Winter Barbecue Brunch at Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal

Hello Chatoras,

It’s my favourite season of the year and can you make any guesses as to why I love Winters apart from Sweaters and cute blankets?? Yes, That’s food ! What else it can be? Winter is one such season when almost all exotic vegetables are available and having warming and comforting food in this cold weather is an absolute bliss. It’s that time of the year that I eat a lot and reason that I feel lazy too. But, bribe me for good food and my magical ninja tricks to hog come to rescue.  

Talking about Winter there’s nothing quite like a wonderful Sunday brunch on a sunny winter afternoon. After all, unwinding with friends and folks over lavish buffet is indeed a memorable way to end the weekend. Sweater weather is great, because now you can relax in the sun while sipping on your favourite drink, relishing a meal peacefully without the hot sun actually bothering you. The days have become pleasant and therefore I headed to Courtyard by Marriott to experience their “Winter Barbecue Brunch” at MoMo Cafe.

The brunch features an International cheese counter, salad station, exotic seafood bar, sushi, antipasti counter, a freshly baked bread station, and Indian and Western delicacies to choose from. Not to forget the bar and dessert section which is specially decked up featuring winter special delights.

 Drinks

What is a brunch without some good drinks? Often at the inception of creating brunch a success lies equally on the shoulders of the bartender as it does on the chef.

One can have unlimited drinks at the brunch and I managed to have 3 because I try my best to not miss the food items. So, 3 was enough for me!

Welcome Drink: This looks similar to wine served in a flute glass but do not get mistaken its desi aam panna. 😀 Good start for the brunch.

Next came a drink curated by the bar tender and he named it Berry delight I guess. It had Strawberry, Cranberry and orange juice with crushed ice. A bit sweet but goes too well with spicy starters.

Last but not the least was an unnamed but beautiful looking drink which was made with cranberry, lemon juice and a hint of strawberry slush. Looked pretty and tasted wonderful.  (Had it with Main Course)

Pass around Snacks: While enjoying the live music they also have pass around trolley snack counter wherein they serve Cheese/Potato Nuggets, Hakka Noodles and Manchurian.

Starters

Paneer Tikka:  A splendid and exotic dish with exceptional flavours, engulfed into the marinated paneer cubes, onions and capsicum dices

Cauliflower Manchurian: A Spicy Indo-Chinese starter with hint of ginger and garlic, these crisp-fried cauliflower are a delight to bite onto.

Nalli Nihari: Slow cooked, spicy and flavourful stew was served with kulchas but I had one of the best Nihari’s with Kulcha Bread almost a year back when Chef Ravinder served it to me with Bread dipped in the stew. That one was the best so far.

Ravioli: Ravioli is an Italian delicacy. A mix of spinach, cheese, onions, oregano, basil, salt and pepper filled between two sheet of ravioli pasta. It was topped with freshly cooked tomato sauce.  I was lucky enough to dine during the ongoing Italian fest and Chef Sarvesh who Flew Down from JW Sahar made this on special request. Ravioli is a dainty, succulent and flavoursome. I just Loved it!

Zucchini Cannelloni: Rich and creamy spinach and ricotta stuffed inside Zucchini tubes. OMG! This pretty looking dish just stole my heart away. I had it again in my main course. Totally mind boggling!!

Sushi: Sometimes simplicity is a virtue in even exotic dishes! Sushi prepared with raw veggies tasted great with traditional Oriental sauces. Sticky rice cooked and coated with a vinegar dressing, layered with veggies, and rolled up into a sushi. I have been a having Avocado sushi but this was first experience with veg sushi and I quiet liked it.

P.S. Not everyone loves sushi and to devour it you need to develop proper taste buds. I still can never eat sushi with raw fish. But, we can still learn and explore. Do, try it once you might like it with the sauces. 🙂

Chat Counter: Apart from the “eye catchy” dessert counter, next thing to catch your attention is the lovely Chaat Counter serving absolutely lip-smacking  chaat such as Dahi Puri, Pani Puri, Chole Tikki, Papdi Chat , Bhel Puri etc.

Jalebi: Do I even need to describe this? 😀 Who can resist the temptation of piping hot, deep-fried jalebis garnished with aromatic saffron strands specially in winters?

Masala Chass: No one can stop with just one glass of this tantalising version of buttermilk. Chaas is an old time favourite drink and  is a nice way to digest a large meal. A delicious spicy buttermilk ideal to have before the main course.

