Brunch….and all that Jazz

Friday brunch is a popular past time in Dubai. Now remove all your existing thoughts on a typical British brunch out of your mind. A Dubai brunch experience is very different to your tradition brunch. In Dubai Brunch is from 12-4.00 (typically) and consists of 4 hours of all you can eat and all you can drink, leaving you with a slightly sore head and a very full tummy.

So on my latest Dubai trip my dad suggest Brunch at Prime 68, which is funnily enough located on the 68^th floor of the Jw Marriot Marquis hotel, making it the tallest brunch in Dubai. Prime 68 is not your average buffet all you can eat brunch, instead prime 68 offers an al a carte dining experience bringing a selection of dishes too you.

Prime 68 is a boutique steak house and has a 1920’s prohibition theme, the room is filled with timeless jazz music, elegant 1920s themed decor with a black and white classic yet contemporary finish and even a New York prohibition themed photo booth, it’s all very Jay Gastsby.

However, the star of the show is the spectacular view, from the 68^th floor you some pretty amazing views, so we before we even sat down we spent a good 10 minutes admiring the back drop.

Once we finally made it too our table our very helpful waiter advised us not to fill up too much on the bread (this wasn't easy, seeing as he just told me the bread was accompanied by maple butter) because we would have 36 separate dishes coming our way over the next few hours…….36 I repeat 36 dishes.

The foodie inside me jumped for joy…this was definitely going to be my kind of brunch.

We ordered our drinks and got chit chatting while we waited for food, me and my step mum decided to go with the prohibition themed ‘spiked tea’, a cocktail served in a tea pot and tea cups. I cant remember the exact blend but it was some kind of tea recipe with lots of vodka! Either way it was delicious and went down far too easily. I didn't manage to snap up the little tea pot as the waiter kept taking it away every time the cups were filled….its almost like he didn't trust us with it! Cant image why.

Then the starters arrived........

 Antipasto meats, with potato salad

Dad got far too impatient with my snapping of food

 Then came Caesar salad, beetroot with goats cheese, tomato and mozzarella and hard boiled eggs with a mustard topping and caviar. This was only the second course and already I had forgotten the waiter instructions to take things slow.

 Next up was a delicious shrimp cocktail in a tangy tomato sauce, the sauce really gave it an extra kick.

Then one of my favourite dishes…..it was lobster roll time, I may have done a little squeal when these appeared in front of me.

Fancy a closer look? Oh go on then…..

 The crab cakes were divine and fell apart in your mouth

Meatballs topped with cheese and an Italian tomato sauce

Want to see it all again? Thought so…

 Then came the Oysters,, I had never tried an oyster in my life…..well now was my time.

Nervously I gulped down the slippery slimy oyster….First impressions were good and I went on to eat two more.

 Now if anyone knows anywhere that does a cracking oyster locally let me know…I have started something now.

Then our waiter prepared a beautiful fillet of smoked salmon which was so light and delicate but left the taste buds tingly. I may have eaten a little bit too much of this.

To help settle our stomachs slightly we went and played with the props in the photo booth for some family photograph opportunities. I wont share them all (my dad may kill me) but here is a sneak peak.

We returned to our tables and then out came the main courses (yes all the above was just starters)

 Succulent pieces of prime steak, which were cooked to perfection along with beef brisket (this was my dad’s favourite) which just fell apart, it was beautiful. There was also cuts of roast beef but I didn't get chance to snap this up as everyone tucked into it pretty sharpish.

Accompanying this was thick cut potato wedges, creamy mash potato and a little dish of mac and cheese. At first I was confused by the mac and cheese but once I tasted it all was forgotten.

Then came the sea food mains, clams, salmon fillets and possibly the best scallops I have ever tasted, they were juicy and plump and cooked perfectly. 

I was so tempted to ask for more, but I really think my play suit was ready to burst by now.

After the mains came the cheese, and I just can’t resist cheese so of course I had to try some.

Finally the pudding trays graced the table. I have to admit I was slightly disappointed with pudding, this is normally my favourite part of brunch (possibly because there is normally a chocolate fountain) but these left me a little underwhelmed, possibly because I had been so impressed with the previous courses or I was just so full. I think I nibbled away at the cheese cake but left the rest for everyone else.

We all agreed this was the best brunch we had ever been too the food was exquisite with an array of tastes, textures and flavours which were beautifully presented ,  my dad has already booked to go back with a group of friends. If you’re looking for a so a sophisticated but fun brunch I would highly recommend a trip to Prime 68, especially if the likes of ‘The Great Gatsby’ or ‘Chicago’ is your cup of (spiked) tea.

After we went to the Observatory for happy hour, the drinks flowed, everything got a little bit hazy and the camera was left forgotten in my hand bag….probably for the best really.

*Ps sorry about the lighting, blame the 360 windows and bright sunshine in Dubai

Pancake day preparations

Being the foodie that I am any day in the calendar that celebrates food and encourages the eating of vast amount of food is a winner in my eye and one of my favourites just happens to be Pancake Day. I love pancakes and crepes at the best of times but this is usually a breakfast of pudding option, but Pancake Day is one day of the year when I can have pancakes for my tea and well that is pretty special.

When it comes to toppings there isn’t much you can’t put on a pancake. 

As a child I was a big fan of a strawberry jam covered pancake, my sister opted for the 5 teaspoons of sugar over the top…without any lemon or honey just sugar, I found this very odd. 

Since my childhood I have become slightly more adventurous then a simple jam and the best pancake I have ever tasted was smothered in Nutella, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla icing, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

In the build-up to  pancake day I have been searching for inspiration for the perfect pancake topping ideas and combinations and thought I would share with you my findings so you can cook up a pancake storm in the kitchen next week. 

 I might even have a practice run this weekend…purely for testing reasons of course!

 

 You can't go wrong with my good old favourite fruit jam topping. 

Sticking with the fruit theme, blueberry's, banana and syrup for the more healthy option....if your into that kind of thing. 

Or blueberry's, powder sugar and a squeeze of lemon, an old classic! 

Or mix one of your 5 a day with a good dollop of Nutella. 

Well this is more my kind of thing, pancake stack, fruit and chocolate. Perfect! 

Feeling creative? Teddy bear pancakes for the kids or any big kids in your household. 

Or a cinnamon bum style pancake, I need to try this looks delish! 

Maybe you prefer the savoury option? Bacon filled pancakes? What could be better, bacon and pancakes. Maybe I could have this for main and a sweet one for pudding? 

Savoury fillings not your cup of tea, don't worry I have all you sweet tooths covered? Birthday cake style pancake, complete with icing and sprinkles. 

Not a fan of icing, you could just go for fruit and sprinkles, looks so cute! 

 

Now when it comes to basic pancake recipe I stick to mummy’s recipe, every time I have one of her pancakes or recreate my own using the same recipe (yes I made her write it down for me when I moved out) it takes me back to my childhood,  my mum would make me and my sister as many pancakes as our tummies would allow us, don’t worry it was just once a year, this was not a daily or even a weekly occurrence. You can find loads of recipes online, just promise me promise me one thing? Don’t go and buy the add water mixes or ready made ones, pancakes are the easiest thing to whip up in the kitchen and taste 100 times better homemade.

So I think all that’s left for me to say is thanks for ready and bon appétit