The many Friday brunch options are one of the bonuses of living in the UAE, but there are two things that have bothered me about the tradition.
The first is the unimaginable amount of waste that must accumulate from all those piles of food. The second is having to sustain conversations while half the party is up refreshing their plates.
Leave it to Gary Rhodes to come up with a thoughtful, civilised alternative.
Rhodes 44 at the St Regis Abu Dhabi (the one on the Corniche) has launched At the Table Friday Brunch with Gary Rhodes. Most of the food is served while guests are seated at this gorgeously appointed eatery: six starters, six mains and an assortment of desserts. And for those who like to get up and wander: there is a seafood counter, laden with juicy oysters, giant prawns and meaty crabs legs; an extensive cheese bar; and a delightful Eton mess station. The food is delicious and perfectly paced in its delivery by knowledgeable and personable staff and the menu will change regularly.
Standout starters last week were grilled mushroom sticks on garlic, crushed tomato and parsley toasts and new potato, quail egg and chive salad with home-made salad cream. As for the mains, we were partial to the pan-fried salmon with cucumber, lemon and capers and rotisserie chicken with lime sour cream, rocket leaves and barbecue sauce. Out of the desserts, I loved the banoffee cheesecake with glazed banana and chocolate sauce – because it was tasty and because it’s hard to get banoffee anything in the UAE.
Don’t even get me started on the trolleys that were rolled by throughout the meal, the last offering tiny ice-cream cones.
• At the Table Friday Brunch with Gary Rhodes is 12.30pm to 3pm, from Dh270, with a children’s menu. Reservations are recommended. Call 02 694 4553, visit www.rhodes44.com/friday-brunch or email restaurants.abudhabi@stregis.com
* Ann Marie McQueen