Ash & Elm at InterContinental Singapore – Breakfast Themed Sunday Champagne Brunch

Among all hotel restaurants serving buffet, none probably got me smitten in terms of ambiance as much as Ash & Elm at InterContinental Singapore. I’m always for natural lighting and it’s a joy to come here in the day with the morning and afternoon sunlight penetrating the ceiling. To be honest, I have had no prior experience with their buffet (aside from the ones I tried for breakfast during my staycation at InterContinental Singapore). While I do love the ala carte – I still have fond memories of the Iberico pork from the menu – I’ve heard pretty good things about the brunch offerings here. The buffet here is not about offering as much variety as possible. That is not the intention. Instead, what one gets is a well-curated assortment of items on the spread plus a decent amount of ala carte dishes to enjoy. I recently visited Ash & Elm to try out their revamped Sunday champagne brunch – one that incorporates a breakfast theme.

A Sunday brunch in Singapore is perhaps incomplete without a seafood counter. An immaculately set array of oysters, lobsters, crabs, clams and prawns surrounded by floral arrangements greet diners as soon as they step in the venue. The presentation is fantastic, evoking the type of grandeur one would expect from a classic hotel.

The seafood counter is in fact so prominent that one may end up disregarding the equally tempting charcuterie room beside it. The cold cuts counter is a hallmark of Ash & Elm since it opened and within this section, you’ll find various types of cheeses and other appetizers including a hard-to-miss slab of Jamon Iberico.

At the right side of the seafood counter, the Japanese area is filled with your typical range of sashimi and rolls. It’s a bit off tangent to the overall theme of the brunch but hey, what’s a hotel buffet without Japanese food?

The most decadent section of the buffet goes to the caviar counter – with plenty of different kinds of fish eggs to suit the palate. Top it on some blinis for a really luxurious dining experience.

Moving into Ash & Elm’s open kitchen, one encounters a number of brunch food including Eggs Benedict, Eggs Cocotte, some small canapes (the Salmon Tartare is a must-try!), the bread basket and soups such as Seafood Chowder but these are interspersed with heavier mains such as Roast Beef as well as Baked Seabass.

Aside from the buffet, the brunch also features an array of 11 dishes prepared a la minute. Classified into three categories (from the land, from the sea, from the garden), these are served as small plates to allow diners to sample as many types of dishes as possible.

I tried five of these dishes and the ones that clearly stood out to me were the super tender Braised Beef Short Ribs with Carrot, Mushrooms and Pearl Onions and the fragrant Truffle Risotto with Parmesan and Natural Jus. The serving size of each dish is small enough for diners to try as much variety as possible.

The dessert station in Ash & Elm is one of the most outstanding I’ve seen in a hotel buffet (tied with Edge at Pan Pacific Singapore). Make sure to save some space for these sweet endings. The Cherry Bread Pudding was a stand out and so were the cherry and tiramisu flavored ice cream.

Ash & Elm uses Perrier Jouet Grand Brut for the Sunday champagne brunch which is an excellent choice by any measure. You can also add some spice to your beverage by getting a glass or two of the Bloody Mary (prepared from a roving cart).

CHECK OUT MY OTHER SINGAPORE SUNDAY BRUNCH REVIEWS HERE

For S$138++, Ash and Elm has one of the more reasonable Sunday brunches among luxury hotels in Singapore. Diners coming here should not expect the greatest variety but can be rest assured that the quality of food is high and the dishes to be well-curated and pretty decadent.

Prices:

S$138++ – with Perrier Jouet Grand Brut champagne, Bloody Mary, soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea

S$98++ with Bloody Mary, soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea

S$48++ per child, inclusive of soft drinks and juices

Ash & Elm
InterContinental Singapore
Level 1
80 Middle Road
Singapore 188966

+65 6825 1008