KOCHI: Le all have that one friend who is more excited about Sundays than Fridays or Saturdays. The reason? Brunches. Well, I am that friend, and that is why, when PGS Vendanta opened Sunday brunches after a long lull brought in by the pandemic, I was ecstatic.
PGS Vedanta is a brand that grew with Kochi, one that knows the city and its people inside out. As I enter the lobby, Bert, the live musician, was already sitting with his guitar, ready with music to accompany the brunch spread. At the restaurant, I flame up my appetite with a classic cocktail — a mimosa — made with champagne and orange juice.
“The idea is to help people experience food, how it is made and to give them an opportunity to decide what goes on their plate,” says Nithin Haridas, the General Manager of the hotel, as he introduced me to the elegant buffet. Two separate live counters — one with pasta varieties like farfalle, rotini, pappardelle and classic penne and the other with spaghetti, flat noodles and egg noodles (fettuccine) — pique your attention as soon as you enter. Right next to it, is a grilling counter that has Kochi’s own seafood specials — prawns, squid and the rest.
The brunch offers an unlimited flow of mimosas, beer and wine, based on your choice. But the highlight of the lunch for me was trying my hand at Tandoor. Though I have had my fair share of Tandoori rotis, chicken and whatnot, I had never in my life, experienced first-hand, how complicated an affair it is! Chef Pramod Singh, a north Indian who speaks flawless Malayalam, made it look really easy, but spoiler alert: It is not something you can walk in and be good at!
Alongside the Tandoori rotis and paneer tikkas that I helped make, the brunch was quite flavourful with executive chef Shivadas P M’s vivid spread of south Indian and North Indian dishes. Everything comes paired with ideal accompaniments like the Tandoori chicken biriyani with pickle and raitha, which is definitely the highlight. The double dum gives the rice all the right flavours. The butter chicken and pulao combo is yet another must-have with melt-in-your-mouth chicken and vegetable salad to go with it. The kappa-fish curry combo needs no introduction, but the gambodge-infused central Kerala-style spicy curry was easily the best I have tasted in a long time!
The brunch also includes a wide breakfast spread and a live juice counter, where you can pick and choose your vegetables and fruits and juice them yourself! Cucumber, lemon, celery and carrots to sweet corn are part of the spread. For dessert, you may pick from an assortment of sweet treats — ice creams to puddings and pastries. I went with a Creme Brulee that chef Shivadas prepared for me live, melting the caramel over it with a blow torch — a perfect ending to the Sunday brunch!
(The author was at the restaurant on invite)
With alcoholic beverages
At Lissie Junction On Sundays From 10.30am to 2.30 pm. For details, contact: 9544938882, 9544938887