Street Art Brunch @ The Oberoi (The Return)
Brunch Reviews | In Unspecified on March 19th, 2016
200-300 AED
Unspecified
Friday Brunches are an ever-evolving beast in Dubai, and The Friday afternoon Street Art Brunch at the Oberoi Hotel (Nine7One) is one which scored a "good", whilst not "outstanding" review from us on our last visit. So with new concepts being devised, tweaked and altogether scrapped from Brunch offerings on an almost weekly basis, we felt it only right to give the Street Art another crack at the whip and see if any of our comments had been taken into account from before.
The Food
As before, the amazing range of food spills into both the foyer and outdoor areas of the ground floor, but the majority of the food is in the main restaurant. Tables are well spaced out, as are the food stations. Staff were attentive, welcoming and couldn't do enough to ensure our experience was enjoyable! It was music to our ears to hear that the themed buffet changes once a fortnight to keep things fresh and the chef's on their toes…. On our visit, the theme of the day was South American/Mexican and the chefs were supported by interns from South America which made the experience all the more authentic. The popular Thai and Indian stations from our last visit remain each week.
The brunch menu was well explained, which considering the range of foods that were on offer is an impressive feat. Starting with the street food in the foyer, which included cheeses, cold meats, breads and fish. We loved how the lobster was pre-shredded and marinated but kept in the shell, something we have yet to see anywhere else. This makes it a wonderfully simple experience as opposed to the usual battle you face with claws, grips and hammers. Moving inside the main restaurant, the menu explained what each ‘main station' provided, from the "Thai Workout" to the "Indian Street Walk". It was a useful guide for knowing where to head to next, as well as providing a history of the foods we were eating.
A great feature of this brunch was the interactive food station where we could make our own Som Tam. We loved being a part of the cooking process, and the aromas that came from this were truly splendid!
With the majority of the food being specific to South America, it was nice to hear the chefs providing descriptions, not just names of the less obvious foods and it was almost as if you were transported to the streets of Rio de Janeiro and the chefs were street food hawkers trying to sell you their wares. It was fantastic getting to try foods that we would never normally eat., and with the food all cooked in front of you, you get to learn how to make some of these authentic dishes yourself! We were particularly enamored with the noodle soup, which drew us in with its spicy aroma. We chose everything that went into it, from the meats to the spices. The chef also brought platters to our table and explained each item again - forcing us to experience things which we might otherwise have neglected. The shredded beef sandwiches were a highlight of ours as well as the Lamb from the outdoor grill, both were particularly flavorsome!
The dessert selection was an extraordinary choice of Apple Crumble, Oreo cheesecake, mini Raspberry mousses and much much more. We made a concerted effort to squeeze in as many desserts as possiblt this time around as we had filled ourselves up by this point last time…and we are glad that we did! We loved the white and milk chocolate fountain which was accompanied by a range of fruits, marshmallows and meringues. They even had a lady by the meringue station showing us how to breathe ‘smoke' from her combination of liquid nitrogen meringues and hot water. The range again was excellent beyond measure and every square inch of the section was imaginatively presented. But then again…the food was immense last time, it was the next area in which we had a slight axe to grind.
The Drink
Soo what did we learn from last time. Every guest still receives a glass of prosecco on arrival….Check.
The Bacardi, Martini Bianco and Bombay Sapphire stations are heavily prominent, rustling up a variety of cocktails which could be ordered at the table or by visiting the bar yourself. Check.
Beer and Wine not available….oh, wait a minute. (Holds hands aloft in joyous celebration!). Thank goodness that the self-inflicted limitations on the beverage selection which we described last time as "self-defeating" have been addressed.
Now along with the impressive stations mentioned above, you are now also free to enjoy an entire range of premium spirits, Beer, Wine Prosecco, cocktails and shots with your meal. It was table service for drinks, but we were never without at least three drinks each on our table! There was also nothing stopping us going up to the Bacardi bar to ask for drinks ourselves. Mrs B's glass was always topped up with prosecco and I never went without a tasty strawberry mojito!
Going along with the South American theme, the chefs also prepared a themed shot consisting of gin, cream and mint, which we swirled before consuming. The flavours worked so well together and it was actually an enjoyable shot rather than the throat burners we are used to receiving! Another novel and enjoyable feature was being able to chew on sugar cane sticks which had been soaked and infused with Bacardi; slightly sweet and sinister at the same time!
The Other Stuff
The restaurant is bright and spacious with modern, if not slightly ostentatious décor and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Guests can choose to sit either inside or outside, but as it was a cool, cloudy day we picked inside. The music was one of the many things we enjoyed so much last time, with a soundtrack of both current and nostalgic hits to take you through the afternoon, again with the smallest of slants towards Sothern America. It really picked up the vibe and complimented the food.
It is the "little touches" that make this brunch special. From the girls coming around the tables serving freshly shucked Oysters, the floating art work on entry and the Mojito sandwiches (which despite sounding Horrendous were actually really great!!). The attention to detail in the preparation, presentation, delivery and explanation of each dish, particularly with the team of knowledgeable, native chefs are a huge selling point
The atmosphere was not overly buzzing on our particular visit…perhaps something to do with the previous lack of flexibility in the beverage offering. But with a new lease of life in that department, and more people flocking through the doors to appreciate the "Culinary Carnival" that is on offer, we have no doubt that the Street Art Brunch will become as popular as it now deserves to be!
