So as do most
visitors to Dubai, the dashing Oscar wanted to go to Friday brunch. Again we
were very last minute and most places were full so it was a toss up
between Splendido @ The
Ritz or Spectrum on One @ The
Fairmount.
After much debating the individual benefits of each we eventually opted for the latter due to Spectrum having a seemingly better seafood selection. When you are new to Dubai, it really is a minefield choosing which brunch to got to, on-line reviews and forums don't really help much either as you always get 3 people who love it and 3 people who complain, it's pot luck really on any given day.
After much debating the individual benefits of each we eventually opted for the latter due to Spectrum having a seemingly better seafood selection. When you are new to Dubai, it really is a minefield choosing which brunch to got to, on-line reviews and forums don't really help much either as you always get 3 people who love it and 3 people who complain, it's pot luck really on any given day.
Now the key to a successful buffet is you've got to have a plan of attack. Otherwise as experience has taught us you end up stuffed by your second plate without having experienced many of your favourite dishes.
You have to be focused and ruthless about what you want and don't want, this also cuts down on post plate bloatage and wastage.
* Here I have to make a serious point - now I enjoy brunch every now and again as a treat, so this may sound hypocritical. However one of the down sides is witnessing the utter waste and gluttony that takes place at buffet's. This can also be said of hotel buffet breakfast, why do people go mental and horde plates full of everything on offer with no hope of actually eating it all??
We all want value for money of course, but it's a false economy if you don't eat it anyway. I have no problem with people gorging if they actually eat the food, it's the waste I hate. The food wastage at brunches is shocking and makes us quite uncomfortable, hence we have a funny love/hate relationship with brunch because of this.
We go because we love good food and what I do like about brunches is the ability to have a little bit of everything, the variety is why we go not the quantity. So we try to operate a minimum wastage strategy, of small plates and portions rather than the gut busting hoarding. Anyway, self righteous rant over sorry lets move on.
So you need a brunch strategy and it's fun to discuss each other's plans and tactic's. On this day I was feeling traditional whereas Oscar was feeling all spicy and oriental, one thing we all agreed on was we were all feeling fishy, so we started off will a full assault on the Seafood counter.
Here is my hitting the buffet strategy:
Plate#1 - Seafood
x 1 Mini smoked salmon egg Benedict
2 x King Crab legs
x 1 slither of GravLax
x 2 King Prawns
Aoli & Lemon
Bread and butter
*The Swedish boys had the above + herring and Oysters!
 |
|
Oscar
went to Thailand and India |
Plate#2 - Sushi
Sushi - Spectrum on One had an amazing sushi, sashimi, tempura and dim sum selection best I've had at a brunch yet. Some really unusual items and the sushi was well made. I'm a bit of a stickler for well made sushi, I loath too large, floppy sushi. These were smallish pieces, firmly packed that held their structure well when being plonked in soy sauce. The seared sesame tuna was a delight!
Plate#3 - Roast Beef
Was a very small plate of cheese, crackers and grapes and a glass of white port from the designated cheese and port room, that's right they have whole room of cheese!!!
Plate#5 - Mini treats
The desert selection is fantastic and much better quality than say the one at Saffron that always looks good but the deserts don't taste of anything.
In general have to say the quality of everything @ Spectrum on One was far better than Saffron - people rave about the food at Saffron but I don't think it's all that. As said Saffron, looks the part but fails to deliver on taste or quality.
Anyway, back to deserts at Spectrum on One.
They have an Eaton mess station and a macaroon station. I opted for a mini red velet cup cake, x 2 choc fondu dripped strawberries x 3 tiny macaroons and a white chocolate covered cake with berries in the middle....all were delicious I scoffed the lot!
Johan on the other hand, had the kind of desert a 10 year old boy would choose an Eaton mess full of jelly sweets and plate full of more jelly sweets, he's such a food connoisseur my husband.
The boys finished off the 3 hour eating and drink-athon with some funny blue shots we don't know what they were or where they came from, we didn't ask for them they just appeared.
