Weekend Brunch: Mezze, Medan Damansara

It's ten in the morning on a serene Saturday, with scarcely a sign of life on this stretch of Medan Damansara - with the surprising exception of Mezze, where Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose wafts gently from the restaurant. The counter is already lined with fresh-baked pastries and cakes, while the kitchen brigade labours behind the scenes on further temptations to come.

Mezze might be best known as a bistro and bar that buzzes with exuberant energy in the evening, but it deserves to become beloved for its newly launched weekend brunches too - a hearty selection of robust, full-bodied specialities that make Saturday and Sunday mornings worth waking up early for, one of the most satisfying brunches to be savoured in KL for 2019.

For fans of Egg Benedicts, Mezze serves no fewer than three engaging interpretations of this popular favourite - the most distinctive might be the Goanese Pulled Pork Benedict (RM34), layered with slow-roasted pulled pork beneath the luscious poached eggs; the succulent meat is gently marinated with apple cider and the rich, deep spices that speak of India's coastal state of Goa, beautifully harmonised to bring an unmistakably Asian dimension to this American breakfast creation.

The other two Benedicts come with a choice of French ham, smoked streaky bacon and house-made barbecue sauce (RM34) and portobello mushroom and creamy spinach (RM24), all spread atop the crisply textured seven-grain sourdough bread of Mezze's sister restaurant in Bukit Damansara, Huckleberry. Both Huckleberry and their other sibling, DC Mall's Birch, are well-known for their Benedicts, so it's nice to see Mezze follow in the family tradition.

If you like brunch and you like burgers, the best of both worlds come together in the Brunch Burger, stuffed with smoked streaky bacon and chipotle mayo in Huckleberry's lovely brioche bun (RM32) - no kidding, this is stellar bacon that packs a crackly-juicy wallop, oozing with flavour. Thankfully, there's plenty of bacon in this burger, so much that we won't miss the patty even one bit (though if you do lust after patties, there's also a mighty wagyu burger on the brunch menu).

Mezze's brunch repertoire borrows inspiration from the cherished classics of both West and East.

The quintessential English-inspired roast can be relished with the traditional trimmings in Mezze's roast striploin, 200 tender grams of perfectly medium-rare meat in beef jus, completed with duck fat potatoes, vegetables, and of course, Yorkshire pudding, bringing a bit of Britain to Bukit Damansara, also ideal for steak enthusiasts at a reasonable price of RM56. You can also order a separate platter of roast pork tenderloin if you'd like a duet of bovine-porcine dynamics.

Returning to Southeast Asia, Vietnam's pho seizes the spotlight for a breakfast whose roots rest closer to our region - the rice noodles are immersed in broth that's much beefier than the norm, made even more pleasurably primal with sliced beef and oxtail meat, balanced and buoyed by bean sprouts and Thai basil for a soothing bowl of soulful comfort (RM29).

Desserts prove perfect for those calories-shouldn't-count weekend indulgence - Mezze's French toast is a winning version, a fantasy-come-true assembled to order with its fabulously fluffy brioche base, simultaneously custardy and buttery, showered with pecans and bananas for nutty-fruity fun (RM18). From the counter, bread and butter pudding, peach and banana crumble, and espresso-soaked tiramisu also beckon, alongside a boulangerie's pride of pain au chocolate and croissants, plus banana bread, pecan pies and much more to explore.

Since day-drinking is made for the weekend, Mezze promises an irresistible one-for-one cocktail promotion on weekend brunch sessions (purchase the first cocktail at RM35 and enjoy the second for free until 3pm); the selection spans European staples like the Aperol Spritz, Mimosa and Bellini.

All in all, for a weekend brunch that brings both quality and quantity to the table, Mezze more than meets the mark. Many thanks to the team here for having us.

Mezze
132, Jalan Kasah, Medan Damansara, Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur.
Weekend brunches available 10am-3pm, Saturday-Sunday. Tel: 03-2095-0122

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com