Salads: The salads and cold cuts are my favourite way to start on a buffet. I absolutely loved the variety of Salads that were on display. I particularly enjoyed the Caprese Salad, Sweet Corn & Chickpea salad was a combination of sweet and spicy corn while the chickpea one was with a tiny hint of chillies and masala. Roasted Apple & cheery tomatoes with feta cheese are also worth trying.

Soups and Breads:

Tomato and Roasted Bell Pepper:  Roasting the vegetables gives the soup a delicious flavour. Tomato soup has always been a comfort food of mine. But add in some red bell peppers and the result is thrilling. This simple, delectable soup is exactly what you need to beat the winter blues. Watch out for the amazing collection of Chef’s special breads. 😉

Live Grills: Continuing my gastronomic journey of a perfect  Sunday with a delectable and exquisite brunch, I next moved to Live Grills in the alfresco dinning area just out side bay leaf and I was so much thrilled already that I moved my table outside for a more peaceful and breathtaking Sunday brunch. They have a plethora of choices in live grills so you can Choose your own veg/non veg and let the chef do the magic for you.  I particularly liked the Grilled Chicken and Fish that was recommended by Anmol. Fish was soft, smooth with its velvety textured perfectly grilled and chicken was juicy and proportionately marinated.

Mains

Mixed Vegetable in Schezwan sauce: This dish  had bursts of flavours.. It’ll tease and appease your taste buds. Relish it with Fried rice.

Fried Rice: Rice stir fried with vegetables and mix of Chinese sauces are an absolute delight. I paired it with the mix veggies in schezwan sauce. Beautiful combination.

Khadhai Paneer: A tantalizing dish with aroma of spices cooked with tomatoes, capsicum and onion giving it a good texture. This flavourful dish paired with buttery naan is oh, so yum! 😀

Dal Makhani: My favourite! You must be aware by now! 😀 Dal Makhani which was made with Red kidney beans and black gram, cooked with abundant amount of butter and particular spices making it rich, creamy and luscious.

Dum Ki Biryani: The rice was cooked on low flame and therefore the aroma & strong flavours along with spices did the magic.

Table describes a bit of what all we ate. P.S. I didn’t had those prawns.

Second round of this amazing winner dish. #ZucchiniCannelloni

Desserts

No better way to end the feast with tempting and alluring desserts, which were handcrafted to perfection. By, now you must be having an Idea that in-spite of binge eating I still manage to have a special place for desserts. 😀

Courtyard Marriott, Bhopal has a huge range of desserts with Chef Reddy and his team putting forward something new every time.  Apart from my regular favourites of Cup Cakes, Serredura and fruit cake this time they had Swiss rolls, Chocolate glazed donuts, green velvet pastries and I lot more. But, what caught my attention was the Indian dessert section. 😀

They had loads of winter delights such as Gajak, revdi, Moong dal halwa, laddoo and a lot more that I can’t even recall now.  *Facepalm*

I had quite a lot of it and I ended my happy meal day with waffle ice cream  (De Waffle) which just brings cheer delight to almost every meal. Also, I am one such person who would enjoy ice cream in winters as well. 😀

I was full by then and it is quiet embarrassing to write this but I literally wanted Time to stop by for a while and was just not ready to accept that my amazing brunching session has come to an end.   

Nevertheless, I had a marvellous time at the brunch and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The food was stunning and drinks were refreshing. Service is always flawless and they make sure they live up to their name.  So why not Soak up the winter sun with Winter Barbecue Brunch with a multitude of offerings at MoMo Cafe, Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal? 🙂 Book your tables now otherwise it’s hard to get a table as it’s the talk of the town these days and you might have to wait. 

Till then, Happy Hogging!!

Thank you Anmol for the invite and being my brunching partner. <3

Thank you Mr. Girish, Chef Ravinder, Chef Vivek, Mr.  Alok, Bhaskar, Yash , Soumya & team for a splendid experience every time.

A special mention goes out to Chef Sarvesh for the incredible Italian food. I’ll see you sometime soon in Bombay.

I enjoyed myself and can’t wait to come back with my family! 😀

P.S. The author was invited and the reviews are personal.

Tastes are subjective and may differ from person to person.

Restaurant: Momo Cafe, Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal

Address: DB City, Arera Hills.

Date: Every Sunday

Price: INR 1599/- All Inclusive – Per Person Rate. Add INR 500 for Unlimited Alcohol Drinks.

Valet Parking: Available

For Reservations Call: Bhaskar – 8349101524

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