The Ambience
From the hotel entrance to our designated seat, a vibrant atmosphere resonated with laughter and the delightful memories of joyous families. The staff were very kind and welcomed us with a cheerful greeting as they escorted us to the seat.
Starters
The buffet brimmed with an enticing array of sushi and salads, alongside the glistening bounty of the sea – prawns, cuttlefish, crabs, oysters and mussels, all radiating freshness. A dedicated cheese station and a build-your-own salad bar with a selection of delectable dressings completed the feast.
The sushi selection comprised tuna rolls, vegetable rolls, and tuna salad rolls. Despite the rice seeming a bit dry and our desire for more variety, the overall experience improved significantly after dipping it in soy sauce and pairing it with wasabi.
The fresh oyster was delicate, buttery and refreshed our palate with every luxurious sip.
The salads included Pineapple Mint Salad, Soba Noodles Salad, Chickpea Salad, Chicken Pasta Salad. And for the hardcore lankan, there was Ambarella achcharu, Guava Achcharu, spicy pineapple Mini Salad.
There was a designated area for fresh salami, Chicken Terrine, Chicken ham, Beef Terrine, Chicken Mortadella, and various other assorted salamis.
Mains
Without exaggeration, while perusing the spread, we recognised the abundance of choices. The brunch selection consisted of Italian, Chinese, Indian, Sri Lankan, Japanese, and a blend of other Western cuisines.
Indian
The Indian Corner featured the staple Dum Biriyani prepared with both chicken and mutton, accompanied by mouth watering Chicken Masala Curry mint chutney, mango pickle, and raita. This biryani is a flavorful delight, fulfilling the dreams of any Biriyani enthusiast. In addition to the Biriyani, we ventured beyond the conventional and sampled Palak Paneer with Naan, discovering a delightful contrast. The Indian corner also offers Vegetable Kurma, Dhal Tada, and an assortment of Parippu Wade, Ulundu Wade, accompanied by sambal.
Chinese
The Seafood dumplings and Chicken Wonton were delicious. The dumplings are available in seafood, pork, and vegetable variants. To enhance your dumpling experience, you can add soy sauce, sesame seeds, sweet chili sauce, and bao sauce to your liking.
Sri Lankan
What is a Sri Lankan corner without Jaffna Prawn Curry? We sampled Lemongrass rice, Beans and Cashew Curry, and Jaffna Prawn Curry. Although we found the Lemongrass rice lacking freshness on its own, once paired with the cashew curry and Jaffna Prawn Curry, any concerns about freshness were dispelled.
The Sri Lankan corner also featured Village Chicken Curry, Batticaloa Mutton Black Curry, Dhal Curry and Tempered Potatoes. There was also an assortment of Sri Lankan savory salads such as Lunu Dehi and Achcharu to choose from.
Meat
Meat lovers, this is without a doubt THE buffet for you. Here is everything they served:
- Roast Turkey with Cranberry Sauce
- Herb and Nut crusted Lamb Leg with Mint Jus Mashed potatoes- parsley and Congo
- Grilled Cumberland Sausage red wine sauce
- Beef Casserole with Beef Sausage (Home made) and roots. Comes with wish and orange mustard and Pub Mustard
- Honey Roasted Lamb
- Grilled Tuna Steak with Pepper Mustard Sauce
We tried the Cumberland Sausage and the melt-in-your-mouth lamb leg, both bathed in the sauce’s warmth. But it was the surprisingly delectable, mildly seasoned lamb chop that truly stole the show.
We also tried a bit of the Beef Casserole that comes with Orange Mustard and Pub Mustard sauce.The beef had a rich, earthy gameyness that was beautifully balanced by the smooth, creamy mash. The Kongo mash had a satisfyingly grainy texture and subtle hints of vegetables, adding another layer of intrigue to the dish.
Italian
We dug into the Grilled Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce – seriously, it’s a masterpiece, especially if you’re into that pescatarian vibe. The Lyonnaise Potatoes and Buttered Vegetables were simple but still flavourful and complemented the other Italian dishes well.
Then there’s the pizza, loaded with a mix of seafood and chicken, plus the good old Classic Margherita. Grabbed a slice of the Classic Margherita, and even though it was kept simple, it was still cheesy goodness with the perfect flavor mix.
The Italian section also had a Pasta Action Station where you could get your pasta made, just the way you like it!
Here’s everything they had: Grilled Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce, Beef Lasagna with Fungi, Chicken Drumstick with Mushroom Sauce, Braised Pork Fillet with Calvados Sauce, Grilled Lamb Chop with Shiraz Jus, Lyonnaise Potatoes, Buttered Vegetables, Grilled Seafood and a Pasta Corner.
Dessert
After indulging in starters and mains, we questioned how we could possibly make room for the hug *emphasis on huge*—array of vibrant desserts in various sizes.
The head chef graciously prepared a special Crepe Suzette for us. For those unfamiliar, Crepe Suzette is a French dessert that includes crêpes served with a sauce made of caramelized sugar and butter, enhanced with tangerine or orange juice and a hint of rum. The chef crowned it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and to our delight, each bite revealed a delightful explosion of sweet, tangy, and cool flavors. It unquestionably stood out as a highlight of our dining experience.
Back to the Desserts, let’s move on to another one of our favorites – The Blueberry Cheesecake. This Cheesecake was a solid 10/10. We’d been disappointed by cheesecake in other buffets but this cheesecake SERVED.
We also tried the Raspberry Mousse and were amazed by how such a simple dessert could be packed with so much flavor.
There was also a range of fresh cut fruit such as Papaya, Pineapple, Watermelon and other fresh Fruit Salads. The fruit salad consisted of watermelon, grapes, pineapple, papaya, grapes and guava.
We tried the Chocolate ice cream topped with chocolate sauce along with the homemade Passion fruit ice cream. Both flavours of ice cream didn’t live up to the standard of flavor demonstrated in the other desserts or maybe our expectations were just too high.
The Chocolate Profiterole Tower is a choux pastry filled with cream and topped up with chocolate sauce. It was delicious and filled with the best chocolate and cream flavours.
The Dessert spread was endless and consisted of OREO Biscuit Pudding, Chocolate Fudge, Blueberry Mousse, Creme Brulee, Profiterole Towers, Cherry Trifle, cupcakes, brownies and different types of cakes. Surprise! There were also Avurudu sweet meats such as Kavum, Kalu Dodol, Kokis, Asmi and many more.
What were the highlights?
Anticipate top-notch customer service. As an illustration, during our dessert experience, when we discovered the absence of dessert spoons, the waiter promptly provided us with the necessary utensils, showing their attentiveness to our needs before we even realized them. The extensive spread featured a diverse selection of vegetarian, pescatarian, and meat dishes spanning various cuisines, ensuring satisfaction for all. The abundance of action stations surpassed any buffet we had encountered previously.
If you haven’t been to the Brunch at The Kingsbury Hotel yet, this is your sign.
Location: Harbour Court at The Kingsbury Hotel
Price: Brunch : Rs.7800 Nett Per Person
Bubbly Brunch : Rs.10,800 Nett
Beer Brunch Rs.8500 Nett
Time: 11:30 am to 3:00 pm
For more information, visit their website here or visit their Instagram or Facebook for more information.
