Sea.Fire.Salt Saturday seaside escapade

 

First, I was invited but couldn’t go. Then I saw photographs posted on social media.

 

View of the landscaped garden and South
China Sea (beyond!) from the lobby level
of Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas

While the photos looked good, they did not do any justice to what was claimed as the longest buffet brunch in Desaru Coast… until I had an experience of my own.

 

If we know our adjectives, long and longest could mean several things.

 

In my wild imagination, I thought that there would be a long banquet table loaded with a buffet spread that stretched from one end of the restaurant to the other…

 

But I was wrong.

 

Sea.Fire.Salt is located by the beach

It turned out that their longest buffet brunch at Sea.Fire.Salt, the beachfront restaurant at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, was a leisurely meal on Saturday served from 11.30am to 4pm – four and a half hours long – more than enough time to eat, drink and chill out.

 

At my Saturday seaside escapade, I soon discovered that the dining concept was an all-you-can-eat-and-drink experience where diners can repeat their orders for their choices of food and beverage in the menu – all for one price.

 

[This brought to mind a similar dining concept at a Chinese restaurant here which also offered an all-you-can-eat dining concept. Diners could order the dishes from the menu and repeat their order for any dish of their choice, of course, provided that they could finish all the food.]

 

The restaurant is next to
the infinity swimming pool

Comfortably seated in the restaurant with a panoramic view of the sea, I studied the menu to make my choice of gourmet pickings for appetizers, main course and dessert items.

 

I liked that the menu was designed with icons that indicated the food items that contained gluten, nuts and dairy or were recommended for vegetarians.

 

Most of all, I liked that it also invited diners to inform them of any dietary requirements, restrictions and allergies.

 

Bathed in the balmy breezes that were blowing in gusts across the sandy beach, I pondered over the menu while making a mental note to carefully pace myself so that I could enjoy eating as many items as was possible, over the next few hours.

 

White wine for me, thanks!

Bearing in mind that this escapade was a rare treat for an indulgent epicurean experience, it did not take long for me to zero-in on my first choices of Fresh Shucked Oysters and Pan-Seared Foie Gras.

 

It was only fitting to pair my food with White wine and the serving staff did an excellent job in filling (and refilling!) my wineglass with chilled Trapiche Monterosa Chardonnay Chenin Blanc.

 

In addition to Red and White wines, there were other choices of cocktails, mojitos, martinis, beers and ciders.

 

Among the popular non-alcoholic drinks were homemade coolers like Lemon Squash, Iced-Lemon Tea, chilled juices and sodas.

 

Fresh oysters in half shells

The fresh oysters, served in half-shells, came with a sliver of lemon to drizzle the oysters with a twist of tangy juice and a side of Mignonette dip sauce.

 

Meanwhile the pan-seared foie gras was served on a slice of toasted brioche paired with a square of Coffee Jelly, and its rich taste was delicately balanced with a dollop each of Granny Smith apple puree and Apricot jam.

 

At the first taste of the melt-in-your-mouth foie gras, I knew that I had to make a repeat order for the same…

 

The portions were small, just right to share between my friend and I, and which gave us “room” to indulge in as many items as we wished from the interesting menu.

 

This seaside escapade comes with
blue cloudy skies and a sandy beach

My order of Beef Wellington came on a bed of whipped potatoes with a side of Portobello mushrooms, garnished with a stick of carrot.

 

This oh-so-tender beef was savoured with a drop of beef jus, served in a separate jar.

 

Next came the Lobster Linguine with a side of sous vide egg and whole scallops, drizzled with Truffle Garlic Oil.

 

I was careful not to load on the carbs but a dish of Soft-Shell Crab sandwiched in deep-fried Mantou buns was rather irresistible.

 

It was certainly a contrasting experience of a crunchy bite (after bite!) of the Tempura Soft-Shell Crab with Wasabi Aioli through the soft mantou bun.

 

More wine? Yes, thank you.

This serving came with two sliders and a side of fries so one of the sliders was shared with my friend and I wisely relinquished the fries so that I could save space to savour other items on the menu.

 

A glance at the menu reminded me that there was still Chicken Schnitzel, Lamb Cutlets, Pan-Roasted Seabass, Grilled Tiger Prawns, Eggplant Croquette and Green-Pea Risotto for us to taste.

 

By this time, the tables in the restaurant were filling up with diners but our orders were still arriving at the table at a comfortable pace.

 

To strike a balance in our meal, we ordered Quinoa Salad which was served topped with avocado slices with corn and pomegranate pearls, capsicum cubes and curls of cucumber on the side, to savour with tangy Raspberry dressing.

 

Last bite of my (repeat!) Foie Gras dish...

I observed that the sun’s rays had dipped and the tide had changed, so time had certainly passed but there was always space for dessert.

 

Mindful of our tropical weather, it was wisely decided not to delay when the desserts were served or risk letting the carefully plated desserts melt away.

 

So when the desserts arrived at our table, it was good to see that the Strawberry & Lemon Panna Cotta was served in a cocktail glass while the Mont Blanc, made up of a Manjari Log, Mango Brulee and Cinnamon Gelato, was artfully plated.

 

Dessert choices: Strawberry & Lemon Panna
Cotta [Left] and Mont Blanc [Foreground]

As agreed, there was no delay in helping ourselves to the sweets.

 

Free-flow of good food and good conversation among good friends, was just the right mix for our leisurely Saturday Seaside Escape at Sea.Fire.Salt.

 

In fact, there was no rule about going to Dessert first or continuing with the main course items after indulging in the delightful desserts. Eat.Chat.Eat.Relax.Repeat.

 

The Saturday Seaside Escape, longest brunch at Sea.Salt.Fire made up of 12 types of appetizers, eight main course items and four desserts, is served every Saturday from 11.30am to 4pm.

 

All-you-can-eat-and-drink 
at the Saturday Seaside Escape

Rate at RM398+ brunch with alcoholic drinks, RM248+ brunch with non-alcoholic drinks, RM108+ brunch for kids aged five to 12 years, Kids A la carte Menu for kids below age four.

 

This brunch experience comes with chill out music provided by a guest DJ while kids are welcome to play safely by the pool and beach.

 

Sea.Fire.Salt is located next to the infinity pool by the beach at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas in Desaru Coast, Johor. No pork or lard is used in the kitchen.

 

Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas is at Persiaran Pantai, Desaru Coast, 81930 Bandar Penawar, Johor. Visit website www.anantara.com for more information.

 

For enquiries and table reservations, Tel: +607 8280 888 or email to desaru@anantara.com