Saturday Roast Brunch | Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

“At the end of the day it’s just food, isn’t it? Just food.” Marco Pierre White

I love a roast, it’s hands down my favourite meal (closely followed by pizza……and chocolate of course) even if it’s just a vegetarian version, which some may say is missing the best bit! Imagine my delight to be invited to sample the famed Saturday Roast from Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill that has been re-homed into the vast CuiScene Saturday brunch.

With the other half off camping in the desert, I invited the teeanger to join me at CuiScene located at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr hotel as my meat and seafood taster, she’s also a big fan of a roast with Yorkshire Puddings high on her favourite food list, so a perfect companion for this particular review.

CuiScene, the all day dining restaurant and home of Friday Brunch, offers guests a vast selection of flavoursome international cuisine and the introduction of roasts into the Saturday brunch only enhances the choices. We started with soups and sushi followed by salads and Arabic bites. There was an abundance of seafood, fresh salads, Indian specialties and delicious desserts along with well presented cheese boards, so much choice so little time .

Huge chunks of prime rib beef and lamb sat side-by-side at the carvery station, turkey with cranberry sauce and sausages are offered alongside all the trimmings, gravys, sauces and condiments, cajun roast chicken was also available nearby. Chefs manning the meat carved large slices on demand, while another chef offered guests prime steak from his trolley served directly at the table.

The giant Yorkshire Puddings didn’t disappoint, there was also a large selection of vegetables including the ‘love them or hate’ them brussel sprouts, sauteed mushrooms, asparagus, grilled eggplant and zucchini and mashed potato. Although the roast potatoes were better than the normal wedges usually served at brunches they were still not quite the traditionally style that we crave from home, crunchy on the outside and fluffy inside. As there was no vegetarian gravy available, the chefs kindly made me a mushroom sauce instead.

Feeling rather full (again), we opted for a small selection of the desserts on offer. I tried the miniature apple tart with vanilla sauce and a rather delightful mini sticky toffee pudding, two perfect post-roast classics. The teenager had a light and tasty raspberry mousse and fresh fruit, we both nibbled on the jelly sweets because they are impossible to resist whatever your age. Sadly we were both too full to try the cheese which I was quite disappointed about but that’s just a perfect excuse for a return visit me thinks.

CuiScene, like the whole hotel, has a fabulous contemporary design. The restaurant is a modern space that offers guests the choice of eating indoors within the stylish pink themed dining space or outside on the terrace with its centralised long water feature. We started outside but only lasted until dessert, escaping inside to finish our meal taking sanctuary in the air-conditioned space.