[dropcap size=small]M[/dropcap]ezza9 has long been a standard-bearer for champagne brunch and it continues to do so with Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut Champagne served by the bottle – or so it promises. During our visit, we don’t find our champagne bucket sitting tableside, but it doesn’t bother us as our glasses are vigilantly refilled. Our waiter, it seems, has made it his personal mission to ensure that no one leaves thirsty. Not once do we see the bottom of our vessel.
To call it a champagne brunch is a bit of a misnomer as the quality of alcoholic beverages available forces you to make some tough decisions. Do you follow the lead of the happy diner shuttling multiple glasses of martinis from the legendary Martini Bar or drink your way through nine gin and tonics, each a showcase of small-batch gins – try the Kokoro, an English gin brightened with Japanese sansho berries – and artisanal tonics? (Note: Mezza9’s new “party room” has a bar that offers 40 kinds of artisanal and bespoke gins).
Over at the Japanese food station, sake sits alongside a selection of fresh sashimi and nigiri sushi. After watching two French men swirl, sip and approve of a 2015 Pinot Noir from Burgundian producer Albert Bichot, I swipe a glass too, and its fruity aromas of redcurrant and plum pair exceedingly well with the slow-roasted Cape Grim ribeye coming off the grill station.
While those seeking a booze-fuelled afternoon will find themselves well watered, diners who’re here for the spread won’t be disappointed either. A spread of sustainably-sourced seafood on ice includes sweet Maine lobster and freshly-shucked oysters while the riff on sustainability continues with an organic salad bar touting cage-free eggs and meaty vine-ripened tomatoes. Over at the Asian food station, a simple beef and onion stir-fry is elevated with the use of Black Angus beef, and masterfully- balanced Thai salads, seafood and meats shine the spotlight on the chef’s deft use of herbs and spices.
If you’re a group of four or more, opt for the newly-launched Personalised/VIP Sunday Brunch experience. For an additional fee of $90 per person, this experience offers Ruinart Blanc de Blanc (yes, a bottle is placed tableside and replenished when it’s finished). Plus, with your personal butler bringing beautifully-assembled platters of food from the nine different stations (you can let him know which ones you prefer), you’ll get to enjoy the most luxurious champagne brunch this side of town.
MEZZA9
Mezzanine Level, Grand Hyatt Singapore, S(228211)
T 6732-1234
