Bushman's Lazy Lunch, Anantara the Palm

Bushman's restaurant turned out to be the antithesis of every reason we normally visit the Anantara on the Palm. It is our "go to" hotel in Dubai if we are ever feeling nostalgic about any of our trips to Thailand. Yet on this occasion, instead of following the authentic Thai designs of the rest of the hotel and transporting us to the shores of the Chao Phraya, Bushman's stands alone in both look and feel as it takes a leisurely jaunt across the Indian Ocean and lands squarely on the shores of Australia. Today, we were invited to Sample a variety of authentic ‘down under' dishes and let the afternoon drift by as we relaxed oourselves into an experience known as Bushman's Lazy lunch.

This saturday brunch incarnation boasts Australian-inspired surroundings, grazing stations, Aussie beverages and live Aussie entertainment.

Food

Our Brunch menu was entitled "Bushtucker" which had our entire table thinking of the bush tucker challenges on the TV show "I'm a Celebrity…Get me out of here. " Fortunately there were no creepy crawlies in sight here, just the simple instructions to Eat, Drink, Laze, Repeat and some tongue in cheek "Lazy Lunch Rules" which set the tone of the afternoon perfectly & are transcribed here for your reading pleasure:

Rule 1 - Don't always believe everything Australians say, some rules may or may not apply.

Rule 2 - Well you can't really be too lazy as lunch finishes at 4pm, but grab a seat in our bar or immerse yourself in the spectacular views on the outside terrace to end the day in style.

Rule 3 - Wander around and graze as much as you like on our appetisers and dessert stationsand when you're ready chose a main course from our menu to be served at your table.

Rule 4 - All guests must dance to at least one song performed by Jamie De Boucherville during lazy lunch.

Rule 5 - Refer to rule 1.

So, to begin our lazy afternoon we toured the grazing stations inside starting at the Oyster bar, which was set amongst a row of Aussie Canapés including Smoked Salmon, Air Dried Beef, Kangaroo Steaks and an interesting Kangaroo and Duck Roulade which we had certainly never seen or tried before.

Everything is neatly packed into quite a small area so we weren't required to wander around for too long, although don't let the size of the spread fool you into thinking there is a lack of variety. Far from it infact, as we stuffed our plates full with a variety of salads, Lamb Pies fresh from a mini oven, Calamari, Prawns, a Fishermans pie and stations where you could mix and create your very own Caesar Salad and Beef Tartar. A nice touch as the latter in particular is a dish best enjoyed when seasoned to your own individual palates.

Following our second trip to the grazing stations, we almost forgot that the main courses were still to come, so we focused our attentions on the menu-place matts beneath our battle worn plates and to the selection of 4 mains on offer. All to be served with Spiced Chips & Honey Roasted Root Vegetables.

The choices included Spit fired Wagyu Beef Rump, with a red wine jus and horseradish cream, a Pure Blonde Beer Battered Fish with house made tartar, a Roast corn fed Chicken Breast with Lamb Chorizo and Canellini beans, and finally a Kiplfer Potato frittata with grilled field Mushrooms and a rocket salad as the veggie option.

Our guests really liked the fact that the main meal is served to your table. That way everyone eats together for a portion of the meal rather than constantly popping to and from the buffet, reinforcing the feel of a long, laid back lunch.

Finally, and if you still have room…there is a hearty Cheese and Bread table and a dessert corner which included sweet morsels such as Passion Fruit and Mango pannacotta, Caramel Koalas, Strawberry Tart, Pavlova, Tim Tam and Anzac Tarts, and a deliciously indulgent Chocolate Fountain (ofcourse).

Drinks

From the drinks menu or "Bushman's Watering Hole" as they so aptly named it, were a Selection of cocktails of the day (Mojito or Billabong), Red or White Wine from Rawson's Retreat (Penfolds) and one of the healthiest selections of Beers we have seen at any brunch! Hops enthusiast could take their pick from either Fosters, Crown Lager, Pure Blonde, Tooheys Extra Dry, or VB. For those craving something altogether fruitier, and the things that seemed to appear at our table with the most regularity, were the 2 kinds of Sangria on offer. The Melbourne (White) included Orange Mango and Chardonnay, whilst The Richmond (White) included Kiwi, Peach, Plum, Apricots & Shiraz. Bonza!

The Other Stuff

The ambience at Bushmans Lazy lunch is modern Australian mixed with some traditional Aboriginal artwork and swirling patterns of corks and boomerangs on the ceilings and walls. The style was complimented by the odd comical Australian sign and double sided cushions sporting jokes which appealed to our sense of humour very much (i.e What do Australians call a boomerang that doesn't come back?......a Stick!! lol)

The skill in the crafting of cocktails is a personal preoccupation of ours, and if you are lazily hanging around the venue after brunch (as you no doubt will be), enjoying the sunset and uninterrupted views acoss to the Burj al Arab and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, we can certainly recommend a couple to try. The Gumnut claims to replicate the boozy effects which Koala Bears love from the Eucalyptus tree, served with Havanna Rum and Raspberries, and Ned Kelly's Secret is a whiskey concoction named after Autralias most famous bushranger, and served inventively inside a corkscrewed glass bottle, and hidden within the pages of a book. (Must be seen to be believed)

The atmosphere is casual and fairly relaxed as the name would suggest and there were a mix of family groups and couples when we visited. Service was swift and friendly, but the undoubted pinnacle of the entire afternoon was the performance of Sultry Singer, Songwriter and Musician Jaymie Deboucherville, who appeared on the Australian X Factor as recently as 2014. He is a soulful crooner with undoubted swagger, and used his voice as well as the now famous loop machine championed by Ed Sheeran to produce his own backing track and bassline live on stage. The result was a chilling, mesmerizing and spiritually enchanting vocal masterclass of a song originally by Matt Corby (Monday) which left our entire table in a stunned silence, with a few close to tears. Not to worry, he does also play upbeat covers too!

Bushman's Lazy lunch is an utterly unique experience in Dubai, and the casual mix of Australian comfort cooking with a tinge of fine dining is pulled off with aplomb. So as they say down under, "this place is sweet as…what a ripper!!"

Every Saturday 1-4pm

AED 220 including soft beverages

AED 330 including house beverages

To Book: Call 045678304 or email bushmans.dubai@anantara.com