Like HCMC today, the Bangkok foreigner scene of old thrived close to the river. These days, however, I never really think to set foot down there. It’s the kind of place you visit once, the first time you come to the city… King’s Palace, check. Emerald & Reclining Buddha, check. Either the Oriental or Shangrila for tea or brunch, check. Then for most who live in the city (unless they work nearby) the river is a distant memory. This has more to do with the difficulty and time it takes to get down to the river than what’s on offer. But, if you wait till Sunday brunch time, with no traffic… the other side of the river is accessible in about 20 minutes tops and you don’t even have to wait for a ferry. This is the perfect time to venture out to Trader Vic’s massive brunch/lunch buffet spread.

Trader Vic’s is… well Trader Vics. Check out their pages if you don’t already know. Sure they’re a chain, but so are Four Seasons and Orientals. And they can be a bit dated in decoration style… unless you still rock a photographer’s vest, the sandal and sock look, cargo khaki shorts, or all of the above. But ignoring all that, this place has some great food.

I was seriously floored by the selection and availability of foods here. I walked in and saw immediately to my left a sushi bar complete with fresh sashimi and rolls. The quality of the fish was high for a buffet and featured real tuna… deep red and not neon pink like most of the cheap sushi buffets. Nearby there was also an oyster and caviar bar with freshly shucked oysters and a wide sampling of exotic caviar.

Then to my immediate right I saw not one, but two beautifully cured pig legs. I loved the Italian sausage and meat section and ate more than my fair share of prosciutto, mortadella, and others.

Next… well it’s Southeast Asia and we have seafood in abundance. Trader Vic’s has it fresh and ready to hit the grill. Fresh crabs, prawns, lobsters, and fillets of fish are available for grilling… mmm.

Speaking of grilling, Trader Vic’s pulls a trained Benihana chef over for the lunch feast. Here you can have a steak (or other meat, but really with steak are you gonna have chicken?) expertly cooked and cut in front of you. Sadly they don’t toss prawns in your mouth while waiting in line, but it’s a free bonus that’s very welcome.

Then there’s some beautiful meats sliced freshly at the carving table. Yup, that was a bone in ribeye in the background there with fresh sauces.

A first for me at a foreigner friendly Sunday eating extravaganza – roast duck. I’m not Peking Duck expert, but the birds on offer here were nearly as crispy and succulent as the lauded Made in China… and best of all it was part of a buffet so I was free to come and go as I pleased (and I pleased a lot )

Then there was the cheese spread. I loved the layout, thoughtfully done on a tree log. It featured cheeses of many regions and styles. The accompanying real honey comb honey was a nice touch to the section.

Another notable station was the Som Tam station – fresh ingredients pounded to order.

Last but certainly not least was the pastry spread. There’s a well skilled and happy to produce patissier somewhere in the kitchen here. Pastries ranged from delicate small bites to  French classic cakes. Also there was a range of seemingly home made ice cream on offer (not pictured).

Trader Vics really surprised me. I’ve visited some epic buffet spreads and this one sits near the top of the list. Not only is there a ton on offer, the price is super reasonable as you can opt in or out of the booze. I can’t believe the amount and quality of food I was able to enjoy for under 50 USD (around 1700 THB). I’d recommend it highly to anyone… whether first time Bangkok traveler looking to explore the river area or jaded expat needing a break from the Four Seasons or Sukhothai brunches.

Trader Vic’s
Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa
257 Charoennakorn Road
Thornburi, Bangkok 10600
THAILAND
Tel: 66 (0) 2476 0022
Fax: 66 (0) 2476 1120

Our normal breakfast group was a bit thin this week… which was unfortunate for those who couldn’t make it because it was a highly enjoyable meal / experience. Sunday brunch at Graze is something we’ll be returning to enjoy soon.

Graze is located way out (for us) in the Rochester Park area of Singapore. The drive doesn’t take that long and you’re rewarded with a peaceful and serene outdoor dining area. I called ahead to make reservations earlier in the week (recommended) and was given a choice of outdoor or indoor seating. I asked the hostess which she thought was better and she suggested outdoor. I’m glad she did as it’s very pleasant outside (it’s covered so don’t worry about rain interruptions).

