Breakfast in Dubai
23
March 2017
Andrésy Confitures couldn’t go to Dubai without doing the rounds of the breakfast buffets in this amazing city’s prestigious 5* hotels.
Driven by curiosity and a love of fine food, Andrésy Confitures sampled the breakfast buffets of Dubai’s classiest hotels, including the Sofitel Downtown, St Regis, W, Roda Al Murooj, Ritz Carlton, Conrad, Fairmont, Burj Al Arab, Steingenberger and even the Zuma’s prestigious brunch.
Breakfast buffet, W, Dubai.
© Andrésy Confitures
“Did you say continental buffet ?”
Each chef adds his or her own special touch to make breakfast something uniquely memorable;
Cédric d’Ambrosio, Executive Chef at the Sofitel Downtown, has done a remarkable job with his team by creating themed hubs with a distinctively French flavour. Brightly-coloured cast-iron casserole dishes for the hot dishes, multiple cheese platters, pancakes and waffles cooked to order and a magnificent jam bar!
At the St Regis, Executive Sous Chef Bijendra Yadav’s team have taken Versailles as their theme! Admittedly the hotel lends itself to the theme with its gold and marble, on a scale worthy of Louis XIV’s chateau! The presentations are chic and luxurious: think white veined marble, silver platters and cut glass. Breathtaking!
At the adjoining W, another fine hotel in the Starwood Group, there is a totally different feeling – futuristic and design-oriented – as soon as you enter.
This time the team of chefs has worked on a buffet that highlights closeness and simplicity, with strawberry, cherry and mango jams in large, self-serve jars, a honey bar, a collection of sweet pastries, a central hot unit, and cereals and dried fruit available from glass jars like sweets.
At the Roda Al Murooj, you can have breakfast on the outdoor terrace to enjoy the mild morning air. The pastries are presented in little wooden crates, the yogurts can be found near old-style milk jugs, and a charming horse-drawn caravan serves pancakes with delicious “home-made” apricot and strawberry jams.
“What about the brunches?”
Friday brunch in Dubai is not to be missed, whether you opt for the Versailles lights of the St Regis or the trendy atmosphere of the Zuma!
Confitures? Where?
Jam is a staple of breakfasts in Dubai, whether served at table or at the buffet, and we at Andrésy Confitures are not going to complain about it!
Each hotel has its own signature jam tray: in white veined marble at the St Regis, in black or grey transparent designer plexiglass at the Sofitel Downtown and at the Roda Al Murooj, or in wood at the Conrad. Depending on the hotel, the jam trays hold between three and six flavours of jam, placed conveniently on the tables.
The jams are also available from the buffet, next to the toast or pancake and waffle counters. They are often “home-made” with locally-grown fresh fruit.
Four flavours tend to dominate: orange, strawberry, raspberry and apricot. The St Regis is the only hotel to offer a spread and peanut butter in individual jars on the table.
Condiments are also available at the buffets. Unfortunately, they are always English or American recipes that are not to European tastes.
The Steingenberger is the only hotel that doesn’t offer jams in individual jars on the tables. Apricot and orange jams are available, but only from the central counter.
The most original idea is definitely Cédric D’Ambrosio’s jam bar at the Sofitel Downtown. With around 20 jams and several types of honey, it offers the widest choice we have ever come across. Guests stop out of curiosity, then read the labels and enjoy testing the flavours on the toast, croissants and pastries shrewdly placed within easy reach.
It’s amazing to see all the guests who stop to sample flavours seldom found in the hospitality trade, such as yuzu orange and rhubarb. Why don’t we see this more often, given how easy it is to do and how popular it is with guests? There’s a lesson to be learned here!
And how much does all this cost?
Surprisingly, the finest luxury hotels are not the priciest. The breakfast buffet generally costs between AED 135 and AED 175 and is all-inclusive: whether you eat like a bird or a horse, the price is the same!
A few hotels break away from the “continental buffet” formula: the St Regis, for example, charges only for what you eat. So don’t hesitate to pop into this magnificent dining room for a taste of scrambled eggs cooked right in front of you, with diced tomatoes and finely-sliced sauteed potatoes: you won’t regret it!
In conclusion, French excellence is a resounding success abroad!
Though 5,700 km from France, Dubai may be your opportunity to enjoy the excellence of Andrésy Confitures’ French-made jam. It’s a small world!
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