Brunch on the roof-deck of the Taj Hotel is no average affair, but the last day of one’s thirties is no average affair either. We splurged at the establishment that hosted our wedding weekend, and tried out their highly-touted Sunday roof-deck brunch. It was, unsurprisingly, an over-the-top affair, with and endless buffet of decadent treats. I tend to get a little uncomfortable at such formal affairs, especially when the wait-staff puts on airs of utmost importance, but no such formality or judgement was in evidence. The service was attentive but non-intrusive, the professionalism intact but friendly. It set us at ease to enjoy the food on display. And what a display it was.
Endless platters of shrimp, oysters and crustacean claws (already cracked!) spread out before us. I could have made a meal on these alone, but it was only the beginning.
A charcuterie board looked almost too perfect to disturb, but at I made a big disturbance. (A bit more money would have gotten me a glass of champagne, but I couldn’t waste precious stomach space on the bubbly.)
A sashimi spread put the average Japanese restaurant to shame, and here it appeared as almost an after-thought. (Likewise with the freshly-carved tenderloin and bearnaise sauce, not to mention the omelet station, and an entire Indian buffet – the nod to Taj heritage.)
Yet it was the desserts that caught the eye most, such as this insanely-good hibiscus elderflower mousse, which somehow managed to taste even better than it looked.
A sinful cavalcade of sweet treats went on much further than the stomach could contain, but we did our best, and I managed to sample almost everything.
It was a decadent indulgence on the morning before my 40th birthday, but things were about to get even more sumptuous, thanks to Judy Garland…¦
(Before that, however, I needed to sit down. Five plates are a lot to digest.)
