But pretty soon, we were off to the Cinnamon Grand where we would spend three wonderful hours filled with gossip and banter as we indulged in some champagne and the vast offerings served up at the hotel’s Sunday Brunch. The fourth hour was spent by the pool, as we lounged around in a food induced coma due to our excessive indulgences… but I digress.

As we took our seats – thankfully we had gotten organised enough to book a table the week before – we were struck by how popular the concept of brunch had now become with Colomboites.

Not a table was empty by noon, as families and friends filled up the many seats and chose between the normal, beer and champagne brunch on offer, while the gossip flowed freely. No where else could you find so many satisfied people under a single roof

But back to the brunch… which in itself deserves several paragraphs solely dedicated to it… so here goes nothing

The appetizers… OH-MY-GOD! The appetizers were beyond description. Dizzying arrays of delectable morsels from a variety of cuisines spread out across 4 long tables.

Soups, salads, breads of every kind, cold cuts, and my personal favourite – freshly shucked oysters and mussels – enticed us to throw our carefully planned diets out the window as we went back for a second helping. Add to all of this, the offering of fresh sushi & sashimi – topped off with a generous sinus-clearing dollop of wasabi – and you can live off the appetizers alone

We happily polished off our first and second servings of the to-die-for appetizers, washing it down with sips of bubbly and laughs, and then headed to attack the main course – after a suitable break of course.

Once again, we were baffled with choices. Do we go for Sri Lankan, Indian, Chinese, Italian, or a glorious mix of it all? The action stations and buffet spread served up a seemingly endless variety of dishes, designed to suit every taste bud.

However, this was a bit of a let down, following the appetizers, but the main course certainly did what it was meant to do… take the diners from one spectacular appetizer course, to an even more mouth-watering dessert selection.

Fresh fruits, chocolate mousse, puddings, ice cream, and freshly flambéed bananas added the perfect finish to a fabulous meal. With enough variety to drive any sweet-toothed dessert fanatic into a frenzy, the spread gave us three chocoholics enough to sigh about, as we proceeded to attack what was to be our fourth course for the afternoon.

The fresh fruits were probably the healthiest thing we had eaten all through the brunch… but we made up for it of course with generous helpings of the rich dark chocolate mousse, and other tempting goodies.

By the end of it all, we could barely be shifted from our seats, until we decided to head out of the restaurant, to pass out by the pool.

All in all though, what a fantastic experience. The food, the variety, the ambiance, the service… all of it worked towards providing us with the perfect way to indulge the food lover within.

My suggestions? Book a table, and skip the main course… opt for another round at the appetizer spread instead.

Oh …. And do not eat or drink ANYTHING before you go!