FUNusual Brunch, Accents at the Intercontinental Dubai Marina
The Intercontinental is a fresh face on the scene, even by Dubai standards where the skyline has more cranes per acre than possibly anywhere else on earth and where new builds are no longer new builds by their first anniversary. Entering the lobby area, it felt a bit like when you’ve been invited to an event at short notice and start to flap about what to wear, only to find an old favourite hidden in drycleaners
plastic at the back of the wardrobe. Almost new, yet deliciously familiar and perfectly
well fitting.
We were met at the door of the restaurant with a Margarita and two broad smiles from welcoming hostesses, both of whom were perfectly affable and seemed to always be floating not too far away happy to bring something, be asked something or generally oversee that all guests were taken care of throughout the afternoon. There was another offering made of chocolate, but it looked rather thick and gloopy, so we declined to attempt it and made merry with our Mexican Cocktails and went to sit out
on the Terrace overlooking the Marina. It was a fabulous spot with just enough shade and a postcard perfect view of the glistening water below and the alluring Dubai skyline set out before us.
The Food
There is something deliciously decadent about being served by a waiter with a daredevil attitude and a gleeful glint in his eye. He introduced himself and then offered to take the members of our party on a “tour” of the brunch. He took time to point out the substantial array of dishes that had been prepared and introduced us to the chefs manning their stations, heaping seemingly sincere praise on their work and encouraging us to have a little try of everything so as not to miss out as nothing is left sitting there for very long. A feature backed up by Exec Chef Ioannis Psalidakis who proudly proclaimed that his chefs were put through their paces throughout the entire brunch, preparing everything “a la minute” from Freshly made Pasta and Grilled Seafood, to individually shaken salads made to order.
The gauntlet was thrown down to us, so we donned our superhero stomachs, and went on the attack. First stop was the Seafood station featuring Clams, Green-lipped Mussels, Calamari, Tiger Prawns and Freshly shucked Oysters, adorned by a choice of several sauces which worked well to lift the flavours of the mini seafood banquets on our plates.
Once the seafood had been devoured, we all sprung straight back up and headed off in different directions, some heading straight to the “roasts”, where there were
offerings including Whole Roast Lamb, Roast Beef Sirloin, Pork Loin and a Roast Chicken with all of the usual trimmings including wonderfully light Yorkshire Puddings, crispy Roast Potatoes, Parsnips, Market Vegetables and other sauces and well-seasoned gravies. Those who went straight for this option seemed to demolish their dishes in no time whatsoever and headed straight back for more of the same. We on the other hand headed for the salad bar where the Chef prepared a Caesar Salad to order, after pondering between the Marina Shake Salad or the Greek Salad and then to the Risotto and Pasta stations accompanied by a
waiter who took our orders for freshly prepared- at-the-counter Tortellini and Risotto with our own concoction of sauces and condiments. It was both refreshing and mesmerizing to stand and watch as the chef turned flour and dough into wonderful fresh pasta in front of our very eyes, and we could not escape the smell of the freshly grilled Seafood which permeated our senses from just to the right of the pasta. We felt obliged to order a mini selection of Calamari, Octopus, Tiger Prawns and a filet of fish from our obliging waiter, who allowed us to return to our seats with our salads before he delivered all of the dishes to our table shortly afterwards. The salad was lovely and fresh with just the right balance of ingredients except for an odd looking meat inclusion which we had difficulty identifying, suffice to say that it looked grey, so we left it. The pasta was beautifully prepared with the additional garlic and chilli we requested and went down a treat. The risotto was a little watery for our taste, lacking the creaminess of the authentic Italian dish, but, Mummy Brunch, being a lover of all things rice, loved it.
Unfortunately, the grilled seafood needed to stay on the grill for a significantly longer period, but having bitten into almost raw squid and calamari, our taste for more, properly cooked or not, evaporated, so we did not persevere with it. Instead, we moved on to the Dim Sum, Pickles a made to order Spicy Som Tam Salad, a Caviar Station with Beetroot, Balsamic and Watermelon, Bruschetta, Cured Meats and a selection of Manakish fresh out of the oven. (Warning…people seem to lurk around and whip these away as soon as they touch down so make sure you time your visits to snare one...they are delicious.)
