The view of Dubai from the Kris restaurant on the 19th floor is a mixed bag filled with contrasts. Right below us, there is the older neighbourhood of Dubai with its smattering of small-storied buildings; look ahead, and there’s the unmistakable glint of shiny towers and skyscrapers.
The food served is just like the view seen from our table. There is a bit of everything under the sun (old and new, healthy and decadent) at the Munch Brunch.
If you dig Indian food, there are enough kebabs and curries to keep a small community alive for days. But if you prefer Japanese, there’s a lush sushi counter to feast on. A big steel cauldron holds piping hot dim sum in a basket and a large plate of oysters on a bed of ice in another corner were also waited to be demolished. But with great variety comes great confusion too.
Where do we begin?
My partner and I decided to start with the breakfast counter. There were sausages, bacon and eggs Benedict to kick-start our brunch. Naturally, we took the adage about ‘breakfast must be a hearty meal’ a bit too seriously. With gusto, we dug into the eggs that were poached to perfection with yolks slightly runny and smothered in rich sauce. It was good.
Pacing your meal
But the key to enjoy a brunch that feeds off on variety is to master the art of pacing things. You may never be able to try them all because Munch Brunch is like a global food village. There’s so much variety that you may feel a bit disoriented and the tastes may begin to overlap. Say it with me: ‘It’s OK if I can’t try them all’ and you may enjoy this brunch experience a lot more.
Coming back to food: do try the chicken tikkas which were succulent, but skip the paneer (cottage cheese) version, which were tough and chewy. The corner that we visited most was the dim sum counter. The shrimp and vegetable mince dumplings were tiny parcels of goodness. If you are anything like me, you cannot stop at just one.
For the main course, I stayed away from the Indian delicacies such as biryani and breads and went straight for the jasmine rice and Thai green curry. It was flavourful and not fiercely spicy. But what rocked my boat was the slow-cooked beef in rendang sauce. This Indonesian delicacy with its rich coconut sauce laced with that distinct lemongrass flavour, when scooped with rice, is a taste that will stay with you long after you leave the restaurant.
The same cannot be said for every dish laid out there — chicken wings and spring rolls were forgettable — but since the focus is on presenting food from around the world, you will find at least a couple of dishes that you love. This brunch is perfect when you are entertaining large groups who have different food preferences.
