I love Sunday brunches. They can be at a restaurant or at a friend’s place, but the idea of spending my weekly off with friends and food always excites me. I’d rather spend my Saturday nights tucked in at home so that I can enjoy a good and early Sunday brunch. (Shameless Plug-in: Read about my previous brunch experiences here and here) Another brunch happened a few Sundays ago. This one was special because our very own Mumbai Food Lover was invited to be the Guest Instagrammer for J. W. Mariott’s #BehindTheBoulevard Sunday brunch. We got our stomachs ready for a fun, food filled Sunday afternoon.
We braved stormy rains and flooded Juhu by-lanes, all for the love of good food. Lotus cafe at J.W.Mariott does this ‘Limitless Sunday Brunch’ which consists of counters and counters of some of the best meat, seafood, cheeses, desserts and more. Not to forget free flowing cocktails on the side. Here are my top 5 favorite picks/moments from the entire brunch:
1. Cocktails with a View
Anyone who has been to Lotus Cafe knows it overlooks the most lovely poolside view. And when it has been raining outside the view gets even better. We drank and dined overlooking the pitter-patter of rain over the pool. The brunch is co-partnered with Belvedere vodka, and they make some interesting vodka cocktails. The cutest was this little bar-on-wheels that they drove upto our table where we could order what we like.
2. Cheese Please!
Most brunches at luxury hotels offer an extensive variety of cheeses and breads. This one was no exception. We got to try a variety of cheeses from brie to Emmental to Pecorino to Gouda to Machego. (I may be missing out on some names here). These cheeses paired with assorted breads made my day, since I’m a huge cheese fan. And I got to try some new cheeses such as the Spanish Machego which I had never eaten before.
3. Meat Feast
The brunch has tons of options for the non-vegetarians. Pick from roast chicken or lamb chops or smoked ham. There are lots of seafood choices too; scampi, shrimp, salmon and more. These are all prepared at the live stations and brought to your table. I personally enjoyed the cold cuts.
4. Bachpan Ki Yaad
My Sunday breakfasts alternated between french toast on one Sunday and eggs or Maggi the next. The tradition no longer stands but I got to relive it that Sunday. The live Maggi and Egg counter was an interesting addition. Pick between white, brown, or quail eggs to be made as per your choice. These eggs paired with steaming Maggi noodles make a fun breakfast. I ate a quail egg omelette for the first ever time. The French Toast was average but the drizzle of chocolate sauce on top made it yum.
5. Sugar Rush
The minute I entered my attention was caught by the huge dessert counter situated right in the center. Willy Wonka would have been pleased. There were atleast 30 varieties of desserts including pastries, tarts, Indian sweets, ice creams and more. Pre-dominantly chocolate based sweets, I wished there were more fruit desserts. Those with a sweet tooth will be pleased. Some of them were exceptional, some lackluster. Overall, quite an extensive spread of sugary goodies.
My Opinion: The Mariott Sunday brunch works because of the sheer amount of options. The non-vegetarian diner is spoilt for choice. The meat and seafood produce is flown in exclusively from different parts of the world. It was mind boggling for us to pick and choose and narrow down what we would like to eat. Our vegetarian counterparts had a different story to tell, however. Vegetarian options comprise only about 30% of the menu. There really wasn’t much on offer for them.
The pricing is another factor that works negatively for the vegetarian. The alcoholic brunch is priced at Rs, 3986.49/- (including taxes) and at Rs. 2727.19/- (including taxes) for the non-alcoholic option. It is definitely a pricey affair. They should consider having a separate price point for the vegetarian brunch. A meat eater may be able to do complete justice, a vegetarian will not. Also, the lack of a live pizza and pasta counter was something we all missed.
Overall, the Mariott Limitless Sunday Brunch was a good experience, in terms of the quantity and quality of food it offers. You can spend hours and hours eating through your Sunday. It is definitely on the pricier side, so it’s an option many of us would consider only on occasions we want to celebrate. But considering how packed the place was on that Sunday afternoon, guess the brunch is already a hit!
