The Superhero Brunch at Mazina - The Address Dubai Marina, Dubai

Remember the days as a child when you watched Superman for the first time? The awe with which you saw him fly and your parents had to remind you not to try it? How about how you always cheered for Batman against the bad guys? Or as a girl when you swapped Barbie for Wonder Woman? Superheroes have fascinated us throughout our childhood and as parents, we have indulged our children the way we were indulged by our parents when it comes to superheroes. 

Well, when I took my daughter to the Superhero brunch at The Address Dubai Marina, I am not sure who was more fascinated of the two of us. The idea of superheroes connects with all of us on some level, making it a very clever idea.


Some talking points from the brunch

1. A dedicated kids' brunch 

Forget the sad chicken nuggets and fries, a candy floss machine and a clown so ubiquitous at brunches. This brunch has a dedicated kids' area, with staff minding kids while parents, a few meters away, can enjoy brunch for 3 hours while their kids connect with others their own age. A bouncy castle! Indoors. How cool is that? A face painter with real talent. A big screen movie of course. On the food front, there are 4 dishes including Vegetables,  Egg noodles and of course Chicken nuggets which are anything but sad. I like that during brunch my daughter came to sit with me to have a dish from the adult station and then went back to her brunch, keeping the connection. 



  Saturdays are fun again

 I like the idea of a Saturday brunch. There is something very depressing when the time hits 1pm and you remember that you have work the next day. A brunch like this allows you to end the weekend on a high, or to revise TS Eliot, with a bang and not a whimper. The timing  12.30-3.30pm ensures there is enough time to get home and 'prepare the kids for school the next day during term time. 

Food, food, food!
The buffet is not huge by any stretch of the imagination - a good thing. Brunches need to start being about sustainability and less wasting, and smaller brunches help to make this possible. But make no mistake, there are still many dishes from which to choose. Highlights for included the Japanese station where there was a decent selection of maki rolls and nigiri sushi - good quality rice that was well cooked made this an excellent station. 
 The Asian station  offered a wide range of dim sum that was eclipsed only by the live Beijing duck station. I also had much joy at the Indian station where fresh naan prepared in the tandoor could be enjoyed with a number of curries that went beyond the usual butter chicken. 



As a meat lover I was in my element. Firstly, pork done 3 ways - even in a place like Dubai that is impressive; cold cuts, loin and Crackling pork belly that puts the Crrrr in crackle! Secondly, a perfectly cooked strip loin that could not have been better cooked.  I have mentioned before that I avoid roast beef at brunches because they are invariably dry and over cooked. Finally, lamb and turkey made this a memorable brunch in this regard.  On the sweet front, look no further than the traditional puddings - Sticky toffee, Apple crumble and the bread and butter pudding. Heavy on carbs but so good. 

 Plaudits to Chef de Cusine Novy and his team for some outstanding dishes. 




 Drinks

In addition to the usual cocktails one gets at brunches, Laurent Perrier NV champagne ensured that the champagne package holders were happy. It is a really good NV champagne and is worth the extra money that hotels spend on getting this rather than 2 or 3  of the other typical brunch champagnes around. There is a definite elegance abut Laurent Perrier. For the mid-range package, a choice of wines from 2 reds - a Shiraz and Malbec and 2 whites - Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc showed great sensibility. I can't understand how brunches can give guests a red and a white to choose from as if a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc are the same.








Service

Quick and no fuss service. I love it when drinks are topped up without staff needing to be prompted. The same applies to cutlery being replaced. No issues here. I try not to single out staff because they work as a team, but if you have the pleasure of being waited on by Pankaj, it will be  a real treat. He is real and down to earth with a such a warmth about him. 

 The dedicated superheroes, in costume, were amazing. While there is air conditioning, it takes a lot for staff to move around for three hours and never stop smiling with kids. It takes physical energy. Even 30 minutes before brunch was to end, service did not slacken. That is what I want to see at a  brunch!

My daughter summed it up from a  child's point of view - and she has been to many brunches: This is the best kids brunch ever! I have to agree with her. If I were 10, I would want to come back here, but the strength of the brunch is that it is not just for kids. It is for families, yes, but I also saw a lot of single friends having brunch. And for me, though, there is still room for improvement. I would like to see more on-the-floor engagement by chefs and the music needs tweaking. But overall, a super brunch that delivers on its concept. So, if you consider that the brunch is as good as it is but can get even better, that can only be good news for guests. With so many brunches around, this is a brunch that will stick in memory. But I am in trouble now - I have to find a free Saturday to bring my daughter back!

The lowdown

 Superhero Brunch
Mazina Restaurant
The Address Dubai Marina,
Dubai Marina
PO Box 329323Dubai
+971 4 436 7777
The Address Dubai Marina

 Brunch packages
315 AED net soft drinks
440 AED net wine and cocktails
595 AED net Champagne

Brandon Stoltenkamp
Disclaimer: I am hotel and restaurant writer based in Abu Dhabi. I was at the hotel by invitation. 


Comments

Post a Comment