Sunday Brunch Buffet at the Taj

Oh my. Where to start? We spent almost three hours at the Taj eating (Taj Tower that is, as the Taj Palace is still closed), so we got to try a lot of stuff. Sadly, though, much of it wasn't that great, so we did not finish everything you see in the pictures. Sometimes a bite was more than enough.

This was my first plate - best things were the mango juice with fresh mint and the biryani with foie gras jus

Ritesh's raita, some dim sum, and fresh watermelon and orange juices

My second plate: best things were the Chinese noodles and veggies in the front, and the fresh grapefruit and coconut salad in the martini glass. The shot glass next to it contains a mozzarella ball w/ tomato, basil and olive oil - neither of which was very good. The dish with handles in the middle contains baba ganoush, not great either. The flappy pink thingie is a pink poppadum made w/ rice flour. Oh, and in the glass is not wine but beet juice.

Ritesh's doughy clafoutis and some banana liqueur

My first dessert plate - very disappointing. It seems like everything was created to look good, not taste good. There's not one thing here that I actually liked.

some fruit salad to clean the palate

some masala chai, and some Bailey's

Some time later, I was ready for round two - could it really be that there was not a single dessert that I liked? Alright, I found one - the egg-shaped passion fruit flavored thingie on the right. But really, considering how expensive this buffet is (2000 Rs, i.e. US$40), and that this is part of the legendary Taj Hotel, you'd think they'd invest in a pastry chef on a par with the other hotels in town...

Alright then. Oysters and a shot of vodka to drown our sorrows over the cake buffet. And I don't even like oysters.

Some peppered salami and bread. Weird way to end a meal, I know. But it was a weird meal to begin with. Oh ye travelers who can afford to stay at the Taj - don't bother. Stay at the Trident instead - the food is miles better.