Quite frankly, Pattaya diners are spoiled for choice, and
those who are looking for a quality Sunday brunch have some difficult
choices to make. Making it even more difficult is the new The Harvest at the
Dusit Thani Pattaya Resort which just might knock other more established
venues from their positions.
The driving force behind their Sunday brunch is executive
chef Adrian O’Herlihy, who is not someone to do anything by halves. The
Harvest is a full-on American/Euro style brunch, with more choices and live
cooking stations than you can imagine. And the quality is just sensational.
What about freshly shucked Fin de Clair oysters? How about scallops cooked
in vodka? And much more as you will read further in this review. By the way,
kids are not forgotten with their own VIK (Very Important Kids) area, with
pizza, mini hamburgers, spaghetti and chicken tenders and many more kid’s
favorites.
One factor which distinguishes the Dusit Thani from just
about anywhere else, is the location. The Harvest is held at The Bay
restaurant and spreads from the air-conditioned top level, through the
middle level but still undercover, and then out around the swimming pool.
Raise your gaze from the food and you are looking out over the expanse of
Pattaya Bay, with the cooling sea breezes wafting in. Really it is very hard
to top this venue.
This
is one buffet where you must spend some time, and I mean a lot of time, on
just seeing what there is on offer. There is nothing worse than filling up
on something to find another dish that you might like even more. I have to
admit I missed the Alaskan crab legs on my first pass - but I spotted them
on my second trip! Adrian O’Herlihy must have found Alaskan crabs standing
at least two meters high in their winter socks! Enormous! And when I say
that the choices are amazing, I mean just that. I was delighted to find Khao
Soy Gai (the Burmese-Northern Thai noodle speciality), while Madame was
revelling in pan-seared foie gras, but my children found that there were
even Chupa Chups while ignoring the chicken tenders, but going back several
times for the pizza!
I did promise you much more of the items, and from Chef
Adrian I received six pages of a closely typed list. You have never seen
such choices. There are 30 different sections, with around 10 of them being
live cooking stations. For example, if Sunday roasts are your desire, how
about roast Vermont turkey with sage and onion stuffing, giblet gravy and
cranberry sauce? Or from the Western entrees you might also like the
pan-seared foie gras, calvados, caramelized peaches in a balsamic reduction?
I am particularly fond of cheese(s) and for the cheese
lovers there is a premium cheeseboard with appenzeller; gruyere premier cru;
stilton; gouda; emmenthal; buche de chevre; pont l’eveque; reblochon de
savoie; camembert; brie de meaux; fontina val aosta; tallegio; gorgonzola
and tilsiter.
If you have a penchant for Indian food, you have not been
forgotten with grilled chicken tikka, chicken vindaloo, samosas, vegetable
pakoras, dal makhani and aloo capsicum masala with the traditional
condiments. You will not believe the spread of items until you see it.
It would have to be the most spectacular Sunday brunch in
Pattaya, at the most spectacular venue. It is unashamedly top end, in a top
end venue, with top end service - so you will pay for it. But the best of
anything is never cheap, is it? You will pay B. 1490++ (food only), or with
free flow wines, draft beer and vodka creations B. 2690++ and children aged
5 to 12 get a 50 percent discount.
If you want to impress visiting family and friends
between 11.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on a Sunday, look no further. Without a doubt,
Adrian O’Herlihy has produced a world class brunch at the Dusit Thani’s The
Bay. Very highly recommended.
The Harvest at The Bay (Sundays 11.30 a.m. until 3 p.m.),
the Dusit Thani Pattaya, 240/2 Pattaya Beach Road, secure parking in the
hotel grounds, telephone reservation 038 425 611 ext 2149-50, email [email protected],
website dusit thanipattaya.dusit.com.
