PUBLISHED June 6th, 2012 10:29 am | UPDATED May 17th, 2016 03:27 pm
I’m not really one for buffet brunches especially when they are in a hotel though I have on the odd occasion been swayed. But give me a brunch in a unique and beautiful setting – like a stunning and beautifully restored 1920s colonial house known as Alkaff Mansion Ristorante – well then, go on…you twisted my arm!
Set back off the busy Telok Blangah Way on Telok Blangah Green, the traffic flow is soon swapped for lush greenery as you wind up the hill to be greeted by the rather majestic gleaming white walls of Alkaff Mansion.
The beauty of Alkaff Mansion is that even though the building and the grounds is a rather grand affair, the atmosphere inside is anything but stuffy and in fact surprisingly relaxed.
As we made our way through the beautiful entrance, through the grant restaurant and to our table, the Italian spread of an array of meats, seafood, cheese, salads and desserts twinkled at us. Inside a small glass cold cuts room in the middle, a chef busied away at slicing up Parma ham.
…And once we were seated, of course our first glass of free-flow prosecco was quickly whisked over to our table.
What I love about brunch at Alkaff Mansion is that it is accessible not only in atmosphere but also in size – it feels quite intimate and the spread is not overwhelming which equals less brunch-overload belly ache later on. And after the spread, that follows through to the hot dishes which are ordered in tapas size portion delivered at intervals which give your stomach some room to breathe!
The first thing your eyes will probably fixate on is the rather large mortadella sausage…
the focal point from which other delicious cuts of meat surround – salami, prosciutto and and a nice big plate of the softest beef carpaccio all await.
From the meats you can make your way to the seafood and plate up with fresh-as-anything oysters and prawns….
..a rather delicious crayfish salad and beautiful smoked salmon….
Slice your way through the cheeses – creamy brie, goats cheese, scarmoza (smoked mozzarella), and melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella…
And then move on to the hot brunch dishes. Our favourites of which were…
The Potato and Leek soup which was smooth, creamy and full of flavour….
The Spaghetti aglio and seafood – a delicious dose of garlicked-up pasta with succulent prawns and scallops….
The Ricotta and spinach ravioli – light and delicious parcels encapsulating a traditional filling of ricotta and spinach….
A smoky rendition of Calamari, lightly charred and just the perfect texture….
And lastly a rich and flavoursome Beef strip loin cooked simply yet to perfection.
What was nice about this set-up is that you can order one of everything to sample between you and then order more of whatever you’d like to continue eating without having to move – the perfect lazy person’s brunch strategy!
If you still have room for dessert after all this, then the apple crumble here is a must and I would say my favourite out of all the options. The rest of the desserts didn’t really stand out to me – but of course there is something for everyone whether you want to round things off with some chocolate, pastries or fruit.
Perfect for a lazy brunch with friends or a spot of romance in a rather special setting, after you’ve soaked up the brunch and inside atmosphere, adjourn to the patio to one of the over sized swing-come-rocking chairs and snooze it off. Sweet Sunday yes indeed.