We’ve been to a few brunch spots and I’ve had difficulty with the menus because sometimes nothing really sounds good to me at the time. Graze was different in that I wanted just about everything on the menu. Unfortunately there were only four of us so we were limited a bit in our sampling of the menu.

We started with very smooth and creamy cappuccinos and complimentary toast (come before 12 to order breakfast / brunch).

I led the way with my usual – a burger. I have a soft spot for fried eggs on burgers so couldn’t pass this one up (sadly no pineapple). The meat was good, but fell apart a bit…something I don’t actually mind so much as I can at least be assured it’s not a pre-fab patty .

Joe also picked his usual, Eggs Benedict. They’re offered two ways – Classic or Salmon with Smoked Spinach. Joe’s a classic guy and his tastes were rewarded with this selection. Among the best he’s had in Singapore so far.

Kalpana went a bit off the path of the tried and true breakfast assortment, selecting the Avocado and Tomato on Grain Toast with Olive Oil and Rocket Salad. The Avocado came in amazing, large, green chunks…would love to have a guacamole from this place.

She also ordered the Eggs on Request and asked them to be filled with chillis. The dish tasted good, but looked a bit odd in presentation.

Joanna went all in, ordering the Cast Iron Pan – Bratworst, Smoked Bacon, Mushroom, Tomato, Country Potato, Fried Egg, Baked Beans, and Plum Chili Salsa. It was a sight to behold, but unfortunately suffered slightly from the pan. Obviously not all the dishes are cooked to order in the pan, but once dropped some can get a little over-browned / pver-cooked on the bottom.

We should have ordered the Dessert Sampler as so many of them sounded great, but instead ordered separately. Joe and I both went for the chocolate creme brulee with honeycomb ice cream. It was super rich with a dense pudding texture …. not a creme brulee, but good

Joanna ordered the Green Apple, Roasted Pinneapple, and Sour Cherry Crumble with Bourbon Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It was good, but the ice cream didn’t taste like Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and was very close to the “honeycomb” ice cream.

All in all Graze is a highly recommended brunch spot for us. I could see Epicurious being a more visited location for us, with Graze being more of a special treat kind of place (prices are a bit higher). The setting is perfect for a comfy Sunday afternoon, lazily enjoying a hearty breakfast. Service can be a bit slow, so come prepared for that and you’ll enjoy your time there.

Also of note is the Sunday BBQ. Starting at noon you can order off a special Sunday BBQ menu that looks amazing. We will definitely be going back to try this out. The mashed potatoes, corn on cob, and meat dishes coming out of the kitchen to the late comers looked incredible….so look for that review soon.

Anyone else have an experience with Graze?

Graze
Address 4 Rochester Park
Open Sun 9.30am-3pm Tue-Sun 6.30pm-1am
Telephone 6775 9000

How to answer this question? I’ll go with Diplomatically – The Sunday Brunch at the Ritz is a great brunch if you’re a lover of seafood There’s tons of it and it’s good and fresh… with people freshly shucking oysters at the counter, boiling lobsters, pan-frying scallops, etc.

The problem is that’s about it. There are other things on offer for sure. I loved one of the Foie Gras dishes on offer, maybe a bit too much since I proabably ate 3 or 4 of the little plates. But there aren’t any real breakfast/brunch items out or around.

The other problem we had, and maybe we’re spoiled over doing so many of these, is that it wasn’t as fancy as the price would lead you to believe. There were kids and patrons running around in shorts and flip flops, older (but not cool vintage older) tables and fixtures, and it felt like a hotel brunch. Nothing stood out as awful or bad, but nothing was so unique as to warrant special attention either.

Despite stories we’ve heard to the contrary service was prompt and we were regularly treated to Moet refills – though maybe not as ninja-like as the servers at the St Regis. This might also have been our strategic seating choice of right next to the bottles

And to be fair there was more of everything at the Ritz compared to the St Regis. More seafood for sure. The cheese station was crazy big at the Ritz and covered many styles and regions, so if you’re a cheese lover there’s another reason to choose the Ritz.

