With three of its restaurants serving brunch every Sunday, Hotel Mulia Senayan is doing just that. Soaring above Jakarta’s business district, the 40-storey hotel is a welcome sanctuary amid the hustle and bustle of this sprawling metropolis. Take time out from your busy schedule to pamper yourself in the deluxe spa, practice your swing on the 18-hole golf course, and drink in the panoramic views of the city skyline, Negroni in hand… No wonder readers of last year’s Condé Nast Traveler USA voted Hotel Mulia one of ’The 50 Best Hotels in the World and Top Hotels in Asia’.
There is an air of opulence when guests arrive at Hotel Mulia’s fusion restaurant Orient8, especially come brunch time. For instead of raucous crowds relaying last night’s debauchery, here you’ll find Louboutin-heeled guests nonchalantly sipping sparkling wine and martinis. Aside from the bizarre mural of Napoleon Bonaparte sporting sunglasses (the source of much hilarity after a few glasses), the very French décor has a timeless elegance to it that complements the Pan-Asian menu perfectly. The grand dining room is adorned with fabrics and furnishings recalling the days of colonial history. Think black and white checker-board floor, glittering chandeliers and crushed velvet upholstery. Rest assured, the service is just as regal as the palatial décor. So all you need to concern yourself with is important matters like: how to pace oneself when both food and alcohol are bottomless…
Once your white-gloved waiter has seated you in an antique chair you can plan your assault on the buffet, which is teeming with artfully-arranged plates that hold everything from savoury amuse-bouches to pastries and puddings galore. Brunch here is a lavish seafood-centric affair. Be sure to graze on all-you-can-eat oysters and fresh sushi, before eating your way through each table and filling up on made-to-order tom yum soup, creamy potato dauphinoise and the finest imported cheeses. Washed down with endless glasses of Prosecco or wine, this is brunch at its most extravagant.
A word of advice: leave room for dessert, because it’s this beautifully-presented table that elevates Orient8’s spread to the next level. The intricate centerpiece of butterflies and roses is straight out of a fairytale and demands an Instagram photo-shoot of its own. But it’s the sweet delicacies on offer that will have you regretting that third stopover at the charcuterie table. From the decadent chocolate fondue fountain to the glazed raspberry tarts, vibrant passion fruit parfait and heaped mound of Parisian macaroons, this culinary playground will have your taste buds singing and your stomach bursting at the seams. Bringing buckets of class to our favourite weekend staple, bottomless brunch at Orient8 is just what it should be: elegant, indulgent and anything but rushed.
Hotel Mulia Senayan Jakarta, Jl. Asia Afrika, Senayan
Sunday: 11:00am – 2:30pm
