It is a late
morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch. The word ‘brunch’ is a portmanteau of ‘breakfast’
and ‘lunch’. Brunch originated in England in the late 19th century and became
popular in the United States in the 1930s. Late Sunday mornings are an ideal
time for brunching and Le Meridien, Calangute sets up a Sunday theme Brunch
that we’ve been hearing a lot about. The hotel in the past has had a few
brunches like the Caribbean Brunch, BBQ brunch, Chocolate brunch, Monsoon brunch,
Onam brunch and Coastal brunch, to name a few.
When Amit Kumar, the
new Executive Chef, came on board a fortnight ago, he decided to continue with
the concept of the brunch. But as he put it, “They are usually similar if you
go to a restaurant that offers such meals with 90% remaining the same. There is
a ten per cent difference only. We have come up with a concept brunch. This is
brunch that comprises offerings from the long coastline of India. We have
Konkan, Bengal and Kerala to name a few places.” This will continue this month.
The spread includes around 20 main dishes and salads and other offerings.
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The choriz pav on
offer was fabulous. The bread was soft and the choriz hot and quite spicy.
Washing it down with a chilled glass of lime soda was a delightful experience.
The spread was a journey through the coastal states of the country, with
delicacies such as the Mapla Biryani (Malbar style chicken Biryani), Kozhi
chicken sukka, Goan shrimps curry, Kosho mangsho, Tamarind rice, Aloo posto,
Gujrathi kadhi, Karwar style khatkhate, Goan rice, Dal varan, Kokani tendli
sukke and Undhiyun.
The salads that
spanned the states as well as a bit of the Arab word were an absolute delight.
The bane of Indian dishes – excess oil – was missing. The food was tasty, the
Mapla Biryani, which is a marriage of Arab and Indian influences, was, simply
put, delightful. The sparse oil used coupled with the very soft meat added to
the flavoursome experience.
It
is also to be noted that visitors can also order Western or Asian dishes. The
property’s all-day dining restaurant, Latest Recipe, where this Brunch is
served, has an indoor as well as outdoor section. After a hearty meal, it was
time for dessert. Ice creams in four flavours were available and there were
several other sweet dishes available.
