Sunday Brunch @ Avenue Bar, Four Seasons Toronto

I’ve only got one Sunday in Toronto to spare for brunch with my friends and really wanted to spend it on something nice. After a long debate between Avenue @ Four Seasons and Origin we finally settled for Avenue’s Sunday Buffet Brunch.




I only managed to take shots of my food and not the actual Buffet Line as there were quite a number of people dining in the brunch. The Buffet was split into several small sections that included a Cold Cut/Salad Bar, Cooked Food Buffet, Carving Station, a Live Cooking Station for Eggs and Pasta and Desserts.








The quality of the food was good and favorites of mine included their Maple Roast Salmon and Eggs Benedict. However I was a little disappointed with the variety of the food especially their Dessert Station which had a limited number of Mini-Cakes and Pastries.






So far I’ve only been to two other Sunday Buffet Brunches in Toronto, Markham Hilton Suites and Windsor Arms. The quality of Avenue’s Cooked and Live Food Stations are on par with Windsor Arms. However I still prefer Windsor Arms as my favorite among the Brunches for offering a Wider Array of Dishes that includes Alaskan King Crab Legs and made to order Waffles, Pancakes and Scones.





Food: 3.7/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Price: $$$$$ (Approximately USD $55 per person)

Contact Information:
Address: 21 Avenue Road, Toronto, ON M5R 2G1, Canada
Tel: +1 416-964-0411 ‎
Web: www.fourseasons.com
Map:

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Sunday Brunch @ Lady Marmalade, Toronto

Being back in Toronto during Winter is something I don't look forward to. The weather is dull with temperatures hovering between -15 to -20 on certain days. With the addition of snow and slush my weekends are usually spent at home.

Having stayed home for two weekends, I finally convinced my lazy butt to drive Downtown for some Sunday Brunch with my friends at Lady Marmalade. It was freezing cold when I arrived and there was lineup outside the restaurant. Fortunately for me Sam got us a table by the time I came.




Hot Apple Cider

This was really good! The Apple Cider was very creamy and had a nice Cinnamon Flavor. The sweetness was well balanced with the sourness of the apples. An excellent beverage to kick start my Sunday Brunch.


Coffee

Nothing better to wake you up than Coffee


rockin’ morrocan free-run chicken & vegetable stew served on cous-cous and topped w/ sour cream, scallions & cilantro

This was a simple and hearty dish! The combination of spices, tomatoes, vegetables were excellent complements to the meaty texture of the free-run chicken. The minuscule grainy texture of the couscous was really nice with the stew! I loved it.


Lady Marmalade Bennies: Cheddar, Mango and Bacon served with Potatoes & Salad w/Lemony Hollandaise

The Egg was poached perfectly and the English Muffin had a nice crunch. One could taste the Mango Flavor that was sandwiched between the Muffin which surprisingly went well with everything else. The Potatoes or should I say home-style hash was well seasoned, soft on the inside and a little crunchy on the outside.


Tomato and Bacon Soup

This soup was definitely pure tomatoes. The texture was close to a Puree and had a hint of smokyness from the bacon.


Mexican Meatball

This Sandwich reminded me of a Turkish Kebab Sandwich. The Mexican Meatball tasted similar to a ground meat kebab and was very well seasoned with the spices.


Baked “crepe croque monsieur” w/ ham, cheddar & miso-scallion cream, served with poached eggs, spinach and potatoes

The Crepe had a ton of ingredients inside but somehow they all went well together.


Comfort Food with a twist is what I think of Lady Marmalade's dishes. For a heart warming brunch during Cold Winter Days, Lady Marmalade definitely hits the spot.


Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Price: $$ (Under USD $20 per person)


Contact Information
Address: 898 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M4M 1J3
Tel: +1 (647) 351-7645
Web: www.ladymarmalade.ca/
Map:

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Sunday Brunch @ Windsor Arms, Toronto

Back in Toronto, I have failed to find a Sunday Brunch that comes close to the quality and variety that are offered in cities like Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Maybe it’s because of the cost of operating a buffet that includes free flow Champagne, Caviar and Foie Gras or the culture of people preferring to have a good ala Carte brunch rather than stuffing themselves on an expensive buffet.

Whatever the reason maybe, I was still determined to find a decent Sunday Brunch Buffet in Toronto and after much discussion we headed to Windsor Arms Hotel in Yorkville.

The spread although much smaller than Asia, was the best brunch I've had so far in Toronto both in terms of quality and variety. The Cold Foods section included King Crab Legs, Poached Prawns and a number of Salads.








