The Big Brunch on 8, Media One Hotel
Media One have revamped, re-jigged, re-modelled and re-energised their Brunch offering to include a triple threat unlike any other Dubai has ever seen. Spanning the entire 8th floor, the Big Brunch on 8 has 3 unique terrains to traverse, each with their own unique personality and preferred style of footwear assigned to it. So whether you are a Hannah Heel (The Med), a Charlie Converse (Garden on 8), or a Frankie Flipper (Dek on 8) there should in theory be a place for you to call you own…Let's see if Media One can succeed where many others have failed…in attempting to be "all things to all people."
The Food
One thing that struck us as soon as we entered the Med for our pre brunch walk around (we got there early to avoid the ques pre-paying downstairs and to take some snaps) we noticed that they had significantly "upped" their game since our last visit to a brunch here, certainly at least in terms of aesthetics. Every available crevice is utilised to flamboyantly show off items of food which screamed out to be picked up and gobbled, starting with the Salad display as you enter. There were traditional serving bowls with a Peri Peri Chicken Fajita Salad, a Mango and Blueberry Quinoa Salad, an Italian Pasta Salad with Corn and Black Beans, A rustic Greek Salad with Feta and Lemon Oil Dressing and a tasty Waldorf Salad. There were also dainty individual portions such as a Gulf Prawn Cocktail with capers, quail egg, dill and Marie Rose sauce served in a sherry glass, a Vegetable, Ranch Chicken Salad in a brandy glass, and a Tomato and Goats cheese Salad served in a Champagne flute.
Next on the agenda were the numerous silver serving trays and live stations scattered inventively around the interior of the Med, taking on various themes ranging from International to Sushi to Mexican and everything in between. The Variety at the cold Seafood bar was impressive, boasting Razor Clams and the normal variety, Mussels, Shell on Prawns, Crayfish and whole Blue Crab. The International Dishes contained a variety of favourites from across the globe, including Butter Chicken, Oyster Beef, Chicken Vol Au Vents, Grilled Salmon with Whole Grain Mustard, Smoked Paprika Chicken and braised Red Cabbage with a Cider and Apple Salad, a Roast Prime Rib of Beef from the Carvery with Baby Roast Potatoes, Grilled Vegetables and Yorkshire Pudding making up the expected list of trimmings. Special mentions also must be made of the Mexican Station, complete with Sombrero's, Sol and Sizzling Salsa and to the Live Pasta and Freshly Baked Pizza stations, which even though too filling for our normally carb-free brunch diets…looked creative and alluring.
The Dek on 8 also plays host to a BBQ station serving up a less ostentatious, but still more than adequate selection of Beef Burgers, Marinated Beef Cuts, Grilled Chicken Skewers, Corn on the Cobb and Hot Dogs which you can eat more comfortably on the move than some of the more finicky dishes from inside.
Dessert was an amalgamation of Colours, Sparkles and sweet toothed artworks which made the walk from the med towards the Dek on 8 like a journey through Willy Wonka's sweet factory. We had Fruit Skewers with Mango Coulis, Multicolored Macaroons, Mini Portions of Carrot Cake, Chocolate Profiteroles and Red Velvet Cake, Baked Cheesecake, Mango Mousse Cake, a Blue and Pink Pavlova, Multi Colored Lollipop Trees, Individual English Trifles, Savory Scones with Jam, Vodka Lemon Jellies, and of course…a Chocolate Fountain!
The Drink
Drinks are a veritable banquet of variety at the Big Brunch on 8, with your particular locality forming the basis of most of your decisions, without ever restricting you to purely what's on offer there. Here is our tale of the tape. Unfortunately, there was slight element of confusion which had us sitting outside in the Garden as opposed to the Med which we had requested. Whilst the staff scurried about trying to resolve the situation, we took the opportunity to scour the terrain and started with the open ice buckets of Amstel and Strongbow, which were gulped down at pace by our hot and sweaty group. (All of this seat changing and guest corralling was thirsty work!) We then sampled the Sky Vodka Ice tea and a Bacardi Cocktail stations which were essentially free pouring, and in a final showing of extreme trust in their brunching patrons by the Media One Hotel Management, the impressive Sky Vodka shots bar on the Dek, featuring Blue and Red mixed shots to pick away at your leisure. Once seated inside (thank you management) we were served meticulously by our waiter with a selection of Spirits, Sparkling Wine, Red (Malbec 2012) and Rose (Santa Digma 2013) from the bar.
The Atmosphere
Each area has such a different feel to it, you want to give each a fair chance to shine. From the chilled out Ibiza style of the Dek on 8 where Brunchers and Holiday Makers staying at the hotel mix effortlessly on loungers, to the Pub Sports feel of the Garden. Here, guests relax on the park benches which have been specially cooled by giant AC vents until the competitive and teenage spirit can be held in no longer and the urge to show your dominance at Table Foosball and Giant Jenga completely takes over. Meanwhile, the fear of Impending Karaoke at 3pm in the Med was enough to see our entire group vacate the premises to the safety of the Dek, although sneaking my head back inside I was tempted to get involved in proceedings and the musical entertainment provided by Radio One's Big Nick Robinson was definitely worth the occasional ear bashing from a tone deaf bruncher. I think the key here is that a potentially painful experience is handled in just about the right way. I may even be brave enough to put my name down for my signature showstopper next time!
Overall
The Food at The Big Brunch on 8 is a definite triumph, as are the self-serve drinks stations which somewhat alleviate the pressure on the bar staff inside, although last orders were predictably a little frantic. With the option to continue the party at the Dek on 8 with their happy hour from 4:00 - 6:00pm, it needn't have been so. There is also a night owls Brunch at the Med if you have not yet had your fill, and if you book both brunches, or if you book a table of 10, the Hotel will give you a free room for the night!! Bargain… Attending with such a large group can sometimes become hazardous to your social attachments, as the sheer size of the landscape available to investigate can mean that you are never in one place for too long. Perhaps that is a good thing. You never get the chance to feel stagnated as there is always something new going on, and as party Brunches go, it ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of people.
There are not many Brunches in Dubai able to offer enough satisfaction and intrigue to want to visit on 2 or even 3 consecutive weeks, but somehow, and we'll have to visit again to put our finger on exactly what it is…but we think the Big Brunch on 8 might just have it…
12.30pm-4pm
375 AED with house drinks
595 AED with bubbly
Reservations: bite@mediaonehotel.com or call 0427 1000
