The Grand Grill - Friday "Brai - day" @ Habtoor Grand Hotel
Brunch Reviews | In Unspecified on August 18th, 2016
300-400 AED
Unspecified
Any South Africans amongst you, or as anyone with friends from SA will testify, "Friday is Braii Day." Those same folk will no doubt also vehemently state that South Africans are (among other things) the greatest proponents of this sport/pastime/ritual in the world.
The unashamed South Africanisms of the Grand Grill has ensured it will always have a special place in my heart. It was my very first Dubai brunch back in 2009. I have returned many a time for countless brunches, dinners and their infamous Chicken and Ribs night on a Tuesday, and the staff, more than anywhere else in Dubai go out of their way to ensure that you leave satisfied as much in spirit as much as you do in the stomach every time. So….caveat of bias out of the way, I will call this particular Friday Brunch exactly as I saw it on this particular day. (Personal account of Mr Brunch only…)
THE FOOD
The "Braii'd" meats at the Grand Grill have and will always been the main draw. It is more or less laughable to come here and expect anything else (although we did have a Vegetarian friend who came with us a while back and the kitchen knocked her up a pretty awesome Salmon dish!) That being said, a minuscule buffet greets diners as they enter and serves as a precursor to what everybody really came here for.
The Buffet included Beef Trinchado, Grilled Chicken Thighs, Rice with mixed vegetables, Mashed Potatoes, Runner Beans, Lamb Chops, Cauliflower Cheese, and the Beef Ribs that we had been accustomed to receiving fresh to order at the table on previous visits. Around the corner we found a selection of Cold Cuts, Blocks of Cheese, Beef Bresaola, Tomato and Feta Salad, Mixed Salad, Babaganoush, Potato Salad.
What I will say is that the Sirloin Steak "cooked to order" was supreme…perfect hatch grill marks and bang on the temperature we all ordered. I do remember there being a fillet available to order but we were not offered one and we were suitably happy with what we got.
We will say as little about the desserts as we can humanly get away with. The restaurant does everything else so well, you can forgive them for not being the greatest pastry chefs as well as grill masters. What were they? a trifecta of clear presentation plates filled with an assortment of mini dessert "bites" is all that the description warrants. They looked like a shop bought afterthought and being completely honest, did not tempt either of us (or any of the other brunchers) enough to try and the display remained largely untouched all afternoon.
THE DRINK
Here is where the guys at the Grand Grill shine so brightly. Whereas the selection is not the most wide-ranging…it certainly stays true to its roots with a selection of "Out of Africa" branded Chardonnay & Shiraz, JC le roux sparkling wine, and Klipdrift brandy which has earned a cult status back in South Africa. They also take the stress out of beer ordering and instead of delivering a solitary Amstel or Savanna Dry if you prefer cider, the helpful waiters dole out ice buckets full of the things…making everyone's lives a lot easier, as well as giving that authentic back yard BBQ (sorry…Brai ) feel, especially on busier days.
OVERALL
As I mentioned above, we have to call the particular day as we saw it, and whilst usually a HUGE fan of the restaurant, the occasion was somewhat spoiled by what seemed like a sense of unpreparedness. The outdoor seating area was hastily strewn together (albeit due to the rain) and the shading and music took a further 30 minutes to turn on, which hampered the usually ebullient atmosphere to begin with. With no brunch menu's or clear instruction as to what was included, it was pretty much left down to guesswork and past experiences. The Ribs were also more impactful when they were ordered fresh off the grill rather than added to the buffet.
Once the Music/DJ did get going, the familiar mixture of U2, Coldplay, Savage Garden and UB40 seemed to raise the blood sugar levels around the whole venue, and the staff reverted to the bounding, singing, drum banging familiarity of which I had become so fond.
Overall, external circumstances taken into consideration, I believe it was just an off colour day for the usually colourful "Bafana Bafana." It was as tough for me to write this as it is watching your favourite football team lose to your rivals on derby day. Nevertheless, continue to support them I will, and with the star steaks they produced still giving it that "wow" factor, it is a wonder why they do anything else. As a humble man, a piece of meat on a plate that is cooked to order is all that I need. I live in expectant hope that the brunch I so fondly remember will return to its former glory and that rain won't stop play and cause such a slow start again.
Friday at 12.30pm - 4.00pm is "Brai"day
AED 255 including soft drinks
AED 325 including selected beverages
Bookings Email: reservations@thegrandgrill.com or Phone: +971 (4) 399 4221
The Buffet included Beef Trinchado, Grilled Chicken Thighs, Rice with mixed vegetables, Mashed Potatoes, Runner Beans, Lamb Chops, Cauliflower Cheese, and the Beef Ribs that we had been accustomed to receiving fresh to order at the table on previous visits. Around the corner we found a selection of Cold Cuts, Blocks of Cheese, Beef Bresaola, Tomato and Feta Salad, Mixed Salad, Babaganoush, Potato Salad.
What I will say is that the Sirloin Steak "cooked to order" was supreme…perfect hatch grill marks and bang on the temperature we all ordered. I do remember there being a fillet available to order but we were not offered one and we were suitably happy with what we got.
We will say as little about the desserts as we can humanly get away with. The restaurant does everything else so well, you can forgive them for not being the greatest pastry chefs as well as grill masters. What were they? a trifecta of clear presentation plates filled with an assortment of mini dessert "bites" is all that the description warrants. They looked like a shop bought afterthought and being completely honest, did not tempt either of us (or any of the other brunchers) enough to try and the display remained largely untouched all afternoon.
THE DRINK
Here is where the guys at the Grand Grill shine so brightly. Whereas the selection is not the most wide-ranging…it certainly stays true to its roots with a selection of "Out of Africa" branded Chardonnay & Shiraz, JC le roux sparkling wine, and Klipdrift brandy which has earned a cult status back in South Africa. They also take the stress out of beer ordering and instead of delivering a solitary Amstel or Savanna Dry if you prefer cider, the helpful waiters dole out ice buckets full of the things…making everyone's lives a lot easier, as well as giving that authentic back yard BBQ (sorry…Brai ) feel, especially on busier days.
OVERALL
As I mentioned above, we have to call the particular day as we saw it, and whilst usually a HUGE fan of the restaurant, the occasion was somewhat spoiled by what seemed like a sense of unpreparedness. The outdoor seating area was hastily strewn together (albeit due to the rain) and the shading and music took a further 30 minutes to turn on, which hampered the usually ebullient atmosphere to begin with. With no brunch menu's or clear instruction as to what was included, it was pretty much left down to guesswork and past experiences. The Ribs were also more impactful when they were ordered fresh off the grill rather than added to the buffet.
Once the Music/DJ did get going, the familiar mixture of U2, Coldplay, Savage Garden and UB40 seemed to raise the blood sugar levels around the whole venue, and the staff reverted to the bounding, singing, drum banging familiarity of which I had become so fond.
Overall, external circumstances taken into consideration, I believe it was just an off colour day for the usually colourful "Bafana Bafana." It was as tough for me to write this as it is watching your favourite football team lose to your rivals on derby day. Nevertheless, continue to support them I will, and with the star steaks they produced still giving it that "wow" factor, it is a wonder why they do anything else. As a humble man, a piece of meat on a plate that is cooked to order is all that I need. I live in expectant hope that the brunch I so fondly remember will return to its former glory and that rain won't stop play and cause such a slow start again.
Friday at 12.30pm - 4.00pm is "Brai"day
AED 255 including soft drinks
AED 325 including selected beverages
Bookings Email: reservations@thegrandgrill.com or Phone: +971 (4) 399 4221
