Let's do brunch

Spectrum on One, Fairmont Hotel, Dubai

It’s always a treat to witness the reactions of a first-time bruncher. In Dubai on a week’s holiday, my parents were sitting in the uber-modern surrounds of Spectrum on One, quivering with indecision. “I... don’t know... where to start,” my father faltered, the picture of a man overwhelmed. I smiled knowingly. These novices.

Set on the first floor of the Shaikh Zayed Road Fairmont’s elegant interior, Spectrum on One’s brunch was among the city’s first when it launched 11 years ago, and it remains one of the best. Laid out like a culinary tour of the world, it spans the full gamut of gluttony, with stations dedicated to regional cuisines dotted about the circular dining room.

Fancying myself a bit of a brunch expert, I accompanied my parents on the restaurant manager’s guided tour of the spread, taking it upon myself to lecture them on ‘brunch rules’ (steer clear of stomach-filling carbs; keep to small plates; don’t mix courses).

But even brunch old-timers can find themselves out of their depth at this decadent display. Unable to resist the lures of China, Japan or Mexico along the way, I found myself breaking every rule in the book, and returned to the table with an embarrassingly full plate of dim sum, sushi, tacos, and a panic-grab Danish pastry. Oops. I curled a protective hand over my spoils and set about trying to consume the evidence...

While most brunches dabble in ‘international cuisine’, the Fairmont’s affair is another level of engagement all together, presenting an in-depth exploration of each culture’s finest food. In Japan, the sushi selection is expansive and imaginative, with unusual features such as nori seaweed taco bites as well as the classic California roll, plain nigri and fresh sashimi cut to order.

There’s also a live teppanyaki station, which serves up generous mounds of juicy scallops and hunks of teriyaki beef cooked to your taste, plus another area dedicated to serving up deliciously crispy tempura.

A quick trot around the corner takes you to China – where sesame prawn toast, crispy chicken and Peking duck await – and from there you can finish your Asian tour in either Thailand or India, with one of the steaming aromatic curries.

The European section is a panoply of Italian antipasti and fresh pasta, Scandinavian smoked fish, French foie gras and a cornucopia of roast dinner meats cooked to perfection – the rare beef is stand-out – alongside Yorkshire puddings that are moist and tasty; a rarity at brunches. The atmosphere is laid back and sophisticated and there are several cosy-looking private dining areas off the main room where families or parties can have seclusion for an additional Dh100 per person.

For dessert there’s a patisserie area serving up fresh crêpes, ice cream, and everything from Oreo chocolate mousse to delicious sticky toffee pudding. There’s even a kids’ area with jars full of jelly sweets and the ever-popular chocolate fountain. And, if you make it through dessert, there’s a whole chilled room dedicated to fine cheeses.

By the time it finished at 3pm, I was stuffed to the gills, while my father looked sated and happy, even serene. This brunch is a fine lesson in global cuisine – and in this case, the student had overtaken the master.

Details: Fairmont Hotel, Spectrum on One; brunch from Dh345 to Dh670;
call 04 3118316.

Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

Life in Dubai is many things – exciting, cosmopolitan, full of opportunities – but relaxing? Probably not. So when I got the opportunity to take a trip to the calming haven of the Monte Carlo Beach Club on Saadiyat Island, I jumped at the chance.

I went for the brunch at the club’s signature restaurant, Le Deck. Now this wasn’t just one of your ten-a-penny, standard brunches, but rather a brunch experience like no other. The first thing that struck me as I arrived is how secluded it is. After turning off the main road and driving through the desert landscape, I was greeted by an unexpected oasis of smooth marble, dark mahogany and burbling water features.

As I entered and was welcomed by the smartly dressed receptionist, my
gaze was drawn over her head to a huge set of glass doors that allowed me a spectacular view outside over the clear blue waters of the Arabian Gulf – this is a stunning place of natural beauty.

Before being seated, I took a leisurely stroll around the club. The decor is pristine. Every piece of furniture, every cushion in the luxurious cabanas next to the infinity pool and seemingly every leaf on the palm trees that line the walkway to the resort’s private beach, were neatly and purposefully arranged
in their place.

