Mother's Day Brunch at Sofitel Mumbai

This Sunday, I took my sister out for a scrumptious Mother's Day brunch at Pondichery Cafe, Sofitel Mumbai, since my parents were not in town. We saved ourselves some trouble in the kitchen and had the most amazing meal of the year so far (and I do NOT exaggerate). The buffet spread included Indian, continental, Japanese, Thai, Middle-Eastern, Greek and Korean cuisine among others. And every one of those dishes (we tried as many as we could) was perfect in terms of appearance, taste and freshness. Here is a pictorial account. Warning: Some drooling may occur.

The moment we walked in, we were greeted by the dessert counter! Normally, it's at the end but on Sunday, it was the first thing we saw. And what a spread it was. I was sorely tempted to work my way backwards through the meal.

The lovely hotel staff had reserved a cosy corner table for us. I've been to Pondichery Cafe many times and I love their airy, spacious arrangements. First, we took a stroll around the buffet set-up and here are a few of the counters we encountered:

 

A live sandwich counter

Freshly baked bread and other things

Greek moussaka, tossed mushrooms and a pie

My favourite sushi - so colourful!

The salad bar

Hummus, pita bread, babaganoush and fattoush

First, we sampled the sushi with wasabi, dimsums, salads, hummus and pita bread. Then, we moved on to the mains - tandoori prawns (for my sister), kimchi fried rice with Thai curry for me and prawns curry for my sister, vegetable noodles, pie and a host of other dishes I can't remember!

Live quesadilla counter

My plate!

My sister's plate

In between all this, we suddenly realised that the live music had been replaced by something quite different! A compere and guitarist on stage summoned adorable moms from the audience to sing a song on stage. Some of them were joined by their children as well.

This mom was so enthusiastic!

And at long last, it was time to move on to the desserts - a lavish spread of macaroons, cakes, cheesecakes, colourful concoctions in glasses and blancmange. Here are the highlights.

Baked oreo cheesecake - this was heaven!

A wobbly dessert slab

Pineapple cake

French madeleine

Heaven in a glass (or two)

Sofitel is a luxury five star hotel at Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai with several stylish restaurants including Jyran, a North Indian and Mughlai restaurant; Artisan, a French cafe and patisserie, Le Bar Diamantaire, a bar and lounge and Tuskers, a Rajasthani and Gujarati vegetarian restaurant. Pondichery Cafe is their lobby restaurant and perfect for a weekend buffet brunch.