Here's what breakfast looks like at Austin Hu's Diner
Over the past few weeks, your WeChat feed has probably been filled with some seriously sexy food porn: Pancakes dripping with butter and syrup; greasy burgers piled high with all kinds of toppings; Spam-laden Bloody Marys and foie gras french toast. And you have Austin Hu to thank for that – though there aren't even set opening hours yet, his new joint Diner is currently the talk of foodie town.
An ideal spot for your hangover breakfast (at any time of the day), this is a place for indulging after over-indulging. And it looks like this...
Bloody Mary with homemade Spam
Start with a Bloody Mary topped with warm homemade Spam and pickled hot peppers (68RMB) or a tasty little negroni that's a bargain at only 28RMB.
'Fun' french toast
The pancakes, french toasts and burgers on offer at Diner come in three styles – Classic, Fun and Gold Standard – and choosing between the first two specifically is no easy feat. The Gold Standard french toast comes topped with foie gras, which is oh so tempting, but the Fun (68RMB) is like a take on your childhood PB&J sandwich and who can resist that? Pillowy slices of thick-cut toast soaked in sweet egg batter are doused in peanut butter and blueberry syrups, then they get a generous dusting of powdered sugar and a big handful of Cheerios and a sprinkle of walnuts. It lives up to its name – so fun.
The American
If you're more of a savoury breakfast eater, go for The American (68RMB). It's a classic, hearty plate of eggs any style, strips of bacon, a sausage patty, crispy hash browns and toast.
Gold Standard pancakes
The star of the menu might just be the Gold Standard pancakes, but it's not to be ordered lightly. It is decadent AF. This plate is the sweetest of commitments; one that perhaps brings both the strongest of satisfactions and the most serious guilt. But it's worth it: a stack of three fluffy pancakes smothered in hazelnut butter with chunks of Ferrerro Rocher chocolates, toasted hazelnuts and fried bananas. And it don't stop, the whole stack gets topped with bacon and maple syrup. And if you didn't know that bacon, banana and maple are perfect companions for each other, well, this plate will show you the light.
'Fun' burger
Okay, so technically this isn't your usual breakfast main, but the Fun burger (98RMB) is topped with bacon and scrambled eggs, so it still counts. It's a big, wonderfully gooey mess slathered in spicy chipotle aioli. There's no way to keep those fingers clean with this one, so just embrace the seasoned patty's delicious drippings and don't let go until it's gone.
Now, you don't have to have breakfast – there's more on offer here – but that's what an American diner is all about folks, so just trust us and do it.
Hours are yet to be set, but afternoons and weekends seem to be a sure bet at this point.
Diner 145 Wuyuan Lu, near Wulumuqi Zhong Lu.