The month of December is almost everyone’s favourite. The slight nip in air, a general feeling of festivity and the wait for the last few weeks filled with food, laughter and cheer is enough to lift your spirits.
The idea of a lavish Christmas Brunch with near and dear ones is a great way to end the year on high note. If you have been unable to narrow down upon a place, we highly recommend Focaccia, the Italian specialty restaurant at Hyatt Regency. They have planned a lovely Christmas Special Pranzo Brunch menu for December 15 and December 22 (next two Saturdays). You get a three course meal and unlimited liquor of choice at just INR 2299!
As we walked into Focaccia on a December Saturday, the air was redolent with joy and Christmas cheer. Decorated with a giant Christmas tree, mistletoes, baubles and other pretty things, we were guided to our table by the ever-smiling and friendly staff at Hyatt. The Christmas Pranzo Brunch spread is planned under the astute leadership of Italian Chef Mauro Ferrari, who has ensured that European traditional delights are part of the exhaustive menu.
The salad section had a wide array of choices –vegetarian and non-vegetarian. From egg salad with a rich salmon mousse, chicken and potato, fish salad to mushroom arancini, melon and fig, tomato and bocconcini; the salad options were quite appetising. The accompanying bread station had freshly baked options ranging from the multigrain for those who watch what they eat to cheese stuffed varieties for others who wish to indulge. There was also a lovely cheese board section that stocks on fresh cheese varieties from across the globe. We enjoyed our first course over glasses of sparkling wine.
The salad was followed by a simple yet profoundly delicious Margherita pizza baked by Chef Ferrari and red sauce pasta prepared at the live station. The brunch also has a roast and grills section, where you can pick your favourite meat and seafood and leave the rest in the able hands of chefs at Focaccia. We loved the chicken and prawn grills, which were brought to our table.
The main course at the Pranzo brunch has the usual Italian favourites like lasagna, frittata, eggplant parmigiana, polenta and quite a few other options. There is also a variety of cold cuts. We glided through this section quickly since we were most interested in the desserts of the brunch spread! We weren’t disappointed at all!
The dessert section of the spread is its most vibrant and colourful section. It is replete with Christmas favourites like mince pie, plum pudding, cookies, cakes, macaroons, cookies and then some blueberry mousse, chocolate pista slab and cheesecake. We suggest you save space for them. You really don’t want to miss out Christmas desserts.
The spread at Focaccia is more than worth the pricing and with the happy vibe doing the rounds; this is one place you got to be next Saturday!
The Christmas Pranzo Brunch at Focaccia is priced at INR 2299 (plus taxes).
Location: Focaccia, Hyatt Regency Chennai, Teynampet
Date and time: December 15 and 22, 12.30 pm onwards
