The Art Brunch makes a stopover at the Coimbatore as part of its nationwide tour

It's not every other day that the city plays host to a new brunch concept, but when it does, the excitement is palpable. And so, it was when Fairfield by Marriott collaborated with food and wine enthusiast, Jyotiee Balani to introduce the city to the concept of an Art Brunch earlier this week. “We’ve been to Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi. I don’t know how we managed to miss out on Coimbatore up until now,” says Jyotiee, with a laugh. Part of a multi-city tour, the idea of the Art Brunch was designed around initiating people into viewing art on a different medium— in this case, a Mercedes Benz E Class—while offering a curated epicurean spread to enhance the experience. 

Sip therapy
Divided as a three-part episode—the art showcase, a mocktail and snack bar and the final brunch—we began our afternoon with sampling Marriott’s signature drink, the Kovai Connection. A coconut concoction, the ice cold drink made for the perfect sip even as we took a quick peek at the live art corner featuring designs by Mumbai-based artist Neeti Hegde. 
A couple of selfies with a portrait of Rajinikanth later and we were served a portion of roasted lamb from the snack counter. The perfectly seasoned and juicy meat accompanied by a Greek Yoghurt dip demanded a second-helping.

Seeing green
A part of the main brunch, the antipasti and salad station were the highlights of the entire menu. Featuring an extensive spread that included a roasted eggplant and ricotta with grilled zucchini, 
chicken salad with jumbo olives, avocado prawn with edible flowers, our pick was the tofu and bok choy salad that was coated with a simple glaze. Silky, almost melt-in-mouth, the contrasting texture and flavours of the tofu against the slightly crunchy and bitter bok choy, coupled with a sweetness from the glaze was enjoyable. 

Main street
For the mains, staples from Kovai Kitchen like the Kacha gosht ka biryani, saag paneer and Alleppey fish curry were part of the buffet spread. We, however, decided to skip the usual and try the chef’s pick instead. A comfort food classic, the roasted chicken stuffed with spinach and cheese was the perfect extension of the antipasti selection.
Not to be outdone by the starters, the fluffy tiramisu, the picture perfect blueberry crumble tart and moist rum balls offered the perfect close to an eventful afternoon.

The Art Brunch next heads to Jodhpur in July.