Creative and classic new brunch dishes at Percy’s

From dry-aged tuna sausage to tuna melts, there’s something for everyone

Almost everyone I’ve spoken to found the fifth wave tough. Thankfully we’re coming out of it now. For me, these past few months were another opportunity to choose (though it wasn’t always easy!)—to be grateful for the good things and to be hopeful for the future.

Now that we can go out more freely, my calendar is nearly as packed as pre-pandemic days, meeting up with friends and loved ones for delicious food and drink. Maybe yours is too?

Even having lived in Hong Kong for nearly 7 years, it can still be hard to choose a place to eat. It has to be delicious, obviously, but also worth the money and, preferably, in a ‘not too hard to get to’ (or reserve!) restaurant.

Recently I went to visit Percy’s for the first time, a seafood-focused neighbourhood restaurant and bar that’s located right off the Mid-Levels Escalator. Is this place worth your time and money?

A group of us went to try the new brunch menu which is a good mix of creative and classic dishes.

One of the most unique dishes is the dry-aged tuna merguez sausage with ½ dozen Oysri oysters (from Ireland), rye bread and seaweed butter ($638). Merguez is traditionally a North African lamb sausage but Percy’s is, as described, made with dry-aged (in house!) tuna. We raved about this—satisfying but not greasy, and full of flavour. It also came with various accompaniments though we ate everything independently.

We also loved the hamachi ceviche ($198) with sugar snap peas, coriander, and a delectable gooseberry leche de tigre. An unusual and fresh flavour combination that’s perfect for these balmy days.

When we visited, the special was a fish head terrine ($268)—which included cobia, grouper, jumbo crab, heirloom tomatoes, mustard and pickles—and was excellent! It tasted really fresh and clean, and certainly not something you see everyday.

My favourite classic dish was the tuna melt ($178). When I saw it on the menu, I skipped past it as many other dishes sounded more interesting. But one bite and I was hooked! Americans and Canadians, we’ve had tuna melts before, however this one has great quality ingredients (no canned tuna here) which, of course, makes all the difference. The sandwich also uses anchovy and onion focaccia for extra flavour. It did get soggy a bit quickly, though.

Though it was a warm day, most of us ate up the braised short rib hash ($208). It looks delicious, does it not? And tasted as good as it looked. Every element from the Ratte potatoes (nutty flavour, buttery texture) to soft Japanese egg to hollandaise sauce was done well.

I couldn’t stop going back for seconds and then thirds of the seafood quiche ($268). It’s an interesting one. I loved how fluffy it was, but some might find it almost too soft and fluffy with the texture of the seafood cooked in a way that made it almost indistinguishable from the egg.

The lobster cocktail ($298), caviar and creme fraiche soft scramble ($228), and crab cake benedict ($248) were all as expected.

Verdict

Percy’s uses great ingredients and there’s real creativity in the kitchen, helmed by Executive Chef Braden Reardon (formerly of Buenos Aires Polo Club and Carbone). I’d definitely go back and reorder the hamachi and fish head terrine—unique flavours I’ve not had elsewhere in Hong Kong! The rest of the brunch menu is solid but may feel a bit pricey. It’d be a great foodie spot to impress a date or host an elevated casual group dinner.

G/F, 18-18a Shelley Street, Shelley St, Central, 2898 2699

*For Foodie