Every Friday 1pm - 4pm
Soft Drinks Packages AED 260
House Beverages Package AED 399 (Book for groups of 4 or more and pay AED 360)
To Book: 04 444 1407 or email restaurants.dubai@oberoihotels.com
The brunch menu was well explained, which considering the range of foods that were on offer is an impressive feat. Starting with the street food in the foyer, which included cheeses, cold meats, breads and fish. We loved how the lobster was pre-shredded and marinated but kept in the shell, something we have yet to see anywhere else. This makes it a wonderfully simple experience as opposed to the usual battle you face with claws, grips and hammers. Moving inside the main restaurant, the menu explained what each ‘main station' provided, from the "Thai Workout" to the "Indian Street Walk". It was a useful guide for knowing where to head to next, as well as providing a history of the foods we were eating.
A great feature of this brunch was the interactive food station where we could make our own Som Tam. We loved being a part of the cooking process, and the aromas that came from this were truly splendid!
With the majority of the food being specific to South America, it was nice to hear the chefs providing descriptions, not just names of the less obvious foods and it was almost as if you were transported to the streets of Rio de Janeiro and the chefs were street food hawkers trying to sell you their wares. It was fantastic getting to try foods that we would never normally eat., and with the food all cooked in front of you, you get to learn how to make some of these authentic dishes yourself! We were particularly enamored with the noodle soup, which drew us in with its spicy aroma. We chose everything that went into it, from the meats to the spices. The chef also brought platters to our table and explained each item again - forcing us to experience things which we might otherwise have neglected. The shredded beef sandwiches were a highlight of ours as well as the Lamb from the outdoor grill, both were particularly flavorsome!
The dessert selection was an extraordinary choice of Apple Crumble, Oreo cheesecake, mini Raspberry mousses and much much more. We made a concerted effort to squeeze in as many desserts as possiblt this time around as we had filled ourselves up by this point last time…and we are glad that we did! We loved the white and milk chocolate fountain which was accompanied by a range of fruits, marshmallows and meringues. They even had a lady by the meringue station showing us how to breathe ‘smoke' from her combination of liquid nitrogen meringues and hot water. The range again was excellent beyond measure and every square inch of the section was imaginatively presented. But then again…the food was immense last time, it was the next area in which we had a slight axe to grind.
The Drink
Soo what did we learn from last time. Every guest still receives a glass of prosecco on arrival….Check.
The Bacardi, Martini Bianco and Bombay Sapphire stations are heavily prominent, rustling up a variety of cocktails which could be ordered at the table or by visiting the bar yourself. Check.
Beer and Wine not available….oh, wait a minute. (Holds hands aloft in joyous celebration!). Thank goodness that the self-inflicted limitations on the beverage selection which we described last time as "self-defeating" have been addressed.
Now along with the impressive stations mentioned above, you are now also free to enjoy an entire range of premium spirits, Beer, Wine Prosecco, cocktails and shots with your meal. It was table service for drinks, but we were never without at least three drinks each on our table! There was also nothing stopping us going up to the Bacardi bar to ask for drinks ourselves. Mrs B's glass was always topped up with prosecco and I never went without a tasty strawberry mojito!
Going along with the South American theme, the chefs also prepared a themed shot consisting of gin, cream and mint, which we swirled before consuming. The flavours worked so well together and it was actually an enjoyable shot rather than the throat burners we are used to receiving! Another novel and enjoyable feature was being able to chew on sugar cane sticks which had been soaked and infused with Bacardi; slightly sweet and sinister at the same time!
The Other Stuff
The restaurant is bright and spacious with modern, if not slightly ostentatious décor and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Guests can choose to sit either inside or outside, but as it was a cool, cloudy day we picked inside. The music was one of the many things we enjoyed so much last time, with a soundtrack of both current and nostalgic hits to take you through the afternoon, again with the smallest of slants towards Sothern America. It really picked up the vibe and complimented the food.
It is the "little touches" that make this brunch special. From the girls coming around the tables serving freshly shucked Oysters, the floating art work on entry and the Mojito sandwiches (which despite sounding Horrendous were actually really great!!). The attention to detail in the preparation, presentation, delivery and explanation of each dish, particularly with the team of knowledgeable, native chefs are a huge selling point
The atmosphere was not overly buzzing on our particular visit…perhaps something to do with the previous lack of flexibility in the beverage offering. But with a new lease of life in that department, and more people flocking through the doors to appreciate the "Culinary Carnival" that is on offer, we have no doubt that the Street Art Brunch will become as popular as it now deserves to be!
Every Friday 1pm - 4pm
Soft Drinks Packages AED 260
House Beverages Package AED 399 (Book for groups of 4 or more and pay AED 360)
To Book: 04 444 1407 or email restaurants.dubai@oberoihotels.com
