Dubai Friday Brunch #3 - Al Qasr

We needed a new brunch venue as we often have visitors wanting to experience the definitive Dubai Friday brunch. My online research, plus many personal recommendations made us try Friday brunch at Al Qasr. 

Al Qasr, is the recipient of many awards for it's brunch - BBC Good Food Best Brunch 2011, Time Out Awards 2010 highly commended brunch.

It's located in the hotel of the same name, nearby Madinat Jumeriah. The hotel is beautiful, grandiose & glamorous yet sympathetic to its Arabian roots.

Al Qasr, is famous for being so vast that you get issued with a map to help you navigate all the buffet area's. 

As you enter the massive mezzine lobby, brunch is a short walk down a flanked staircase where a glass of bubbly awaits you. 

However you may have to queue down the staircase for 5mins or so before you're seated. The brunch itself is split between the hotels three restaurants Aboretum, MJ's Steak House and Al Hambra . 

I've been twice now once in the summer seated indoor at Al Hambra with the lovely SJ. Plus, a few weeks ago with the lovey Justine where we enjoyed outside seating at Arboretum terrace, which was nicer. 

Al Hambra, interior has a very different feel to the airy Arboretum as it's less glam and more rustic, brick and taverna style. Still pleasant and in the winter especially nice on the terrance. 

Fizz with SJ in Al Hambra

Al Qasr brunch is great for celebrations and large groups as the atmosphere is sophisticated and lively, great for people watching and checking out fab outfits.  

Mojito's on the terrace with Justine

The layout is vast, with a station for everything you definitely need a brunch strategy for this brunch and it can get really busy in certain area's.

Round 1: Hit the seafood & Sushi stations

SJ got the the award for most variety of fish & seafood items squashed on to one plate, but then she is the reigning champion at this in general.

SJ's super plate

My lesser starter plate

The sushi quality wise was ok, I can't say it blew me away but it looked the part. 

I followed it up with a second starter plate a curious mix of mini eggs benedict, some kind of oozing cheese soaked, artery clogging brioche which was amazing, plus chirzo and meatball tapas.

The Asian quarter outside

Round 2: Hit the mains

Next round was main plates again the choice is obscene. Roasts, grills, BBQ meats and fish, Chinese dim sum, Malaysian noodle and stir fry, Indian curries you name it. 

I'm so predictable I went for traditional roast both times, the first time they'd unfortunately run out of the Beef Wellington an outrage! There's always a queue for the Beef Wellington so you have to get in early.

I managed to consoled my self with big hunks of roast beef, a divine confit of duck with red cabbage, Yorkshire pud and gravy, all delicious.

Fresh pasta

I had my roast plan, Johan had his usual 'Meat' plan but converted it to a 'Meat and Pasta Plan' when he saw the fresh hand made pasta station. 

An odd mix

SJ unfortunately went AWOL. I've written before about the need for a brunch strategy and the dispiline to stick to it, otherwise you end up with random selections. 

SJ free styled and came back with a plate of steak, salmon en croute, feta,olives and roast mushrooms, all of which she got bored of half way through. 

Round 3: Get a sugar rush or go cheesy 

The desert selection is an extravaganza with 4 separate area's dedicated to just deserts, everything is available this is definitely a brunch for desert lovers. 

One is dedicated soley to chocolate in every imaginable form! 

On top of that there is also separate ice-cream, waffle's, dognuts and a candy station. 

I won the desert choose, with a mix plate of, Marble cheesecake, Strawberry cheesecake, Duce de Leche and Pecan mini ice cream cone, a Red current partfit, a Mini key lime pie, one milk and one white choc dipped strawberries and a Blueberry macaroon. Heavenly.

There is also a fruit station I didn't visit that though, who wants fruit when there's so much cake to be eaten!!!

Or if you prefer savory the cheese selection is pretty good to, Justine being veggie sampled most of the cheeses. 

Al Qasr, is a spectacular brunch in a gorgeous, setting especially good for special occasions and visitors as you also get some great photo opportunities of the Burj Al Arab.

It's also conveniently located for after brunch drinks at nearby Madinat so after brunch we popped to Trader Vic's for a post brunch cocktail. We all sat nursing our Peach tree bunch's, groaning, needing a napp and hoping for a second wind else we'd be in bed by 6pm. 

Al Qsar is pricey at 525 Dhs (approx £95) for all inclusive alcohol and 425 (£75) with no alcohol. It's worth the price tag though, the setting and location are superb and what the food lacks in taste it make up for in variety and presentation. 

However, there are a few things we don't like about about the whole concept of Dubai Friday brunch in general. 

* WARNING: Self-righteous Dubai Brunch rant follows,  if you don't want to know please look away now----------------------------------- 

#1- Waste  

One thing we can't get over is that the amount of food wastage at  brunch is horrifying!! 

At Al Qasr, we witnessed an entire platter of fillet steaks get thrown in the rubbish bin in one foul swoop. Because they had been sitting on the hot plate for what was 'deemed' to long. There was absolutely nothing wrong with them, Johan had just taken one.  

Things like this continue to concern us every time we go to brunch. At Spectrum on One, they had some sort of food dispenser that swept whole platters of premium shasimi down a shoot, tuna, salmon the lot. This is so saddening, as global fish stocks are in decline this type of wastage just seems like folly.                                                                 

Food prices being high in Dubai it seems like absolute madness that it all gets wasted. Possibly they could give the left over food to various charities in Dubai to feed poor people, at least then someone could benefit. 

#2 - Gluttony  

Another thing, is I'm not 100% about the whole mass consumption food and booze during the day time either. In many ways I feel like I've wasted a day and leave feeling stuffed and uncomfortable and ready for bed by 6pm. 

3 hours really isn't that long of a period to consume such quantities of food. I think this contributes to the amount of people getting not just drunk, but hideously plastered.  

Brunch is a pricey affair in lovely settings, people make a real effort to get dressed up, ladies don big hair, big shoes, big lashes, pretty dresses. Then they get so smashed they vomit on themselves in the taxi queue, seriously!!  

It's not really surprising though, as the excessive nature of brunch, the 3 hour time limit and all exclusive price tag, means people gorge as much as they can in a relatively short period of time. No wonder people get shit faced and throw up, you can't possibly process and digest all that food and drink in 3 hours.  

End Rant: ----------------------------------

We have a great time every brunch we go to, it's just certain aspects still sit uncomfortably, so in general the jury is still out for us.