Ash & Elm Sunday Champagne Brunch with Unlimited Caviar, Eggs & Bloody Mary at Intercontinental Hotel

It was exactly two years ago when I last dined at Ash & Elm. Those who are familiar with Intercontinental Hotel would know that Ash & Elm was named Olive Tree Restaurant before its revamped. What used to be a boisterous International buffet venue had transformed into an elegant European restaurant decked with plush armchairs amidst moody lights and solicitous service. The atmosphere felt intimate and cosy. It was like how I remembered it, even the Sunday Champagne Brunch was nostalgically familiar as though years had not flown by.

Thinking back, I had promised myself a second visit for the Sunday brunch, which would actually be my third visit since I had dined for dinner once.

Why I really love Ash & Elm’s Sunday Champagne Brunch is that it is ridiculously affordably priced for the luxurious spread. At $98++, you get sumptuous delicacies ranging from unlimited caviar, fresh lobsters and oysters to assorted cheeses, premium cured ham like the Jamon Iberico, roasted beef striploin and Bloody Mary. On top of that, an ala carte menu of petit tasting platters presents the seasonal produce of the year.

This April, celebrate Spring with green ingredients such as endives, green peas, basil, zucchini, asparagus and spinach.

Prices as follows:

• $138++ per adult, inclusive of unlimited Taittinger Brut, House Wines, D-I-Y Bloody Mary Cocktails, Juices, Soft Drinks, Coffee, and Tea
• $48++ per child, inclusive of Juices and Soft Drinks
• Gourmet Collection members enjoy an exclusive 25% savings

Sunday Brunch: 12noon – 3pm

Great deals: Currently, there is an ongoing promotion for 20% off buffet prices when you purchase vouchers and make reservation from CHOPE!

Savour all nine dishes from the land, sea and garden in the Tasting Platter menu.

Highlights include the Pan-fried Duck Foie Gras perched on Toasted Brioche with Spiced Rhubarb Marmalade, Grilled Prawns and Squid over Sautéed Spinach in a thick creamy Crustacean Sauce and Gratinated Braised Endive in a rich Comté Cheese puddle speckled with Black Truffle.

The Pan-seared Scallops with Broccoli and Croutons deserved a second helping for its succulent bouncy texture. Even pasta and rice were not spared from the table. Instead, they were reborn and bore a healthier green as Spinach Risotto and Zucchini Ravioli respectively.

The Steamed Atlantic Cod in Olive Sauce, on the other hand, could have been more tender while the dollop of Taggiasca mash gave too sharp a profile that masked the taste of the fish.

Reminiscence of our local satay, the skewered Grilled Chicken was chunkier and flavourfully seasoned. As for the Braised Lamb Shoulder, it was surprisingly tender, saucy and tasty.

The Caviar Station was one of the best features in the Sunday Brunch, one you could hardly find in any other restaurant buffet too.

Enliven your tastebud with the deluxe spread of Kaluga Queen Caviar (China Sturgeon roe), Avruga Caviar (Spain Herring roe), Ebiko (Japan prawn roe), Ikura (Japan Salmon roe) and Tobiko (Japan Flying Fish roe).

On ice was a plethora of seafood where Lobsters in their deep red shells, Oysters, half-shell Mussels, Clams, Baby Lobsters and halved Crabs stacked neatly into mountains.

Further down the buffet line was a plethora of cooked dishes. While my companion tucked into the medium-rare Roasted Beef Striploin and Slow Baked Salmon, I opt for alternative proteins, i.e. Eggs Benedict and Eggs en Cocotte.

The drizzle of what appeared to be morel jus over the egg en cocotte was simply a heavenly combination that had me slurping it all within seconds.

As for the Eggs Benedict, it was well-executed with a successful luscious flow of the yolk when poked.

Somewhere holed up against the wall was a series of canapes and bite-sized tapas. Two years ago, Ash & Elm had the beef tartare, a beloved dish of mine. But today, the crab meats sandwiched between crunchy crackers made it up altogether with the burst of Ikura shooting across my tongue like mini thunderbolts.

The Sunday Brunch also consisted of the usual food fares like Sushi, Sashimi, Salads, Charcuterie, Cheese and Condiments. 

Making rounds to each table were the Grilled Crayfishes. I heard these were specials of the day and would probably continue for the subsequent Sunday Brunches until another item comes in.

The surface of the crayfish was slightly blistered and the meats could be easily tugged from their shells and chewed effortlessly. The light sweet taste coupled with hints of charred bitterness were good enough that the bonito flakes served as almost a decoration. I would have loved for the Grilled Crayfishes to be on the buffet line permanently.

Desserts was a lavish affair once again, filled with cream cones, colourful macaroons, mini shooters and dainty cakes. My bias went to the Chocolate Opera Cake, and Matcha Ice Cream which was obviously a hit among diners who plunged straight into it.

Champagne glasses were constantly refilled. We clinked and downed several rounds happily.

Ash & Elm’s Sunday Champagne Brunch is one that I would recommend. It’s truly value-for-money and the quality precedes the quantity. Where else can you get a good champagne label with unlimited premium food at only a hundred plus!

I am glad that standard has been fairly consistent too since my last visit.

 

Ash & Elm

80 Middle Road, Level 1 InterContinental Singapore, Singapore 188966

 

Website: https://singapore.intercontinental.com/offers/new-sunday-champagne-brunch

 

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