The Dunbar Public House

I went for weekend brunch with my family at The Dunbar, a casual neighbourhood joint that serves pub food. I still don't know what to think of the whole brunch concept. So far all the brunch menus I've encountered feature the same old eggs and ham, omelettes and benedicts. Usually there are also pancakes, French toast and waffles which appeal to me more than the rest. Unfortunately they were nowhere to be seen on The Dunbar menu. So we settled for eggs and ham with a side of toast and hash browns ($9). The ham was savoury with a subtle sweetness, but the texture was a bit dry. On the contrary, the toast looked dry and hard but was actually soft and fluffy. The eggs were just eggs and the hash browns were rather bland. So all in all the dish was not quite up to par.

The Dunbar tuna burger ($12) was a gourmet version of the filet-o-fish, and I mean that in a good way. The grilled tuna patty and tartar sauce were perfect together, and the bun was so soft and airy that it deflated as I bit into it.

The cajun chicken burger ($12) paled in comparison to the tuna. Although the chicken was tender, the cajun rub was a bit excessive and made it very salty. The hard and tough ciabatta bread didn't help either. I substituted soup (+$4) for fries and the soup of the day was Portuguese soup. I loved the crunchy kale, but there was too much potato and sausage.

I think the weekend brunch menu is somewhat incomplete and is not all that different from the regular lunch menu apart from the addition of a few egg dishes. The eggs and ham, a typical brunch fare, was disappointing even compared to homemade standards. The only dish I enjoyed was the tuna burger, and that's hardly a brunch item. I wouldn't recommend the weekend brunch, but The Dunbar might be a good place to grab a burger if you're in the neighbourhood.