Baked goodies were also available with an assortment of Breads, Danishes and their legendary Scones. The Scones were very big and very good. It had a very light crisp texture and was moist and fluffy.





The chef was very thoughtful with the selection in the Hot Foods Section by choosing dishes that held up well with the constant heat of the buffet tray such as Braised Beef with Red Wine, Shellfish Stew and Eggplant Tofu. There was also a carving station offering Roast Lamb Leg and Prime Rib.





The best part of the Buffet were the items that were made fresh to order such as Eggs in any style, French Toast, Pancakes and Waffles. My order of Eggs Benedict was excellent with the yolk runny upon piercing and the English muffin slightly crisp. Pancakes were another favorite of mine. It was very fluffy and moist!






Desserts were also decent with a selection of Cakes that included Chocolate Fudge Cake, Cheese Cake, Coffee Cake and Raspberry Cake. There was also a tray of Muffins and a selection of daily fruits on order.








Overall I was very satisfied with the Brunch at Windsor Arms. It may not compare with Asia but it's the best I've had so far in Toronto. The great company, ambiance and excellent service definitely made it a very satisfying way to celebrate a Summery Sunday.




Food: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Price: $$$$$ (USD $40 per person excluding tips and taxes)

Contact Information
Address: 18 St. Thomas St. Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 3E7
Phone: 416-971-9666 Fax: 416-921-9121
Toll Free : 1-877-999-2767
Web: http://www.windsorarmshotel.com/companyinfo
Map:

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Sunday Brunch @ Oriental Bangkok

Having our first Sunday Brunch at Peninsula Bangkok we figured it is only appropriate to have our second brunch of 2010 at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Thailand's oldest and most famous hotel.



Two Sunday Branches are offered at the Mandarin Oriental. The first is their Chinese Restaurant China House which we tried a few months ago and were honestly quite disappointed. The second is Lord Jim's their Fine Dining Seafood Restaurant which is where we dined today.



Unlike Peninsula's Cafe Terrace where the atmosphere was much more relaxed and there is an outdoor and indoor dining area, Lord Jim's setting was posh and only offered an indoor dining area that overlooks the Chao Phraya River. Shorts are not allowed and the decor emphasized its seafood theme right from the walkway up to the main dining room.





When it comes to food both differ in their offerings. Lord Jim's had a lot less than Peninsula's brunch but for every identical dish they served Phin and I felt that Lord Jim's served it better.

Their Caviar selection included Avruga and Sevruga Caviar something that is not offered in Peninsula. They did not however refill the Sevruga Caviar once it was finished. I guess it got too expensive with people like Phin eating a quarter of it.




Foie Gras was the best we've had in a Sunday Brunch. This is surprising for us because their Foie Gras was basically cooked in batches and left on the plate warmer unlike the other brunches where it is cooked to order. There is no gamey taste to their foie gras at all.



From the Roast Section the Roast Ham and Duck was to die for. Both roasts were so tender with the ham almost melting in your mouth.




Oysters, Sashimi and Prawn Cocktail were very fresh and so was their Foie Gras Pate which had a real buttery texture.






There were some let downs as well with the brunch. I did not bother with the Tempura because they were fried in batches and left to sit making the batter very soggy. The Grilled Slipper Lobsters were overcooked after sitting in the plate warmer for some time and the Roast Beef was also very tough.





Desserts I enjoyed included their assorted Thai Desserts, Crepes Suzette and Macaroons. The cakes in my opinion were a little boring and simple.







We definitely enjoyed our brunch here. Lord Jim's offering maybe the smallest I've been to but the quality of their Caviar, Foie Gras, Oysters, Roast Ham and Duck are something that is worth coming for. The price per person is THB 1550++ for food only, which is cheaper than Sheraton Grande, Four Seasons and Peninsula. I've got a lot more pictures where you can view it at my Flickr Set.










We thought long and hard over who has the better brunch, Peninsula or Mandarin Oriental and have agreed that they are both good in their own way. If you're idea of a brunch is quality food (Caviar, Foie Gras and Oysters) in a formal atmosphere than Oriental is your best bet. If you like a wider variety of food, Grilled Boston Lobsters, Hokkaido Oysters in a more relaxed environment than Peninsula is the place to be.

Food: 4.5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Price: $$$$ (Approx USD $75 per person including Champagne)

Contact Information
Address: 48 Oriental Avenue, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Tel:+66 (2) 659 9000
Web: www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/