Ocean Terrace.
Imagine drinking champagne (or even Prosecco!)
overlooking a tropical beach, with palm trees gently waving as you sip and
enjoy succulent salmon with capers and cocktail onions. Imaging being able
to leave the children in the care of someone else while you lounge there
licking the chocolate from fresh strawberries. Well, imagination is not
needed - this is the scene at the Pullman Pattaya’s Sunday Brunch. A feast
of pure hedonism from noon till five in the afternoon, and one that we
enjoyed last Sunday.
So where is the Pullman? Go to Soi 18 on the
Pattaya-Naklua Road, go down to the bottom and turn right alongside the
Centara Grand Mirage and keep going for another 500 meters and the Pullman
Pattaya Aisawan (to give it its full title) is there on your left. Plenty of
parking and then go down to the Beach Club where the buffet is spread around
the pool.
Smoked Salmon.
You can sit around the pool, or on the ocean terrace
looking out over the Gulf of Thailand, or indoors with air-conditioning. The
seating is comfortable and the cutlery and glasses are of high standard.
This is hedonism with ‘class’.
Last Sunday was very hot, so we chose the air-conditioned
section, though many of the other diners from Europe were more attracted to
the Pattaya warmth after the freeze of the European continent.
A complimentary drink comes next - a Bloody Mary, with or
without vodka. Warning - the fully loaded one is strong!
The next choice is whether to have the brunch with
sparkling water (Perrier) at B. 1,200, or with sparkling wine (Prosecco) at
B. 1,800 or with champagne at B. 3,200. We chose the ‘sparkling wine’ option
with the brunch (Follador Italian Prosecco), which arrived wonderfully cold
in a clear plastic ‘carry bag’ ice bucket. By the way, there is also a
‘smoothies’ bar where you choose your fruit and the barman does the rest.
The attentive waiters are decked out in white fisherman’s trousers with
white T top and orange sashes.
Crab Omelet
We had our two children with us who were more than happy
to get rid of their parents and enjoy all the offerings in the supervised
kid’s corner, including burgers, fish and chips, coloring pencils and
plasticene! Not only are children catered for, but children under 12 are
free and between the ages of 12 and 16 they are half price.
The brunch offerings are very extensive and run from the
air-con area for the cold items to around the pool, including live cooking
stations. There are regional cuisine stations covering Thai, Indian and
European. Live seafood BBQ and meat skewers. Chef Thierry was hovering,
making sure everything was in its place, and it was.
Inside, in the cool, there was a laden cheeseboard with a
superb blue that had me coming back for more. In addition, there were
several styles of shaved hams and Italian meats. Round the corner from them
there was smoked salmon, then herrings, and then into mussels, Alaskan king
crab and beautifully sweet French oysters.
Lamb Leg.
But it didn’t end there either, a foie gras station was
pan-frying generous sized foie gras, then lamb leg with mint which was just
so appealing, plus others and even a pizza. There was more, but I began to
run out of pages in the reporter’s notebook, but mention must be made of the
desserts, with the chocolate fountain beckoning, plus different parfaits and
sundaes.
This was simply a superb Sunday Brunch, and the venue
just elevated the event to ‘out of this world’ proportions. With the time
slot (noon till 5 p.m.), it was an unhurried, all-afternoon idyllic gourmet
brunch. OK, I’ll come clean, it was an unhurried, all-afternoon idyllic
indulgence.
Do make a booking, you will not be disappointed. The
biggest decisions are whether to go sparkling water, sparkling wine or
champagne. And please remember to pick up your children afterwards. Ours
were enjoying themselves so much they didn’t want to leave.
Pullman Pattaya Aisawan, 445/3 Moo 5, Wongamart Beach,
Pattaya-Naklua Road, Soi 16, telephone 038 411 940-8, www.pullmanpattaya
aisawan.com. Sunday Brunch from noon until 5 p.m. Plenty of secure parking
within the resort grounds.
Hedonism around the pool
