An Epic Friday Brunch Experience… The Feast

Friday brunches have become synonymous with Dubai’s culinary landscape and there are literally hundreds that can be enjoyed on any given Friday when the weather is pleasant. There one that stands out from the rest is The Feast, located at The Sheraton Grand on Sheikh Zayed Road, which takes the concept of brunch to the next level with an unforgettable afternoon of feasting on cuisine from around the world.

kids-corner_previewAs we entered the venue and shown around by the chef, I was taken aback at how huge this brunch is; the eating area surrounds the food stations and has literally every type of food, salads, meats, and dessert stations spread across the main part of the area. There’s even a kid’s corner with finger foods, including sliders, sandwiches, and even a cookie decorating corner.

seafood-platter_previewA basket of fresh bread and butter was brought to our table. I started with the creamy steaming seafood soup loaded with fish, calamari, and shrimp. My kids enjoyed making their own nachos, loading up on the salsa, cheese, and meat. At the salad and cold seafood section, there were all kinds of pre-cooked seafood, accompanied by a variety of sauces. I enjoyed the jumbo prawns with cocktail sauce with my favorite Arabic salads: muhammara, hummus, and tabouleh. Other salads that I tried amongst the many included: couscous salad, Thai beef salad, quinoa salad, tuna Nicoise salad, and vegetable salad, and a lot more.

duck-(2)_previewThe Asian cooking station had Beijing roasted duck complete with pancakes being freshly cooked to roll up and eat with the sweet chili sauce and sliced cucumbers.

coconut-rice_previewThere were some delicious Thai and Malaysian curries we tried: The Malay Beef Redang braised coconut curry, served with coconut rice and a dollop of vegetable coconut curry hit all the right notes.

lobster-claw-curry_previewThe Lobster claw curry was rich and fragrant and also went well with the steamed rice.

sushi_previewThe best part of this brunch is the quality of the food and the integrity of the cuisine; the sushi section had authentic tuna rolls, vegetable rolls, salmon rolls, and California rolls. There is also a fresh mussel counter where you can have it prepared to your liking. The oysters here are also particularly delicious and fresh.

tamarind-chicken-(2)_previewThe chef brought a platter with Indian curries, including my all-time favorite butter chicken, tamarind chicken, which is one of their most requested items, and vegetable biryani served with plain basmati rice. These were as Indian as they come, both in flavor and presentation.

lamb_previewFrom the meats section, I enjoyed a slider cooked well-done, just how I like it, served on a brioche bun. There are also lots of lamb options; stew, roast and otherwise. There is also a wide variety of raw premium seafood on ice, to be cooked fresh as you like. I enjoyed a salmon steak with some prawns which I had with steamed vegetables.

Also, the British section had Beef Wellington and Salt crusted chicken, served with some delicious sides, including potatoes Dauphine, grilled vegetables, roasted oven potatoes, and even Yorkshire puddings for the true lovers of British food.

Ouzi-(2)_previewThe Arabic section had classics including my favorite Ouzi with tender lamb, Chicken Molokhia stew, and Prawns Harra.

chicken-molokhia_previewbreads-1_previewWe made several trips for the various bread on offer, from French to rye and with the different kinds of cheeses in their own section, was a lovely accompaniment to the meal.

Throughout the meal, there is a constant stream of delicious fresh mocktails made-to-order as well as live entertainment to keep the entire family happy throughout the afternoon.

sweets_previewThe desserts here are out of this world and there are so many that it was almost impossible to sample each one. Some of our standout favorites included coconut custard cake, chocolate Alexandria, baked cheesecake, apple pannacotta, and raspberry Oreo layered cake, and of course my perennial favorite: vanilla crème Brule.

dessert1_preview
There is a large section dedicated just to chocolate, from truffles in every color, white chocolate, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate as well as nougat. There is a live cooking fresh crepes section with nuts, fruit, chocolate, and caramel to drizzle over. I enjoyed my crepe with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream from their ample gourmet homemade ice-creams section.

The Verdict: The biggest brunch I have visited, the food selection here is not only immense, but the quality and authenticity ticks the right boxes. With fun live entertainment and helpful chefs, this s the perfect place for feasting and fun for the entire family.

Visit: The Feast Friday Brunch at The Sheraton Grand Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road

Contact: 04 503 4444