Restaurant review: Yalumba

Brunching - Dubai's favourite Friday foodie adventure - takes on a life of its own at Yalumba in Le Meridien and becomes an affair to remember

I  have a personal foodie nightmare: that I'm stuck at brunch with a bunch of bores. What does one do? Brunching, by (derived) definition is a not a quick-fix. It's "leisurely", takes up at least half your day (if you factor in getting dressed and travel time), so there's no way you can hop in, hop out. Yalumba at Le Meridien may have just put paid to my nightmare. It's been rolling out brunchology, a concept that stands for attendant entertainment around food.
There are fun and games; hats, crowns and Hawaiian garlands pop out from all corners for you to festoon yourself with. and there's music (the retro kind, yay!) and a dance floor to shake a leg or two. Restaurant corners give out a garden variety vibe; the entire al fresco area is done up like a rustic outdoor setting (remember summer parties in Downton Abbey?) punctuated with jars of infused fruits and hops counters. In case you are thinking it's too hot for that sort of thing, there are portable air-conditioners + fans that play musical chairs for your comfort (and there's inside seating).
Yalumba has a formidable rep that precedes it. It's often quoted as being top of the heap on the thriving Dubai brunch scene. The spread is jaw-dropping: super seafood, pot roasts, cold cuts, barbeques et al. However finicky you may be, there's bound to be something for you.
And finally, don't be confused by semantics. Brunchology is not rocket science: it's just an artistic - and artisanal - way of infusing a new lease of life to been there, done that. Smoke that in.

TASTE (4/5)
The food - all round - is very good, but as what is likely to happen with brunches, since it is all cooked/baked/grilled/tossed mass scale, nothing was spectacular. Spoilt for choice doesn't work with me too well, so I ate bits and pieces, and had no major takeaway.

AMBIENCE (5/5)
Perfect blend of outdoorsy and indoorsy, with just the right pops of colours and props. The entire space facilitates a laidback sense. What I specially loved was the choice of music being played, and the vibrant atmosphere. Charged, yet relaxed.

SERVICE (4/5)
Sparkling and effective, but we did happen to spot a few flies merrily flying around the food stations in the al fresco area. Maybe installing an unobstrusive insect repellant by a quick-thinking staff member should have been in order for a perfect score.  

PRESENTATION (4/5)
All good despite the fact that it's not very easy for brunch buffets (and food stations) to be in ship-shape all the time (people are invariably overturning things). The food landscaping was spot on. The extra effort to keep in place the fun elements also worked rather well.

VALUE FOR MONEY (3/5)
For the amount of food and variety on offer (plus unlimited beverages), Dh499 per pop is maybe not such an overkill (this is like having breakfast, lunch and dinner at a five-star), but could still be a stretch for those on the lookout for the affordability tag.

Overall rating: 4/5
sushmita@khaleejtimes.com

• Food and Dining