You Take the Shrimps, I’ll Take the Bubbly

Hi there,

I’m sure many of you foodies have heard about the famous Champagne Surf & Turf Sunday Brunch at Fifty Five, Centara Grand. Luckily Thai Father’s day (Dec 5th) fell nicely on this once a month buffet  that we could not pass up our chance to book ourselves a table and finally see for ourselves what the fuss was all about. Although, as I previously mentioned, I don’t eat any “swimming animals,” so a surf and turf brunch was really not my cup of tea. The free flow champagne (and wines) more than made up for it.

Although the brunch had to be reserved a month or two in advance, I made a reservation early and got us a really nice table next to the window a little far out from the crowd. I felt as through the server was only taking care of our table. The service was polite and met all our requests. Although it felt a little impersonal and the dishes that we ordered off the menu were a little slow.But overall, it was a very nice brunch.

First we were served some breads and OJs. They server asked us or our alcoholic beverage of choice and whether or not we wanted to order anything from the menu before we enjoy the buffet lines. (Yes, there is also a small menu that you could order from – some breakfast items and some from the grills.) Once I ordered myself a dish, I started exploring! The brunch is very seafood heavy, the biggest buffet station is the seafood bar, the other menus on offered are in little carts, some stationary, (like the cheese cart,) and some are moved from one table to the next around the restaurant, (such as the  wagyu and the Caesar salad cart.) And there are also two tables for desserts. Following are some pictures of the buffet station:

From the above’s pictures, I’m sure you are wondering the same thing as I am, and that’s whether or not they make a profit out of this monthly offering, since they do not seem to hold back in terms of quality and quantity. My family was very happy with the variety and the freshness of the seafood (not something I could comment on.) But from the mountains of sea creatures – anything from Alaskan king crab legs to Maine lobster to oysters – and other expensive ingredients such as wagyu or foie gras, I wonder how much profits they make. Not to mention the free flow champagne and wines!

Overall, I really enjoyed the dishes I had there. Although my inability to eat seafood drastically limited the number of dishes I could try, I still enjoyed the things I had. In terms of taste and service, I still prefer Lord Jim’s at the Oriental. But I think the brunch at Fifty Five lived up to my expectations and the hype. The rest of my family had a very wonderful time and ate a sea’s worth of poor little crustaceans!!

Bon Appétit!

Fifty Five

55th floor, Centara Grand CentralWorld
999/99, Rama 1 Road, Pathum Wan
Bangkok, 10330, Thailand