Sunday Brunch at The Melting Pot: Market Cafe

The invite for Sunday brunch at the InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram came at the end of a tough week. The answer was a resounding yes!

InterContinental's walkway to the bay; to the left is the floating deck

Earlier trips to the resort had been late in the evening; however, on a Sunday afternoon, even with a merciless sun beating down, it had not lost any of its charm. The familiar driveway that leads into the cool portico, the steps that take you down to the ground level and straight ahead, you can just about see the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal. Our destination was to the left.

Ingredients at the ready. Pic credit - passingports

Ready for judging: Pachiamma with matching sunglasses (!) at top. Pic credit - passingports  

We were a group of about 20 bloggers and food reviewers who had been invited to the exclusive launch of Culinary Sundays - a Brunch with a Dramatic Twist at The Melting Pot Market Cafe, the resort's casual dining restaurant. Some of us were meeting for the first time and to break the ice, the organisers, travel blog passingports and ICChennai, split us up into 3 groups and we not only had to "invent" 2 mocktails but also sell them to the judges. The floating deck opposite the restaurant, surrounded by water inspired our group to come up with our winning entry - Pachaiamma, a concoction of kiwi and lychee juices and green chillies - cool like the sea, spicy-hot like the weather. We won dinner to ICC's Tao of Peng, an experience I'm looking forward to.

How do you like your eggs?

The Melting Pot, turf of Executive Sous Chef Negi, is a pretty large restaurant with 4 food islands that serve salads, Western, peninsular Indian and pan-Asian (not counting desserts that have their own island) and 7 cooking stations. The buffet set up extends from one end of the restaurant all the way across to the other and believe me, it is a long room. In other words, one of the most lavish, fabulous and colourful buffets in the city that represents a melting pot of cuisines.

The Med spread

Cold appetisers

So where does one start? A second breakfast with waffles and pancakes? Or across to the Mediterranean counter for mezze and other delights like hummus, lavash, olives, tabboleh and pita? Or load up with a selection of cheeses and cold cuts?

Salad and soil!

At the salad counter, the chef had "planted" vibrant green lettuce leaves in soil. He served me a spoonful - no, no, I don't usually eat mud but this one, made with breadcrumbs, cocoa powder, ground nuts and other yummy stuff, is delicious.

Fresh sushi

Noodle add-ons

Was a whole baked fish!

Bread baskets

Pasta perfect

Mexican, another popular counter

Catch of the day!

Bacon wrapped chicken

Pork belly, jumbo tandoori prawns; fried noodles & lobster

My favourite was bacon wrapped chicken. Set on a mound of risotto, it was the simple flavours and neat presentation that made it stand out. Pork tenderloin was equally good, the chef had tossed it in a dark soy-5 spice sauce with pepper strips for texture. Jumbo tandoori prawns were super spicy and it tasted like it had been marinated in a sambal paste - to cook large prawns this perfect is truly a skill. Two friends who ate the stir fried noodles just couldn't stop raving about it.

There's teppanyaki, dimsum and appam if you have a yen to try a mix of cuisines. Especially for parched throats, there's a juicery and mocktail bar. Maybe they'll even make you a Pachaiamma if you ask nicely!!

Live music too!

A dessert table just for kids

Just a part of dessert island

Raspberry opera; mango cream cheese in choc; house made ice cream; mousses, profiterole; macaron; mango choc cup

There are just too many desserts to list (23, I'm told) and too many to sample but if I had to choose the best of those I tried, the stand outs would be raspberry opera, profiterole and the chunky chocolate ice cream that's made in-house.
For the kids there's a dedicated buffet counter and a dessert section too. They have a play area where they are kept busy with activities.

The Melting Pot's breakfast buffet timings are from 7.30 am to 10.30 am, Culinary Sundays - a Brunch with a Dramatic Twist from 12.30 pm - 3.30 pm and is priced at 1999++ per head.
What a delicious way to spend time with the family on a Sunday.

ICC Mahabalipuram Resort
No. 212 East Coast Road
Nemelli Village.
+91 44 71720101