Brunch Club: Fill up on Italian fare at Spasso

As the weekend comes to an end, there’s nothing better than enjoying a long, lazy morning sitting out by the waterfront with good food and good company. Sunday brunch is an institution here in Hong Kong, and it’s even better when you throw in a fantastic Italian spread, free-flow Prosecco and complimentary dining for the little ones!

Newly launched just last month, Spasso’s Sunday Brunch ticks off all the brunch must-haves: tasty food, refreshing drinks and a cosy atmosphere complete with an alfresco dining terrace. Owned by the DiVino Group, Spasso occupies a prime location next to the TST waterfront along the Avenue of Stars — perfect for enjoying a leisurely post-meal walk to digest (trust me, you’ll need it!)

For the brunch menu, diners can choose between five mains, sandwiched between an all-you-can-eat buffet spread and dessert platter. It’s a lot of food, so make sure you come hungry, with the whole family in tow! I would’ve been perfectly content from just the buffet spread itself, which includes five cooking stations featuring an assortment of salads, seafood, sushi, cold cuts, antipasti, a carving station and even a hand-tossed pizza station for the kiddies.

In a haste to appease my rumbling stomach, I neglected to properly scout the room (lesson learned for next time!) before rushing straight to the antipasti spread, piling my plate high with a mountain of grilled vegetables, cheeses, cold cuts, carpaccio, olives and smoked salmon. Oh, Italian bliss! All the ingredients were extremely fresh, and the variety itself was refreshing after encountering many an “antipasti spread” with just a few pieces of salami and bread.

As I popped the last olive into my mouth, my eye caught a giant lobster shell on the table next to me (!!!) My dining companion assumed this must be an à la carte option, which I very happily proved wrong when I spied the seafood spread in the back (yes, lobster to your heart’s content!) We took full advantage of the seafood counter, chowing down on Boston lobster, freshly shucked oysters, mussels, shrimps and a bit of sushi and sashimi on the side for good measure. 

At this point, we were definitely reaching our “comfortably satiated but not stuffed” phase… but our mains were still on the way! I’m not sure if it was due to my shrinking stomach space, but my entrée — although good — didn’t have quite the punch I was hoping for. Wrapped in Parma ham, the Italian monkfish was tasty, but unfortunately overdone. I did, however, lap up the accompanying potato and saffron foam.

My companion’s carnaroli risotto (slightly firmer than typical arborio) fared much better and paired well with a spoonful of sea urchin and white asparagus. I will definitely be back to try the other mains, which include a tuffoli pasta, pan-roasted pork chop and the chef’s signature tagliata with arugula and aged balsamic (this one sounds fantastic!)

The meal ended with a wonderful dessert platter consisting of three scoops of ice cream, a light panna cotta and fresh fruit to cleanse the palate. All in all, we had a lovely time and would definitely go back — if only for the all-you-can-eat lobster!

Price: $348-438 per person depending on the main ($98 free-flow red, white or rosé wine, $118 free-flow Prosecco), $228 for kids 5 to 12 years old, kids under 5 dine for free

Kids Menu: Plenty of kid favourites including margarita pizza and pasta bolognese

Hours: Sundays from 11:30am to 3:30pm

Spasso, G5-8, 12-17, Empire Centre, 68 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 2730 8027