I hate Sundays. It is my weekly off-day but it turns out to be busier than all the other days of the week. I want to wake up late. I do not feel like cooking. I just want to chill, read, relax and enjoy. But no, moms perhaps cannot afford this luxury.
Sunday at home means more elaborate cooking. Then one has to attend to the week’s pending work at home, from laundry to cleaning, sorting and shopping, driving kids to their weekend hobby and sports classes or birthday parties, surprise guests, planning and preparing for next week.
Where is the scope for ‘Me’ time?
“Ma’am, you just head over to The Gateway on Sunday morning,” coaxed Indranil Ray, the hotel’s general manager. I finally decided to skip slaving over all the mundane things at home and announced I was taking a break. Everybody understood and called it indulgence!
Always popular on the five-star circuit in metros, the Taj group of hotels has brought the concept of Sunday Brunch to the Temple Town for the first time so that you can choose to wake up late and hit the hotel by 11 a.m. You gain complimentary access to the hotel’s swimming pool and cool off as long as you want. The food will be available for you till 3.30 p.m. If you don’t swim, play a game of badminton or sweat it out in the tennis court. Or just lounge by the pool and read a book.
Don’t worry about the kids. They will be taken care of whether they are enjoying the splash in the cool blue waters or screaming, laughing and running around at the mini park with slide and swings.
If you want you can listen to some engaging stories about your ancient city from Munnuswamy or allow artist Sundaram to make a pencil sketch of yours. Or simply feast your eyes on the city’s skyline from the Pasumalai hill top, feed the peacocks or amble around in the lush greens and be at peace with yourself. When you hear your stomach grumble, allow the master of fusion cuisine, Executive Chef V. John Praveen and his team to take over.
After all the outdoor fun, when I entered the dining area, the time was 2 p.m. The restaurant was packed with guests and the live kitchens seemed to be the focus of the experience. I sauntered past the clay oven churning out smoky kebabs, the counters making piping hot dosas and appams, fluffy omlettes, sizzling aloo tikkis. The flurry of aromas was unmistakable. I turned at the salad and chaat spread, checked out the main course items, stopped briefly at the mini bar corner and eyed the delectable dessert island.
The Sunday Brunch spread is simply mindboggling. When you are spoilt for choices, where do you begin? Allow the Chef to take on the role of an artist in his food theatre. The selection of paneer kebabs, fish fry, samosa and papdi chaat is a good way to start with a glass of chilled water melon juice.
Moving on to the salads, you can make your own bowl with red cabbage, olives, gherkins, artichokes, corns, crunchy fennel, kernels, sprouts, baby potatoes, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms and many more crisp vegetables and fruits. If you want you can take the chef’s help in deciding the dressing with sauces, cheese and mayonnaise. There is also a variety of breads, cereals and short eats like muffins, bakes and pancakes with a range of syrups to choose from.
John and his team have opted for a casual and easy feel to the Brunch. The main course has a nice blend of some common and popular items to the ones with a twist in taste. So from vegetable pulao and Hakka noodles to chicken fried rice and mutton biriyani, yellow dal and dum ka murgh to sambar, rasam and curd rice, the Amritsari kulchey or Pindi choley, the robust curries from Baluchistan, the Chef also rustles up a quick Rigatoni in methi pesto sauce or stir fries vegetables in a good dose of olive oil, makes the flavourful cheesy tomato penne or risotto, and perks up your plate with grilled seafood in a tasty combination of spices.
If you want a taste of your own Madurai food, you won’t be disappointed either what with the vicchu paratha, kuthu parotta, kari dosa, kodai mirchi, all vying for space on the table.
When we go for buffet, we really don’t watch our calories. But only suggestion is don’t overeat from one section but explore the variety laid out with such effort and dedication. At the end, I had to waddle up to the desserts and try their signature chocolate éclairs and gelatos with various toppings and not to forget the cakes, mousse and pies, all delicious shots of sweetness, much like the experience of the entire food expedition priced at Rs.999 plus Taxes.
Those willing to shell out an extra Rs.200 for their drinks can enjoy unlimited Kingfisher pint beers, the classic Bloody Mary, flavoured fresh fruit Margaritas, frozen Daiquiris and the Screwdrivers and Cosmopolitan cocktails.
The afternoon turned out to be long and leisurely catering to every family member. The Gateway staff did make it a special Sunday experience to remember. The Brunch could turn out to be the new fashionable way to spend your Sunday.
