Pierchic
Close your eyes and imagine yourself on a pristine island with blue seas and clear skies above you. Now what if you can get that same utopian holiday feel without taking a flight or booking a hotel room?
All you need to do is nip down to Hotel Al Qasr and book yourself a brunch at their intimate and swanky seafood restaurant, Pierchic. It’s the mother of all fancy brunches in this region.
We are surrounded by the sea and for those few hours at the brunch we are transported to a world that’s far from the madding crowd.
Even the entry is grand and fairytale-like. A white bicycle carriage awaits us and carts us down to the restaurant overlooking the Burj Al Arab and the ocean.
Just to underline how decadent things get around here, a tray of the freshest oysters materialise in front of us. Wash it down with a sparkling mocktail and you are you halfway to heaven.
Next up is a divine seafood platter filled with Canadian lobster, sottish rope grown mussels and crabs. The Canadian lobster reminds us about all that’s good and tasty in the marine world. The roast beetroot salad with hazelnut is another example of marrying fresh ingredients with some healthy crunch. But it was the bouillabaisse with rouille and croutons that won us over. The provencal fish stew was comfort in a bowl. Another must-try is their pan-fried tiger prawns, which are juicy and flavourful. Just like our dramatic entry on a carriage, our end dish — the dessert that came in a chocolate ball — carried a punch.
This brunch is an ode to seafood delicacies.
The details
Where: Pierchic, Al Qasr Hotel
When: 12-4pm
Cost: Dh450 (soft beverages); Dh595 (selected beverages) and Dh750 (bubbles)
Call 04-3666705
— Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Senior Reporter
Reform Social & Grill
The Reform Social & Grill is a quaint little restaurant situated in the idyllic Lakes community. I could have almost forgotten I was in Dubai if I hadn’t been there for that thing we’re really famous for — brunch, specifically the Great British Brunch Menu. It was very British-looking bar that was filled with families chatting away. It has a casual, sunny atmosphere (think shorts, summer dresses and slippers), which is a Friday afternoon respite from the work week. For starters, they served us a platter of small bites such as broccoli and Stilton tart, honey mustard sausages and scotch eggs. My favourite was the very simple, but flavourful tart, with a rich egg-y filling. For mains I tried the full English. It’s a massive platter with all the fixings — black pudding, sausage, eggs, grilled mushrooms and more. As a breakfast person, this was a dream come true. There are a number of other mains to try from and I wish I had strayed from the usual. Dessert was a delicate and very pretty Pimms trifle and mini ice-cream cones to end that meat-heavy meal. Overall it was an easy-going family brunch with good food.
The details
Where: Reform Social and Grill, The Lakes
When: 12-4pm
Cost: Dh260 (soft beverages), Dh360 (selected beverages), Dh405 (bubbles)
Call 04-4542638
— Jennifer Barretto, Copy Editor
Ten Street
There’s a new Canadian bar in town and they’re already sweet on the great Dubai tradition: the Friday brunch. Ten Street, situated snugly in Jumeirah Beach Residence, is one of those laid-back, stripped-down bars that we sorely need more of in the city. By decor, you wouldn’t call this place strictly Canadian: pool tables, graffiti on walls, and bare, industrialist furniture give the space a gentrified look that could be just about anywhere. Throw in some ’90s music and you feel like you’re on the sets of an American high-school movie, which is not essentially a bad thing. The food at Boogie Brunch doesn’t disappoint either. The unlimited starters featuring cod goujons, poutine, crispy chicken tenders, crispy calamari, buffalo wings among others were all great hits with us. Apart from the starters, diners can choose one main from the a la carte menu: my companion and I ordered the baby roast chicken and sirloin steak, and we were both satisfied with our fare. For dessert, choose between apple pie, sticky toffee pudding and namaimo bars: all three were delicious and we had to stop ourselves from asking for seconds. The staff’s friendly and attentive and they even give you helpful pointers on your pool game if you’re a noob like me. So if you’re looking for comfort food, a relaxed, no-frills space and some karaoke after (yup, a private room and karaoke stations all over the bar), hit up Ten Street.
The details
Where: Ten Street, JA Oasis Beach Tower, The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Road
When: 12.30-4pm
Price: Dh195 onwards
Call 04-3998993
— Shyama Krishna Kumar, Copy Editor
Street Art Brunch Vol II
The Oberoi, Dubai has brought its famed Street Art Brunch on Friday back, with a little twist.
The relaunch of the brunch at Nine7One, themed around street food from around the world, prominently features the Slow (sustainable, local, organic and wholesome) food concept. That means all locally-sourced, organic ingredients that we can all enjoy with a little less guilt.
Of course, the molecular sweets and camel milk ice cream stations are back, too.
The details
What: Street Art Brunch Vol II
Where: Nine7One, The Oberoi, Dubai
Price: Dh299 (soft beverages), Dh375 (house beverages), Dh625 (bubbles)
Call 04-4441407 or email: restaurants.dubai@oberoihotels.com
— David Tusing, Deputy tabloid! Editor
Brunch a la Marina
If you are in the mood to play it casual and chic on a Friday morning, then the brunch at Bistro De Arts, hits all the right keys.
The Parisian cafe, that oozes an old-world charm with chequered tablecloth and quirky art deco interiors, serves some smashing Eggs Benedict and a super Eggs Florentine.
The eggs are perfectly cooked (slightly runny) and the freshly baked muffin is toasted to perfection.
Their newly-launched brunch, that opens at 8am and concludes at 2pm, is a must-stop for all breakfast lovers.
There’s cheese, quiches, freshly-baked bread, granola,fruits, waffles and crepes to be enjoyed too.
The brunch is designed in such a way that there’s a buffet table filled with the essential breakfast goodies, but you get to order a serving of hot egg dish, a crepe with the choice of your filling such as salted butter caramel, Nutella or sugar and coffee separately.
It’s a laid-back brunch and while the food is precious, the service is sloppy. It wasn’t easy to catch a waiter’s attention. But when your eggs are flawlessly cooked, it’s easy to ignore the tiny dents, in an otherwise enjoyable experience. Also be sure to try the freshly baked cakes. They aren’t overly sweet and are soft cushions of comfort.
The brunch costs Dh99 and Dh199 (including house beverages), Children below six years eat for free while Dh49 is charged for children between 6 and 12 years. Call 04 5511576
— Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Senior Reporter
