Is it ever too early to tuck into a bowl of ceviche? Not for us, and that’s especially true when brunching at Osaka in Brickell. The Nikkei hot spot’s recently launched weekend menu combines raw Peruvian signatures—think tiraditos, ceviches and nigiris—with Japanese Izakaya and a couple of reimagined breakfast classics. It’s the best of lunch and dinner at Osaka with something memorable for the brunch purists who need eggs and pancakes to lure them out of bed on a Sunday morning.
You’ll find the ubiquitous Avocado Toast, though it’s almost unrecognizable in its deconstructed, Benedict-inspired form: a single haas is halved, charred a la brasa, topped with two poached eggs and drizzled with aji hollandaise sauce. It’s served with slices of grilled multigrain bread, which you’ll want to use to carefully poke the yolk and sop up the runny, orangey mess. There’s something to be said about putting the toast on the side. It held up through multiple rounds of pictures (Can you blame us?) and stayed every bit as crunchy as when it first landed on the table. Like your bread on the softer side? The Coco Matcha French Toast with yuzu custard and a matcha cornflake crumble might be more your speed. It straddles the line between entree and dessert but can go both ways depending on how much miso toffee syrup you pour over the top. Us? We emptied the beaker but still managed to move past the sweetness of this midcourse.
A smattering of shareable favorites followed: a Chicharrón Bao set you assemble and dress yourself with shiso chalaquita salad, rocoto sauce, sea salt, crisp romaine lettuce and pillowy bao buns. Plus an order of the Wagyu Sliders, featuring a foie gras crust and a truffled aji amarillo emulsion. Calling these indulgent would be the understatement of the century—they’re tiny but so rich in texture and flavor. A mound of crispy Peruvian potatoes accompanied them because you can’t have a burger without a side of fries.
Like any good brunch worth its weight, Osaka’s features a bottomless drink option that includes your choice of wines (white, rosé, red and sparkling), sangrias (white, red and an on-theme sake variety) and a Spicy Bloody Mary garnished cucumber ribbons and a pickled ‘shroom. Additional cocktails are available from the regular drink menu and sold á la carte. Whether it’s your first time at Osaka or your tenth, brunch is the move if you’re looking to elevate your usual weekend routine.