The Park - Sunday Brunch
The Park Hotel at Hyderabad, flagship property of The Park Hotels' collection of boutique hotels is one of the finest luxury hotels in Hyderabad. The brand which has created its own USP for its loyal customers for stay and dine also has quite a few USP options from the AQUA, the poolside Alfresco is the poolside alfresco dining overlooking the Hussain Sagar Lake to the all day dining Verandah. Have heard about it a lot but haven't visited it owing mainly to distance and options more nearer. When invited by their PR team for their Sunday Brunch little did I know that the visit would turn out to be THE MOST MONSTROUS Brunch spread I would ever see in Hyderabad.
The re-vamped brunch is not your regular run-around-the-mill open buffet and make it tough for customers to chose or even recommend from where to start and where to finish. Most brunches spoil you with plethora of choices but what's missed is a clear gastronomic orchestration and choreo. Yes, its an art and you just cannot keep food expecting customers to have an experience. THE PARK Kitchen team with Head Chef Mr. Thimma Reddy and his meticulous planning makes this brunch one of the most excellently devised brunch JOURNEY and yes, its not a buffet. This Brunch Journey starts from the lobby area of the PARK and all the way into Verandah restaurant and also stretches into AQUA (poolside dining) and as you stroll alongside the pool the magnificent view of Hussan Sagar Lake entices you to just unwind and spend as much as time as possible.
Note: This review is based on Food Tasting Invite but review and opinion stands unbiased in interest of readers.
The spread is pure LAVISHNESS in terms of the options. I would go on the main key attraction(s) to me at an outset because going into the details of the dishes would be a movie that will go forever :)
Live Stations - You might not have not seen so many live cooking counters every under one roof. It starts from nowhere and keeps going on..... Indian Chaat Counter providing you the savory raj kachori, pani poori, bhel , sev puri , you name a chaat in your mind, they have it. They even impressed me in terms of innovation of Chicken Kachori which was an interesting twist to the regular one. Quite flavorful. Pasta Counter which serves for your Italian cravings. If you are into asian, there is Sushi counter to satiate your sushi cravings from the salmon to crunchy veggie variants with all sorts of toppings and condiments. You want to go south Indian, fear not South Indian Counter with varieties of dosa is to entice you. Dilse Hyderabadi and want kebabs, worry not Live Kebab Counter on charcoal with fish kebabs, liver fry, chicken kebabs on the grill. The kebabs tasted fine and could have been deeply marinated a bit more. Bored, you want something different, you got the enticing Maggi Counter where they created customized maggi combinations just for you by your choice. There is Bao Counter with prawns, veg and chicken variants. Breads counter for the morning breakfast maniacs with all sorts of breads and cheeses you can imagine. Health conscious, worry not there is DETOX counter with all sorts of detox energy drinks along with healthy salads and all associated condiments.
Not enough with the options, I know you would gasping by now , but we are still not done :) There is the unique molecular sorbet Counter which housed liquid nitrogen flash froze technique to device basil & mint sorbet for the kids and the most interesting sorbet you will ever have THE BEER & GINGER SORBET the making - the proportions excite you and one bite, you go into BEER-COMA. Beyond words to the point you go in for a flash freeze in your mind as well. MUST TRY for the Adulty Kids :P Then there is their USP aka Unique Selections Counter which serves something you never imagine to be served in buffet spread anywhere I have seen. Hyderabadi Haleem & Roasted chicken kabsa yes you read it, unlimited on the servings. Also they had their separate bar counter which was dishing out some of the most unique cocktails and mocktails for the customers throughout.
Kids Section - How can you not have anything for the kids on a Sunday?? worry not, they have live popcorn counter with loads of seasoning options, sugar candy, doughnuts, candy floss & a completely dedicated play area for them with a mini cricket kit as well. You just cannot get kids exciting more than this.
Main Brunch Spread - Now if you thought, this is already a huge spread ain't it over? Well hell no, we haven't even dwelled into their interior spread which is typical of any brunch spread. Right from the choices of breads and mainly the lovely focaccino bread . The freshness from the bakes was immense.
Dessert Brunch - Yes, I would term it exactly this way as it by itself a huge spread. Right from the simple chocolate pastry to complicated roulades , you name it, they got it. The Indian twist on many of them was screaming the thought process & prowess of the kitchen team and their chef thought process. My top picks were Orange & blueberry roulade, poached apple in mascarpone cream and many more. Oh man, you will go mad around these choices.
Now I know I cannot justify to have tried each section and each dish, It would be beyond INSANITY. So I had gone through this journey and on the travel within this spread, I could find some interesting dishes that caught my attention in terms of presentation or experimentation or something that you don't normally serve in brunches. I think I was able to taste most of it I wanted to try and I should say , everything impressed me which is a huge deal.
Hyderabadi Haleem yes it cannot beat the authentic old city Haleem variant but nonetheless this cannot be underestimated. The richness, the smooth texture, was evident and the generous toppings of pudhina, fried onions, ghee, lemon dash is all it takes to make it almost authentic one and indeed was flavor packed. Every blogger in the brunch loved it and that's more evident to say the USP did work from 1st dish itself.
Kabsa with roasted Chicken now you got to give credit to Chef and his team to even think of serving this authentic arabian dish in a brunch spread. Its just immense and to go beyond and even get justifiable response from fellow bloggers, now that's something. The flavors were bang on but the star was the roasted and golden glazed chicken. Literally stood evidence of "fall off the bone" and melted into the kabsa rice. The tomato & ginger chutney alongside was a perfect balance act and this dish really took all of us surprise and I should bow down just for the attempt.
Dessert Garden even before I could taste it, it scored 10/10 in terms of creative execution, artistic finesse and visual perfection. The garden setup is itself visual proof of their thinking to bring such finesse into a dessert offering to a brunch that too. Each simple ingredient in the setup had a unique flavor. Be it the carrot , mushrooms, the plant stem and many more. The plate itself was a platter of desserts and you are in a ride in this garden for sure. Brilliance personified.
Verdict :
Sunday Brunch by THE PARK - could easily be marked one of the most expensive brunch and you might re-consider but after my experience I feel its the most extensive and exclusive one of a kind brunch. Why ? well here comes in their pricing - INR 2000/- Al with IMFL (unlimited) , INR 3000/- Al with FML or if you are just for the food, experience, relaxation and don't mind alcohol then its a pretty STEAL DEAL offering at INR 1500/- without alcohol. Now you do the judgement call. I always thought brunches at such brand boutique hotels will be hole in the pocket but for the spread, the experience, the feel, the vibes, the ambiance and the overall mini-vacation experience, hey I don'd mind this place every now and then. Head out there and make your Sunday a real FUN-DAY or a FOODIE-DAY. Choice is yours but venue needs to be THE PARK.
Note: This review is based on Food Tasting Invite but review and opinion stands unbiased in interest of readers.