St Regis Garden Court Sunday Brunch, Beijing
It had been about a year since I last visited St Regis' Garden Court for their Sunday brunch. ( St Regis Brunch 2018) Needless to say, but I'll say it regardless, I was curious to see how the brunch had changed. The brunch here is in the upper ranges of brunch in Beijing, that is, the 600 yuan + category, so I was expecting a dash of luxury. Here are some of my impressions of the brunch.
The tried and tested...
The brunch remains quite similar to the one I had last time, with core stations still in place. I was thrilled to see the caviar station still offering guests a taste of affordable luxury, while the oysters remain too. It is worth noting that they now offer David Herve oysters. I must say that I have tried these at two other brunches, and I think they offer hotels a great balance between price and flavour. They of give an unbelievable reminder of the sea - make sure to ask for them not to be 'washed' to rid of them the sediment; these oysters shuck beautifully, so no need to waste that beautiful liquor.
Another one of my favourites, foie gras, is still on the menu, with Chef Victor Zhou's conception still working for me - foie gras with caramelised onions. If you have not tried this, make sure you have it. This is a great combination, eschewing the usual jam / compote and foie gras that can be so ubiquitous. Finally, it was good to see that pass arounds are still part of the brunch. One of my dishes of the day was a pass around - the eggs benedict served with a side salmon dish that packed flavour. I had this with a mimosa for that breakfast feeling - magical. Well done to the chefs for hollandaise sauce that did not overwhelm the dish. Finally, one other pass around, the souffle was as disappointing as it was dry. A simple solution, but one that complicates service, is to have a vanilla sauce or scoop of vanilla ice cream to balance the dryness.
and for something new ...
Champagne. Ah, Champagne. Brunch is not the same without it, is it? I am pleased that the brunch had moved to Duval Leroy. It was my lucky day as that was the last time it was served. They have switched to Mumm since, which while nowhere near as good as the Duval Leroy, its brand recognition unfortunately surpasses the latter. Next, While lamb and beef were served the last time I was here, Chef has taken the quality up a notch, with both ingredients sourced from Australia, as opposed to locally which was the case last time. It was noticeably better.
On the sweet side, I enjoyed the chocolate station. I will call it the Death by chocolate station, highlighted by heavenly truffles, decadently rich in what I imagine is about 60% chocolate.
The best addition, though, in my mind, was the live Tiramisu station. Live stations win hands down for me, every time. They allow chefs to engage with guests - in theory. The end result? Well, the picture says it all. Taste? Delicious. On a side note, I stuck a lady finger in mine to give it added texture - highly recommended if you like your desserts with bite or crunch.
Looking ahead...
While I feel there have been some great additions to the brunch at St Regis, I am waiting for a station that will bring a new wow element. That for me is Indian. Chinese palates are developing a taste for Indian spices as evidenced by its prominence at a few other leading brunches in the city. I think it will be a perfect addition. Next, I would like to see Sabrage again. This is such a unique St Regis tradition, but I missed it on the two occasions I was at brunch in the last month. Brunches need something to set it apart from the rest and this is one of those things. I can say the same about the St Regis Bloody Mary. It would be good to see it back.
Overall verdict ....
The brunch remains a good one, but I want to see it taken up a level. I think a general freshening up of the brunch will help to attract new customers. I imagine most of the hotel's brunch guests are returning guests, but I see room for a younger crowd too. In addition, there are quite a few children that attend the brunch, so maybe the PDR adjacent to the dining area can be converted into a kids' area. I see enormous potential for the brunch . However, it is still a brunch I would recommend for sheer quality of food offered and value for money.
St Regis Sunday Brunch
St. Regis Hotel
Beijing
+86 10 6406688
Packages
Champagne 688 RMB
Wine and Beer 588 RMB
Sundays 12h00-15h00
Brandon Stoltenkamp
https://instagram.com/bmstoltenkamp/
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