Brunch on Sunday > Clubbing on Saturday
If there is one mantra I strongly live by, it has got to be the one above. There is nothing like waking up late on a Sunday, fresh as a daisy without a heavy hungover head, and spending the rest of the day indulging in the best of food and drink. I dream of summery white dresses, mimosas and sangrias, a runny Eggs Benedict on a bed of ham, waffles that are crunchy from outside – airy within, and conversations that last the entire day. My long standing affair with Sunday brunches has been documented on this blog time and again. Last Sunday was no different – we visited Le Pain Quotidien at Bandra Kurla Complex for their Sunday brunch and sampled some of the new dishes on their specially curated summer menu.
The interiors of LPQ epitomise simplicity and class. Minimalist wooden furniture, interiors that are bright and beaming, with large glass panelled walls that allow plenty of sunlight to shine through during the day. Not to forget their large community tables, a concept which they pioneered in the city when LPQ started off years ago.
The ‘farm to table’ concept is resplendent in every dish that LPQ puts up. The ingredients are organic wherever possible, all produce is fresh and wholesome, and a meal here satiates you without the guilt. Le Pain Quotidien translates to ‘Our Daily Bread’ in French which is clearly reflected in their freshly baked in-house loaves and other bakery products.
Their Sunday Brunch menu comes with an unlimited alcohol option as well as a non-alcoholic one. We made optimum use of the former as we sipped on chilled beers and refreshing goblets of sangria to beat the excruciating heat. Their tartines are the best way to start your meal off. These open faced sandwiches are light and delicious. Try the Spicy Mushroom Tartine with a green pea mash served on a whole wheat sourdough toast. If you’re a carnivore like I am, you can’t go wrong with the Belgian Ham and Salami Tartine with mozzerella on top. The meat was fresh, flavourful and an olive oil drizzle on top really elevated the dish.
One of their sharing platters may be another good option to order especially in a group over some drinks and chit-chat. The Mediterranean Platter we tried came with three types of dips – a chickpea hummus, an olive tapenade and an eggplant babaganoush. With lavash, pita, crostinis and falafel on the side to mop up the dips the sharing platter is definitely worth ordering again!
You can’t come to LPQ and not order one of their refreshing, hearty salads. We ordered two! The Summer Salad with a grilled chicken breast, avocado and corn served on a bed of mixed sprouts tasted light and screamed healthy. I’d have preferred to have a little more of that green tea dressing on my salad because it felt a little dry after a couple of bites. I was not too sure of ordering the Root Vegetable Salad because it has carrots, beets, fennel, orange – everything that is good for your body, but not so good for your taste buds. But the salad was bee-yoo-tee-full! The salad was dressed well, full of crunch, and the buffalo mozzarella on top was top notch.
For mains we ordered the dishes from their new summer specials. The lemon butter sauce on top of the Chilli Lime Basa helped add flavour to the otherwise tasteless basa and the quinoa bed it sat on provided some texture. We also spotted shards of khakhra in the dish which made it all the more interesting. The Roast Chicken was a traditional truffled roast that came with some brown onion gravy on the side. A decent dish, but nothing to write home about.
Surprisingly once again a vegetarian dish blew us over. The Ravioli of Confit Vegetables was cooked perfectly ‘al dente’ and seasoned with a fragrant rosemary jus. Too stuffed to move, we rounded up our meal with a Berry Clafoutis – a baked, berry dessert native of France. If you’re in a larger group, opt to try their waffles and pancakes as well. Sunday brunches are incomplete without those two!
I’d strongly recommend the Sunday brunch at LPQ if you’re looking for a relaxing, leisurely afternoon spent over some delicious food and booze. Don’t forget to pick up some fresh bread on your way out.
Contact:
Le Pain Quotidien, 3, Maker Maxity,
North Avenue, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai.
Phone: 022- 66431616.
The Sunday Brunch is priced at Rs 1450++ without alcohol, and at Rs 1750 ++ with alcohol.
Did you enjoy reading the Brunch Diaries segment? Would you like to read more Sunday brunch reviews on the blog? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.
