Hatching a new kind of brunch

Henry Germain

Diners enjoy brunch outside Hatched in Town & Country Village on Saturday morning. The restaurant, which opened in January, is Palo Alto’s second Hatched location and focuses on egg-centric breakfast and lunch options in an area that previously lacked breakfast spots. Manager Craighton Poon said the restaurant has been well-received by the community. “People are receiving us [Hatched] really, really good and it’s pretty busy every day,” Poon said.

In an already option-packed Town & Country Village where restaurants such as Douce France, Wildseed, and Boichik Bagels serve brunch, Hatched — which opened in January — now brings a protein-packed, egg-centric menu that’s an outstanding match for students.

 Approaching Hatched on a Saturday morning, the pleasant aroma of freshly-cooked eggs greets customers.

Although there was a considerable number of customers in line, time passed quickly due to the energetic ambiance and the morning chatter, which made for a lively atmosphere. The staff efficiently took orders, which further allowed for a relatively short wait time of around 10 minutes.

Hatched’s Palo Alto opening marks the business’s second location, following the first store’s opening in Sunnyvale in late 2024. 

Hatched focuses on serving breakfast and lunch to customers, opening at 7 a.m. and closing just before the dinnertime rush at 4 p.m. Its menu, consisting of eggy toasts and sandwiches, as well as distinctive drinks such as matcha, green teas, and various coffees, aims to start customers’ mornings off strong.

When asked about the appeal of this location, manager Craighton Poon said his team recognized that Town and Country was lacking breakfast spots, making Hatched a good addition to the area. 

“We see there’s not that many breakfast spots around here, so we decided to bring it and see how it goes,” Poon said. “People are receiving us [Hatched] really, really good and it’s pretty busy every day.”

Poon said he might introduce a Palo Alto High School-focused special, following the trend with many other restaurants in Town and Country. 

“We’re working on it,” Poon said. “We’re not sure when it will happen, but it’s an idea.”

Here’s what we thought of the food on our visit: 

BEC Egg Sandwich ($13.50) — At first glance, you see the glistening, juicy bacon hanging off the edges of the bread. Serving as the foundation for this sandwich, a glistening toasted potato bun wraps around a runny fried egg that adds flavor, oozing out yolk with each bite. The melted cheddar cheese adds a buttery component that goes well with the flavor-packed caramelized onions and garlic aioli, rounding off this savory breakfast option. The only downside is the flavor-lacking arugula, which looks appealing, but doesn’t bring the peppery, earthy flavor that we were hoping for. 

ATA Avocado Toast ($11) — The crunchy French bread topped with arugula, radish, and cherry tomatoes gives the ATA Avocado Toast a fresh and homemade feel. With every bite comes a crispy layer of toast, along with the avocado spread across the bread. Colorful chili flakes are sprinkled on top to add visual appeal. However, the less dominant ingredients, such as the arugula and radish, are overwhelmed by the thick toast and abundant amount of avocado, whereas the cherry tomatoes hold their own. This toast does offer a nutritious snack and includes distinctive ingredients, but the dish ultimately boils down to a conventional avocado toast.

Coconut Ube Matcha Latte ($7.50) — Coconut, ube, and matcha all have a reputation for being stand-alone flavors, but Hatched has pioneered the idea of blending all three of them. The matcha base of this latte is accompanied by a vibrant purple ube syrup at the bottom and a top layer of fluffy coconut cream, which takes a considerable amount of stirring to mix in. A fully diffused latte turns to a brownish-green and provides a velvety texture as well as a rich taste, although none of the three flavors completely takes control. This latte still has a well-balanced palate and features each of the ingredients effectively.