Our Sunday Brunch at the Ritz was another indulgent affair. As a sort of joke I put my weight pre-brunch up on Twitter (85.1 KG) and after (89.9 KG) so I definitely enjoyed all they had on offer. I don’t think I’ll personally rush to return and I feel a bit pretentious saying that. I’m just a Texan from a poor family that grew up on Taco Bell… and here I am saying that the Ritz isn’t good enough for me

At the end of the day, to our particular group, the Ritz simply didn’t have the same value as some of the other options. Had we been huge seafood or cheese people this could have been our go-to Sunday spot.

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore

7 Raffles Avenue,
Singapore 039799
Singapore
Phone:  (65) 6337 8888

According to historians, the term orgy didn’t have the sexual connotation it now possesses. “Roman Orgies” were actually parties of “unrestrained indulgences during which guests consumed copious quantities of food and drink to such excesses that they often relieved themselves by vomiting.” I said one step back earlier because thankfully at the St Regis people aren’t openly vomiting… though we have heard stories…

The free flow begins once through the door. This is a “one-seating” Sunday Brunch so reservations are necessary. You begin to imbibe immediately as you make your way to your seat with a warm up Mimosa. Once seated the free flow free-gush of Moet & Chandon vintage champagne begins.

Drink in hand or left at the table you are free to peruse the stations. These are standard Sunday Brunch stations – elevated. Freshly shucked Oysters, imported Japanese Sushi and Sashimi (though to be fair I feel the quality of fish was higher at the 4 Seasons), European deli meats, bread stations, etc. I made two different passes through the stations. Though the bread was obviously freshly baked and the green and yellow zucchini salad with pumpkin and sesame vinaigrette looked amazing… I stuck to my Sunday Brunch guns and skipped the fillers to focus on the meat and the Moet.

About an hour into service everyone decided it was time to order off the cook-to-order menu. This isn’t just a buffet brunch. Joanna had the Wagyu beef fillet and I, being a good Texan, ordered the Ribeye. To be fair both were good, but I would recommend neither as a stand-alone meal in a 5-star hotel.

The real treats of the afternoon were the passed plates brought directly from the kitchen to the table…sometimes by the chef himself. Little cups of miso soup, foie gras crème brulee (amazingly better than it sounds), and other delights kept us rooted in our seats – a good and bad thing. Good because we were able to try new, fresh food that was better than anything at the buffet lines or on the menu. Bad because we weren’t walking around anymore… and walking around is the only way to judge if you’ve slipped past light-hearted Sunday celebration into something slightly more sinister.

I say only way to judge here because the staff are Moet ninjas, staggeringly adept at keeping your glass full. I’ve been to plenty of “free flows” where the owners maximized profit by having the bar staff unavailable for refills. Not so at the St Regis. I swear, one time I had just taken a sip and was lowering the glass from my lip when I witnessed an amazing sight out of the corner of my eye – the bottle sailing into position over my glass to replenish the champagne that had just passed into my system. With two dedicated servers stationed to our group of 8, our table was never want for drink, cleared plate, or passed delight.

With our pants and bellies now waging a minor border feud we braved the sprawling dessert stand. Tarts, macaroons, cookies, brownies, cakes… all excellently presented and dangerously good… I had to step over two seizing diabetics to make it back to our table.

3:00 PM arrived, we paid and stumbled out the door of the St Regis, full to bursting, but completely satisfied. The Sunday Brunch at the St Regis is absolutely worth doing once… but I don’t know that anyone needs that regularly. A brunch best kept for anniversaries, celebrations, and special occasions.

A few tips to make brunch even more enjoyable:

• Don’t eat the night before ?
• Make reservations. There are not many tables inside the brasserie.
• As Joanna has stated before come with friends and don’t make plans after – you will be in no state to do anything important/intense after this.
• Use this as an opportunity to branch out into new foods/styles. Maybe there’s something you’ve been scared or too intimidated to try. When the chef visits your table ask him what’s good/how he prepared it/what he recommends. These buffets typically feature a smattering of “fine dining all-stars” like foie gras, sushi, wagyu, or anything else currently trendy.

Brasserie Les Saveurs at the St Regis
Chef : Julien Royer
Hours : 6:30 AM – 11:00 PM Daily;
Afternoon Tea 3:00 PM – 5:00 pm Daily;
Sunday Brunch 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Address: 29 Tanglin Road. Singapore 247911. Singapore
Phone: (65) 65066888

Brunch for 2 a bit over 350 SGD after taxes, service, etc.