Saucy Brunch is Back
Saucy Oakland’s Brunch Pop-Up (Take II & III)
We are excited to announce our brunch comeback! We’ll be hosting two brunch services this January on Sunday the 12th and 26th.
Thank you to those who joined us for our very first brunch pop-up last month and gave us thoughtful feedback. We learned so much from prepping, running the service, and receiving notes about the food. Here’s a quick low-down on some key items and upgrades:
1. Pandan French Toast took the WIN!
Pandan French Toast - crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside, stuffed with cream cheese, topped with butter, and syrup… srsly, what’s not to love?! We sold out of this dish QUICK. 99% of our customers say this was their favorite. One customer wished we’d add it to our everyday dessert menu, just so he can have it whenever he wants.
What we’d do differently: Prep more!
2. Cold Brew (with ube + condensed milk)
It was strong, had fun texture from the ube, and let’s be honest - condensed milk and coffee is such a great combo!
What we’d do differently: we plan to prep this better. Both the ube and condensed milk didn’t mix well, especially when it’s ice-cold. We’ll not only make it easier to stir together, but we’ll have ice as an option.
3. Ube Pancakes
Alright, you got us - we love our ube! And so do our foodies. There is just something so satisfying about sweetening purple yam and it’s a vibrant purple color. Naturally, we were excited about this one. Our plan was to turn a traditional pancake batter into one that would be accepting of the ube and serve it with a velvety coconut glaze.
What we’d do differently: Somewhere between the prep-work and production, we forgot the glaze! We ended up serving it with just maple syrup, which still tasted good. What you probably didn’t know is that we almost gave up didn’t serve it at all. We burnt 4 batches (8 pancakes)! This batter has more sugar than your traditional pancake, making temperature control supper important. Half way through service, we found a way to make it work and we’ll be using this method moving forward.
4. Bacon + Eggs
All sweet dishes come with a side of 2 sunny-side-up eggs (unless specified otherwise) and 2 strips of bacon. We feel this completes the dish and makes it a true brunch entree. We also know that promising sunny side-ups would be challenging but brunch just isn’t special without them.
What we’d do differently: At one point, we had a handful of orders that required sides of bacon and eggs. The bacon was ready, but the eggs weren’t. The eggs need to be made to order, two per small pan, but we already had 5 of our 6 burners occupied. They’ll be served in mini-cast irons from now on.
5. Saucy Moco
The reviews were mixed for this one. We got: it lacked flavor, it was under-whelming, and it was amazing! Either way, we are completely revamping this one.
Going into this, we wanted to feature a loco moco dish on the menu. It speaks to our concept as it’s saucy and comforting. We played around with a traditional beef patty with an onion and mushroom gravy but felt it needed more testing. In the end we decided to use our tender braised beef short rib from our dinner menu. Btw, inspo from a trip to Honolulu last year.
What we’d do differently: The base was there but the dish needed elevation. Making a comforting dish like this requires an edge because the components share a similar texture. Moving forward, we’ll be serving the Saucy Moco with garlic fried rice and making the gravy using the short rib marinade. The marinade has great flavor and will go well with the meat. We’ll also be adding a small side to add texture and a palate cleanser.
