LA VIE EN ROSE’S PINK HIGHLIGHTS
Sunday brunch in Shanghai maintains a rosy glow in a fine tradition at Le Meridien.
he problem, if you can call it that, is where to start with the La Vie En Rose brunch at Le Meridien. Before picking up plates, my companion and I are given a tour by Chef Eric, a member of the small army in the kitchen that prepares the weekly feast.
Eric walks us around the banquet explaining what’s on offer. We start by the Italian station with a selection of fresh pasta and move on to the roasts — pork, lamb, beef, chicken. The meats jostle for room with piles of roast vegetables and a tray of mashed potato so tempting it might force us to break the first rule of buffets (no carbs, too filling).
We detour to the Indian section, tandoori lamb and a variety of curry vegetable dishes. There is a dimsum station, noodles, cheese, sashimi, crayfish, antipasto, salads. Just when you think you’ve seen it all you realize there is a selection of breads and muffins tucked in the corner, an oyster-shucking station hidden behind the hamburger stand and a goose-liver station by the windows.
Down a small flight of stairs are the desserts. An incredible selection of cakes, puddings, ice-cream and even fruit. (Don’t worry if that sounds too healthy: There is a vat of chocolate to dip the fruit into).
Excess and decadence is the order of the day at the Le Meridien, which, depending on how much you want to spend, comes with free-flow Moet Brut or Moet Rose champagne. The brunch has become something of a signature of the hotel in recent years, picking up a swag of awards from the local street press and becoming a Sunday staple for many of the city’s expatriates.
We visit on a working Sunday before the Chinese New Year. Apparently it is quieter than usual, the tables surrounding us include a father and two teenagers speaking English and celebrating a birthday. A large table of adults, babies in tow, speaking French and enjoying a relaxed Sunday meal, and an Indian family chatting over glasses of champagne as their children dart back and forth from the dessert buffet to the free face-painting stand in a sugar-fueled frenzy of excitement.
The theme is pink, but the color is more of a highlight than a drenching. Pink balloons decorate the room, and for a little fun, two glamorous women in pink nurse uniforms circle the room with fake syringes full of chicken broth, which they administer to male customers, amid many well-natured squeals from the “patients’ ” friends.
There is also a staffed play section for children, and a magician who visits tables performing sleight-ofhand card tricks with some lighthearted banter. It’s all good fun and a nice breather from the formidable amount of food.
The main draw for many people, it seems, is the seafood. The central seafood buffet is by far the busiest station, and the oyster-shucking stand (all oysters are from New Zealand and France) has a steady stream of visitors.
I select a small portion of the salmon and tuna sashimi and half a crayfish. All the fish is melt-in-yourmouth fresh.
A seafood highlight however, is over at the roast stand, where a whole salmon is roasted to perfection with a delicious, sweet glaze. It’s a far better option than the roast beef — which is a little dry, though when paired with that creamy mashed potato and a dollop of the excellent gravy it does the job.
With such exotic dishes on offer it felt a little silly to covet the lasagna, but it is my favorite, and a giant tray of it was left practically untouched. It was excellent, perfectly al dente sheets of pasta and a creamy béchamel sauce.
Smaller stomachs might have flagged at this point. Certainly I was beginning to struggle, but that dessert table beckoned. Happily, the desserts were far from an afterthought. Beautiful presentation was followed up by expertly made cakes and oven-fresh pastries.
A rich chocolate mousse cake, fluffy, cream filled pastry and two strawberries dipped in chocolate later, I’m beat. The buffet had won, there was nothing for it but sit back and sip the free-flowing Moet … oh, and nibble on a small plate of cheese and antipasto.
It’s all about excess after all. Contact the writer at belletaylor@chinadaily.com.cn