![We Tried [u]bk's Lively Garden Brunch at Mövenpick JLT Dubai](https://cdnexpatwomanfood.expatwoman.com/s3fs-public/urban%20bar%20and%20kitchen%20brunch%20main.png "We Tried [u]bk's Lively Garden Brunch at Mövenpick JLT Dubai")
Review for Yalumba's Brunchology
28 March 2017
| Last updated on 31 March 2019
Now that the weather's finally suitable to go outdoors again, spend your next Friday at Dubai's famous brunch institution at Le Meridien's star restaurant Yalumba!
I was recently invited to try out Yalumba's new brunch - Brunchology - last Friday and I was amazed to see a house full of brunch goers dressed to their nines! Yalumba is a bit of a legend when it comes to hosting the best brunches in town, and with a history such as that, it's often challenging to keep reinventing yourself. Brunchology however, gets full points in terms of the concept, food layout and ambience.
Nestled in the heart of Dubai, and easily accessible from anywhere, Yalumba brings to its patrons a picnic-themed rustic brunch that's full of life.
Starting things off, my friend and I walked in to a packed house - the usual at Yalumba - but even more so because it had been raining down that weekend. The lovely staff at Yalumba however ensured that everyone was well accommodated indoors, without disrupting the alreasdy buzzing ambience.
Seated at our table, we were pleased to see party favours on our table - indicating the fun we were going to have in the next few hours. If that wasn't enough indication for a great brunch, we were sat right next to a giant grass covered wall lined with jell-O shots! GENIUS!
The food at Yalumba is a whole other story. Never in my time in Dubai spending almost every Friday at a brunch somewhere, have I EVER seen such a grand display of food!
My love for cheese and chacuterie grew ten folds when I saw the large array of artisinal cheeses and the finest cold cuts displayed so beautifully for me to devour. As a brilliant supporting act, there was also a huge pile of the freshest breads, salads and dressings, and boy was I in heaven?!
The mains are also very inviting - with dedicated areas for Asian, Indian, Mediterranean and International cuisine. The freshest ingredients are used, and the food even looks beautiful! Who knew a simple meat carvery would look SO refreshing - each section of the buffet is decoated wonderfully keeping with the picnic theme of Brunchology.
It's great to see how much effort Yalumba takes to stick to its theme, and it visually makes you hungrier! Take it from someone who's always been on one diet or another - the food CANNOT be missed! I was weak in the knees the moment I stepped in and didn't regret a single morsel.
For those not indulging in the tipple, there's also a fine variety of fresh juices, teas and coffees to sip on. My friend and I devoted ourselves to the fresh orange juice, a glass of watermelon juice each and also some tea to settle all the food down.
Being a meat lover, I wasn't dissapointed to see not one but THREE carving stations - for red meat, poultry and fish! That ticks all of the right boxes, if I'm honest! There was also an interesting spread of seafood - dim sums, sushi, fresh lobster, prawns and whatever else you fancy.
Once I'd taken my time through the juicy dumplings, succulent prawns and a plate full of meat, I went on to explore MORE food. Yalumba never fails to impress when it comes to options, but Brunchology takes the cake (literally) with its very extensive dessert stations. All decked up for the Dubai World Cup, they even had a whole section dedicated to race-day inspired desserts (how cute!) and that's when I threw my diet right out the window and dove right in!
The chocolate fountain, don't even get me started on the warm, smooth, velvery stream of chocolate trickling down a carefully constructed cascade of the world's best stress-buster placed conveniently right next to my table got me going back for seconds and thirds.
The servers at Yalumba ensure that no glass is empty for too long, and are ever so sweet and prompt at making us feel cared for! As if service wasn't already superb, they had to go ahead and impress us even more by hosting a raffle draw for all patrons with flights to be won to Australia! Now that's a brunch worth spending on, me thinks.
The staff are courteous, catering to a house full of party goers with a smile on their face and a spring in their step. Never did we feel ignored or rushed, and they were also quick to notice we needed a change of cutlery every 10 minutes with the speed at which we were going!
Head to Yalumba if you're planning a big celebration, want to introduce visiting family and friends to Dubai's favourite passtime or if you just want to have a good time! The DJ spins some very foot-tapping music and you'll never realise when the time passes.
How much would a visit to Yalumba cost you?
ExpatWoman Review
+971 4 7022455
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.lemeridien-dubai.com
