinkling of fried ramen noodles for good measure. The chicken was tender, moist, and slightly spicy (although it was under-seasoned on one of my visits), while the homemade pickles are a welcome palette cleanser.
The KFC sandwich is available for their weekday lunch in addition to weekend brunch.
Recommend: yes

Sweet offerings are pretty scarce on the brunch menu, but the few on the menu are pretty well done. The Belgian Waffle (68) is served with seasonal toppings – fresh peach and whipped cream on our visit. The crust was definitely very crispy – almost too crispy. I would have liked a softer center. But overall the flavors were still very nice.
Recommend: yes

The next two dishes are not available for brunch, but still well worth mentioning. Their Home-Made French Fries (48) are seasoned with your choice of sea salt, truffle, or parsley, garlic and chillies (shown below). The fries were crispy outside, but very soft and light in the center. An amazing fragrance of garlic and parsley accompanied the plate to the table, as well as three sauces (garlic aioli, curry ketchup, and herby green goddess crema), but the fries were already so flavorful that the sauces weren’t necessary at all.
Recommend: definitely

Finally, the White Espresso Panna Cotta (48) was indeed, just as the menu claims, a “sweet, salty, and possibly bitter end.” The panna cotta itself was smooth, if a little firm, and the espresso flavor was strong and delicious. But my favorite part of the dessert was the slightly salty pistachio brittle that added another dimension in both texture and flavor.
Recommend: definitely

I’ve barely scratched the surface of their extensive menu, but I’m quite satisfied with the dishes I’ve tried and eager to try more. For brunch, the place is always fully booked, so make sure to reserve a table well in advance.