Royal Glenora Club - Sunday Brunch
Although the Royal Glenora Club is a members-only facility, the Braemar Room is actually open to the public for its new and improved Sunday brunch. The price tag of $37.95 is quite costly, but the impeccable service, the live piano accompaniment and the general ambiance are more than enough to make up for it. The spread consists of typical brunch fare such as bread, pastries, fruit and eggs, but the surprise element is that a lot of dishes are prepared in individual portions. The buffet features two sections: a cold section with breads, yogurt, fruits and desserts, and a hot section with waffles, ham, bacon, scrambled eggs and more.
The hot section also features an omelette bar where the cook makes omelettes to order with your choice of toppings.
As soon as we were seated, we were immediately offered drinks including tea, coffee and various juices.
Halfway through the meal, the server came by with a complimentary mimosa for each guest. Great way to start a Sunday morning!
I kicked off the brunch with a light yogurt to refresh my palate. The yogurt had all been doled out into individual martini glasses and I just grabbed one and threw in some granola and berries.
A couple other tasty individual dishes include the blue crab cocktail (top) and the lobster mandarin salad (bottom).
I stayed away from the traditional stuff like ham and eggs because I figured I could always have that at home. Instead I went for the raw stuff like gravlax, tuna and cocktail shrimp. The seafood wasn't very fresh, but I liked the fact that it was all-you-can-eat. The waffle was one of the few hot foods I tried and it further confirmed my suspicions that the hot foods were a waste of tummy space. The texture was not soft or fluffy, but rather dense and gummy with dry edges.
The desserts were perhaps the most underwhelming part of the meal. The selection was rather small and I don't think there were any refills. I only saw 10 or so dishes and several were duplicates, and by the end of the meal there were only 5-6 desserts left. The cream-filled cannoli (right) was the best one in my opinion; I thought the cakes were average at best.
Despite the wonderful presentation, the food did not impress and the seafood was not very fresh. But the service was so attentive that it made the experience very enjoyable and memorable. I really got the feeling that I was eating in a high-end establishment and every little detail was taken care of. Would I come back again? I can't really decide on an answer because I usually like to explore new restaurants. Perhaps I will come back after I've tried a few other brunch spots.
The hot section also features an omelette bar where the cook makes omelettes to order with your choice of toppings.
As soon as we were seated, we were immediately offered drinks including tea, coffee and various juices.
Halfway through the meal, the server came by with a complimentary mimosa for each guest. Great way to start a Sunday morning!
I kicked off the brunch with a light yogurt to refresh my palate. The yogurt had all been doled out into individual martini glasses and I just grabbed one and threw in some granola and berries.
A couple other tasty individual dishes include the blue crab cocktail (top) and the lobster mandarin salad (bottom).
I stayed away from the traditional stuff like ham and eggs because I figured I could always have that at home. Instead I went for the raw stuff like gravlax, tuna and cocktail shrimp. The seafood wasn't very fresh, but I liked the fact that it was all-you-can-eat. The waffle was one of the few hot foods I tried and it further confirmed my suspicions that the hot foods were a waste of tummy space. The texture was not soft or fluffy, but rather dense and gummy with dry edges.
The desserts were perhaps the most underwhelming part of the meal. The selection was rather small and I don't think there were any refills. I only saw 10 or so dishes and several were duplicates, and by the end of the meal there were only 5-6 desserts left. The cream-filled cannoli (right) was the best one in my opinion; I thought the cakes were average at best.
Despite the wonderful presentation, the food did not impress and the seafood was not very fresh. But the service was so attentive that it made the experience very enjoyable and memorable. I really got the feeling that I was eating in a high-end establishment and every little detail was taken care of. Would I come back again? I can't really decide on an answer because I usually like to explore new restaurants. Perhaps I will come back after I've tried a few other brunch spots.
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