Farah Baig headed to Lemon Tree at Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa for a spectacular family-friendly brunch.
Brunch has grown to be one of the Kingdom’s most sought-after dining experiences. What’s made the experience so appealing to residents and visitors alike is the fact that you can dress up in your best attire, head out with your family or friends, enjoy a lavish spread and live entertainment all while being able to sleep in for the better part of a Friday morning.
This month, we were thrilled to hear that Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa was launching its brunch at the Lemon Tree Restaurant. The thought of being able to enjoy a brunch in the heart of Seef was appealing enough, but setting our eyes on the spread and enjoying the ambience made it all the more special. On walking into the restaurant, you can’t help but notice how welcoming the atmosphere is with sunlight beaming in through its floor-to-ceiling windows, and live music courtesy of the talented singer and violinist duo.
On scouring the spread we set our eyes on the selection of soups and salads. We helped ourselves to a bowl of decadent cream of mushroom soup and a healthy serving of salads which included sliced cheese, greens, baba ghanouj and other cold mezzas, and freshly made bread. For our appetisers, we helped ourselves to some delicious sushi, flavourful garlic prawns and crisp chicken tenders. Next, we helped ourselves to some freshly sliced roast duck with a generous drizzle of gravy. The duck was perfectly cooked - succulent and bursting with flavour.
The crowning glory of the Lemon Tree brunch is the fact that they have a range of live cooking stations for pasta, eggs and (drum roll, please!) a fresh seafood. Here we found a variety of fish, mussels, prawns, calamari and lobster too! After choosing your fresh seafood, you can hand over your plate to the culinary team so it may be steamed, fried or grilled with garlic butter or a spicy sauce. We opted for our seafood (including a luscious lobster) to be grilled with a spicy sauce and it was truly delightful - fresh with the right amount of char and a kick of spice. Next came the mains, we were pleased with the spread of aromatic curries, chicken curry, stews and more. The Thai curry, which we ladled over some steamed rice, had the perfect balance of creamy coconut milk, lime leaves and more.
The team had clearly outdone themselves with a bunch of delicious cakes, um ali, fresh fruit and more to sweeten our brunch experience. While each item was fantastic, the stand out dessert had to be the carrot cake, which had a thick layer of cream cheese frosting and moist cake base. A close second would have to be the tangy lemon cake. To quench our thirst, we ended our brunch with a generous serving of detox water – surely that balances the lush spread that preceded it. Right?
Needless to say, the Lemon Tree brunch is one that has firmly rooted itself in our list of ‘Favourite Family Brunches’. We’ll be back.