Already thoroughly impressed, the chefs at Le Deck could have served me up a bag of chips and I would still have been happy. They didn’t. In a refreshing change to the classic buffet brunch, this was à la carte and was comprised of two tapas-style starters, a main course and a selection of desserts.

My palette was well and truly tantalised with starter number one, which included chicken liver parfait encased in a green-apple jelly wittily made to look like a halved apple. The fine-dining-style presentation continued with starter number two, which included a prawn and noodle wrap with a peanut-butter satay sauce (and a pipette to serve it with!).

But the crowning glory of this brunch was undoubtedly the main course. In a move away from the tricky presentation, this course was a selection of barbecued meats and fish, including beef, chicken thighs, prawns and chicken sausages, served simply with salad leaves. Perfection.

Feeling satisfied, I was half considering skipping dessert, but curiosity got the better of me, and I asked the helpful server to bring me a selection of their best sweets – the star was the tangy sorbet.

Although the calm and serenity of this place isn’t something you’d normally associate with a child-friendly venue, the club’s large pool and access to its private beach – complete with loungers and waiter service – make it the perfect place to get away from it all with your little ones. If you’re looking for a relaxed brunch, with good food and even better surroundings, then the Monte Carlo Beach Club is the place for you.

Details: Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat; brunch from Dh235-Dh415; call 02 6563500.

Vintage Friday brunch, The Address Downtown Dubai

When it comes to brunch – as with everything else in Dubai – there’s one overriding factor that really matters: location, location, location. Of course, the food has to be brilliant, but that’s guaranteed with The Address chain, so where you eat suddenly becomes as important as what you eat.

Dining on Arabic meze, miniature salads of tomato and mozzarella with wild rocket jelly, chilled mussels and clams, sashimi and oysters in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa is the perfect way to spend a Friday. The only problem with going alfresco is that you miss out on the amazing resident live duo, The Essentials featuring Celeste, performing family favourites inside, and you have to keep going back to pile up your plate with delicious dishes from around the world.

Tucked away on the fifth floor, the Friday brunch combines menus with the S&S Calabar brunch and those over 21 can choose to sit in the elegant Calabar lounge, while families with children can enjoy the original Vintage fare at the sophisticated Fazaris restaurant with its beautiful terrace.

The cuisine variety is huge and includes the best from India, Asia, the Mediterranean and the Gulf. For vegetarians there’s spinach fatayer, cheese sambousek, vegetable korma and – my favourite – paneer tikka, while I had to drag my husband away from the live ceviche and seafood station. The carvery, serving beef, leg of lamb and oven-roasted duck, was a hit with all my family.

We broke every culinary rule by having tacos instead of a sorbet to cleanse our palettes before visiting the cheese room and the desserts, which were so moreish – especially the New York baked cheesecake and berries trifle – my two children were practically squealing.

They’d been given colouring materials but they were, for once, more interested in the food than drawing. They didn’t mind that there wasn’t a games room, magicians or face painters to keep them occupied, because they, like us, wanted to savour as many dishes as possible and didn’t stop eating until, sadly, it was time to go home. But we’ll be back – the combination of fine food and stunning view is too irresistible.

Details: Vintage, The Address Downtown Dubai; brunch from Dh290 to 425 per adult; Dh145 for seven- t0 11-year-olds; children under six eat for free; call 04 4368929 or 04 8883444.

Beachcombers, Jumeirah Beach Hotel
 
A magician, juggler, face painters, games, live band, excellent food and seaside location – what more could you or your children ask for in a brunch? eachcombers restaurant, overlooking the rolling waves of the Arabian Gulf really does offer everything. But first there are some crucial decisions: do you sit inside where you can hear the fantastic band or outside with the glorious view?

Do you diet for a week before so you can sample everything from the Asian come-back-for-more buffet or just throw calorie caution to the wind? I’d been excited about Beachcombers, anticipating what delights would be on offer and I wasn’t disappointed, and neither were my children – when I could get them out of the kids’ club.

The first sign of a brilliant brunch, as any hard-working parent will tell you, is whether your children like the supervised kids’ activities or cling to your side. Ours vanished for the entire afternoon leaving us to check that their plates were piled high while they had their faces transformed into glittery butterflies (my four-year-old daughter) or played electronic games (my ten-year-old son and his friends).