Donning our superhero capes one last time, we headed back to try the Curry and Roasts first hand, including Mee Goreng Noodles, Beef Red Curry and Chicken with Basil and Chili as the rest of our party had all been impressed and dined on multiple helpings. There is a frustration in trying something at the end of a brunch that you know you would have enjoyed much earlier before reaching a degree of belly coma that only the hardiest of brunchers can cope with, BUT every so often the dish is so good that you actually cannot resist and have to eat it ALL. This was one such occasion. The lamb was succulent, flavourful, perfectly carved, and the gravy was divine.
We weren’t able to do the desserts full justice, but did hear rave reviews from our party in particular on the Whiskey Pecan Tart, The White Chocolate Mousse and the Apple and Cinnamon Tart with Gold Leaf. One of the most innovative desserts we have seen and tasted in a while though, and deserving of its own mention was the Chocolate Flower Pot. A real ceramic pot was stuffed with Chocolate Mousse, Oreo Cookies and Chocolate mud pieces and finally garnished with an edible flower, which along with the liquid nitrogen Gin & Tonic (mentioned later) was a real showstopper.
The Drink
We did have a short sojourn from eating midway through brunch, where our Superhero stomachs turned into temporary lead weights. Mrs Brunch, who always on the lookout for the unusual or in this case Funusual, remembered our waiters tour had included the offer of a gin/meringue/liquid nitrogen ensemble and ordered a round of “shots”. So cold (-140 degrees apparently) that they stuck to the bottom of our palates before emitting smoke from our mouths and tickling our juvenile humours before melting away leaving the faintest taste of Gin. They were a fabulous creation and deserving of another round almost immediately thereafter. Delighted with our delight, but mindful that one in our party did not like Gin, our waiter brought out yet another round of “shots”, this time entitled “Bloody Marys”. Cherry tomatoes infused with vodka served with small celery sticks. Again, ingenious and delicious.
Aside from these wonderous oddities, the usual selection of house spirits, along with White Wine (Hardys the Riddle – Sauvignon Blanc), Red (Hardys the Riddle – Cabernet Merlot) and Rose (Colombelle L’Original) were on offer from our excellent waiter all afternoon.
The general consensus on worst thing about the brunch was that there was only one beer on offer, Stella Artois, which is not a particularly generic beer given its strength and a tad mean given the fine array of other beverage varieties on offer; our beer drinkers had to make do with water after one or two as it was not a palatable option for them. We would have liked to have seen an alternative, slightly lighter malt offered to provide some balance.
The Other Stuff
The upmarket, contemporary décor, ambiance and general friendliness of the staff provide guests with an immediate embrace which allowed us to sit safe in the knowledge that unless the food was horrific, today, brunch was going to be comfortably fine at the very least.
The venue was chosen to host friends and family, so we hoped it would provide an accommodating backdrop for what would inevitably be loud conversation, merriment and raucous laughter. Being sat on the terrace overlooking the Yachts and Marina Mall was a huge USP, and the restaurant was full with lots of other groups who had clearly thought the same thing.
The other large groups for the most part contained a multitude of beautiful people. No shabby types in occupation here. All freshly starched, well coiffured with the whiff of expensive perfumes much in evidence as we mingled amidst the maze of foodie delights; not just the usual glamour crowd but grannies sporting Prada and fathers with their sons in matching jackets no less! Yet, the atmosphere was not one of stylish reserve, but one of casual convivial pleasure.
A poll of our party on things they would improve about the brunch found that the music did not quite befit the guests or location, and detracted from instead of adding to the ambience of the restaurant. Looping techno background beats more suited to the pub scenes in Ibiza were rather annoying especially given that the volume was at a level where it was more than background music but less than properly distinct.
The best thing about the brunch was unquestionably the service from our wait staff, who seemed to hover over our table in an almost motherly fashion nodding in approval at our choices, and the way that the dishes were all prepared fresh, and in small portions, with no large displays festering away.
A live performer or DJ would perhaps add an additional element of FUN, but a very welcome, classy new addition to the Brunch and Marina scene nonetheless.
Fridays from 12.30pm-4pm
AED 295 (Soft drinks),
AED 395 (House beverages)
AED 525 (House Beverages & Laurent Perrier Champagne)
To Book: Call 04 446 6669 or email res.icdubaimarina@ihg.com
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