Sundays have traditionally been days when one wakes up late, reads newspaper snippets aloud to anyone willing to listen, and indulges in a leisurely breakfast followed by a lunch which comprises of a large selection of the family’s favoured dishes; on some days, this heavy duty lunch has extended family and friends who drop by. In the last couple of decades,, the trend of breakfast-lunch combo called ‘brunch’ has caught on, especially in the larger cities where every hotel or restaurant has a brunch spread on a Sunday with a variety of deals and combinations. Well, who doesn’t like a well laden brunch table on a Sunday; and if there is a drink or two thrown in, the Sunday siesta becomes a sweeter one.
It was with food and drink in mind that I set off for The Resort at Madh-Marve, Malad, on a Sunday afternoon. The property is a sprawling beautiful one, right on Aksa beach. The pretty looking poolside had quite a number a people relaxing in the pool with children splashing around with merry abandon. The gentle breeze from the sea cooled the place from the rather strong sun and a wonderful voice singing charming golden oldies gave me an instant high. That’s when we came across sweet Priyanka who greeted us with warmth and introduced us to Satyajit Kotwal, the General Manager of The Resort and the Executive Chef Pawan Kumar Lal who gave us a feel for what we were to expect.
The Hi-5 Brunch has been designed in a manner where one can relax with family and friends in a relaxed atmosphere. The white canopy tents were nicely laid out in a lawn beside the poolside, with a DJ station and games for children and grown-ups alike. A couple of hummocks hung close by; good vibes all over. And then it was time to check out the buffet brunch and the drinks on offer. The brunch (INR 2499 for single & INR 4499 for a couple, with taxes) includes a glass of Indian Sparkling Wine; other liquors are also served on a chargeable basis.
We began with a glass of Sparkling Wine and the Dragon Chicken (drumsticks coated and fried), not the best start as the chicken was quite overcooked and too crusty making the dish rather dry to the palate. The Assorted Chicken Kebab was not bad at all. I particularly liked the freshly made Veg Brushetta, although my son commented it did not have anything special to set it apart from the brushetta available in most places. The Cheese Sticks were what he liked more. The salad table was decently laid out with quite a spread. I liked the Potato and Cheese Salad, the chunky pieces of Cheddar cheese appealed to me. We gave the Seafood Chowder a miss as it looked rather runny and not the thick, loaded with goodies soup one expects. Deciding to indulge with the mains rather than the salad, the Bengali in me made a beeline for the Fish Punchphorni. Well, if I wasn’t a Bengali, I’d have been happy with it, but my Bengali palate could not find the taste of the panchphoran. The Roast Rosemary Chicken was pretty good as was the Cheesy Broccoli. We also tasted the Paneer Tikka Masala, which was quite spicy and delicious and the Thai Green Curry – I think one should leave Thai food to those places who specialise in them, otherwise it simply doesn’t turn out the way it should. Here it was rather bland and as such, didn’t work for me.
The live pasta counter served us a nice portion of Farfalle with spicy Arrabbiata sauce, rather unusual for a pasta – to me this was the dish of the day. The moderately spicy taste was just what I was looking for and the pasta had been cooked perfectly. I didn’t go for the dessert table as the open skies were an invitation to crows who tried to sit on the dessert table whenever the opportunity opened up, much to our amusement. My son tried some Apple Strudel – not a happy face post the taste, the pastry was rather chewy.
The bar offerings of Black Mexican – Tequila with Kahlua (INR 495+tax) didn’t quite appeal, I found the Cucumber Sangria (INR 495+tax) very refreshing and perfect for a warm afternoon. My brunch buddy’s Pineapple Mint Mojito (INR 495+tax )didn’t quite work for him as the mint and pineapple did not make a happy marriage and he stuck to a non- alcoholic Mojito (INR 275+tax) for the rest of the time.
The brunch at The Resort has its heart in the right place and creates a lovely ambiance for a quick Sunday getaway from the city with fun and relaxation in mind, the food itself leaves a bit more to be desired to make it worth the price. Making it easier on the pocket and enhancing the overall taste of the food to sync with the beautiful ambiance will definitely go a very long way in making it an even more pleasurable experience than it already is.
Ratings out of 5
Food: 2 | Ambiance: 3.5 | Service: 3 | Overall: 3
Meal for Two with a Glass of Sparkling Wine: INR 4499 inclusive of taxes | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes|
Timing: 10 a.m – 3 30 pm (Sundays Only)| Wheelchair access : Yes
Address: 11, Madh-Marve Road, Aksa Beach, Malad West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400095
Telephone : 022 2844 7777
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgement and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review, but readers need to consider this review keeping this fact in mind.