Their visits to our alfresco table were fleeting, but the resident magician/juggler pounced the moment he spotted them, performing dazzling feats and tricks that had them clapping with glee or scratching their heads in confusion and awe. What with him conjuring up a magic act, the stunning sea view and the foot-tapping resident band, it would have been easy to forget the food, but not for long.

The wafts of Thai, Malay and Indian dishes being prepared at the cooking stations were too tempting to resist. I always insist on visiting the salad bar before the hot dishes, and was glad I did as there were many ‘firsts’ on offer, things I’d never tried before. I couldn’t get enough of the sweet gado-gado – vegetable salad with peanut sauce – or the achar timun – cucumber, pineapple and chilli relish and Thai som tam marakro – green papaya salad.

It was good to see a small selection of diabetic-friendly salads on offer, along with a make-your-own Caesar salad, which the children loved helping me to toss. Yes, I prised them out of the kids’ club for that long. Then it was off on a journey around India, Thailand and Malaysia with a surprising amount of vegetarian dishes to sample.

I couldn’t resist the mixed vegetables, fried rice and vegetable spring rolls, and went back for lip-smackingly delicious vegetable dhal. My children eschewed the American-style kids buffet for fish cooked in coconut milk, and succulent prawns and crispy prawn crackers.

Nasi goreng kampung was a favourite with everyone, while the grilled salmon with percik sauce was my husband’s delight. We didn’t stop until we’d tried the best from every country – which was a challenge as every dish tasted better than the last. Finally, with the sun throwing shadows across the golden sands, we ordered coffees on the deck to finish a fantastic brunch that all the family loved.

Details: Jumeirah Beach Hotel; brunch from Dh295-550 for adults, Dh145 for children aged four-12. Children under four eat free; call 04 4068999.

The Ivy, Jumeirah Emirates Towers

The ingredients for a fantastic family-friendly brunch? Easy, just take one celebrity-favourite brand, add a marvellous maitre d’, irresistible home-made style menu and free supervised kids club and you’ve got a sure-fire winner. 

As a fan of the London Ivy, and having been impressed with Dubai’s version in Emirates Towers, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. But nothing prepared me for the mouth-watering dishes on the new combined Taste of the Ivy and All That Jazz brunch menu, or just how much my children would like the Sinbad’s kids’ club.

Sure, it’s a little trek around the corner from the restaurant, but it’s worth it. There are arts and crafts, computer games, mini basketball and movies for children aged five to 12 while you relax and savour the tastes – and sights – of this award-winning British eaterie. First up is the most tricky decision of the day – dine from the homely three-course Table d’Hote lunch with its family-favourite fish and chips or shepherd’s pie, or go for the degustation menu, a culinary journey through the Ivy classics.

I went for the old-fashioned three-course option, while my husband went for the classics – the signature eight-course menu – and the children simply begged for what they’d seen the family sitting next to us eating: fish and chips, which were as authentic as any they’ve eaten by the sea in Brighton, in the UK.

To the oh-so-relaxing backdrop of the resident jazz musician, I devoured eggs Florentine, which is a simple dish but tricky to get right. My poached egg was perfectly cooked – still runny – and the spinach was packed with flavour. Meanwhile my husband was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over his asparagus and goats’ cheese salad, cauliflower soup and dressed Dorset crab with celeriac remoulade.

“Only five more courses to go,” I joked, but he was more than ready for the Thai baked sea bass, followed by wild mushroom risotto. He sat back afterwards, a smirk of triumph on his face as I dined on potato gnocchi with mozzarella and tomatoes. But his smirk soon disappeared when a rack and shoulder of Welsh lamb was dispatched to our table – another main dish to try, but he effortlessly polished it off.

We felt guilty demolishing our banana sticky toffee puddings with ice cream and went to collect the children so they could order some too. But they were having too much fun and demanded to be left to play. So we were left to soak up more of that jazz over coffee. Brunch bliss!

Details: Jumeirah Emirates Towers; brunch from Dh190 to Dh495. Children under ten dine free. Call 04 3198767.