Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The Crowne Plaza, Bahrain’s Friday Brunch is renowned for its party atmosphere and even more exciting fare, and with the onset of summer the popular location has decided to spruce up proceedings further.
Now on a four week rotation, the brunch encompasses four styles of international cuisine: French, Hawaiian, Italian and Caribbean.
The problem I always have with brunch is not knowing quite where to delve in. Do I sample the fantastic array of crunchy and crispy salads on display in La Mosaique restaurant, or do I plough straight into the delicious carvery outside the Harvesters pub?
I settled instead for a sampling of the couscous and sweetcorn salad dishes, plus a helping of sausages, bacon, hash browns, beans and scrambled eggs as it had been far too long since my last Full English!
This wasn’t really fitting with this week’s French theme, so I made sure to raid the wonderful selection of breads and cheeses to get more in the spirit. I did pass the fresh fish counter and its elaborate display of French catches, although as I follow a ‘seafood and avoid it’ philosophy, I left it to my friends to tell me that the taste was equally exquisite and took their word for it.
The choice of cuisine is seriously impressive with several live cooking stations featuring pasta, pancakes, vegetables, soups, grills and quesadillas, the latter of which was so good I had to force myself to not go back for more so I could sample other wares.
The carvery was superb, with tender slices of beef and turkey with a plethora of sauces and gravy options. That was one delight I definitely came back for!
The desserts were fantastic too. My personal favourite was the cherry crumble, complete with custard! Although I do wish it was of the thicker variety, I ate so much of it I barely had room for the selection of cakes, mousses, ice cream, pastries and more I had to try. Had to, for the purposes of informing the public of course!
In between courses, I had the opportunity to chat to Executive Chef David Miras, who presides over a team of 27 for Friday Brunch.
The Frenchman said: “Over the years, the brunch has developed enormously with a variety of new dishes. We still have the staples that we can’t take out as everyone expects them, particularly the carvery, so they stay as our primary items.
“When we create our new menu, we ask our guests what they would like to see, and each week I ask them what they liked in particular, so perhaps they can come back again. Interaction is a huge part of what we do.
“I also feel like we have a fantastic combination of great food, an enthusiastic crowd that attracts people interested in an energetic brunch, and now we also have a brilliant band who are the best we’ve ever had.”
On the way out, stopping at the chocolate fountain for a final helping of sweet goodness and, I decided to catch the band in action. I have to agree with Chef David, they are awesome entertainers and had the whole room boogeying on the dance floor.
The Friday Brunch starts from 12.30pm and costs BD35 net per adult and BD12.750 net for children aged from seven to 12. For more information and reservations, call 17531122.
