Brunch comes in all shapes, sizes and forms in Abu Dhabi and that’s great because as the old saying goes, variety is the spice of life.
There are the high-end brunches with white table cloths, during which you order specific dishes and have grown-up conversations while wearing a dress or shirt that’s maybe a little tight but it’s formal and presentable.
Then there are the all-you-can eat, stack-a-plate-high-with-a-crazy-combination-of-cuisines brunches, where you arrive back at the table with the unlikely combination of a lobster tail, butter chicken, a bread roll and stir-fried noodles.
There’s also the evening brunch, where the food is bite-sized and the beverages seem to take priority between trips to the dance floor.
We’ve done them all, and then some.
Funch on the other hand is worthy of a category of it’s own, because there’s nothing really like it elsewhere. Yes there’s good food, the beverages are free-flowing and there’s entertainment and activities, but the atmosphere is undoubtedly different.
Arriving at Yas Marina at midday on the weekend is always a pleasant experience, and since the weather is starting to cool we’re already in a good mood as we arrive at Stars ’N’ Bars. There’s live sport showing on screens everywhere in the venue and staff are quick to see what they can do for you.
For the new season, the brunch menu has been updated, it’s not as sprawling but it still includes a lot of the American dishes you’d expect from a US-themed sports bar.
Now you can choose one starter and one main, plus a trio of deserts if you still have the room (or remember) later.
We order a selection to share at the table and it’s back to watching three games at once while making polite conversation. There’s Jenga on the table and we start taking turns pulling out a block at a time waiting for someone to make our shaky tower tumble to the ground. But before our shady architecture submits to gravity the starters arrive at the table and, hungry as we are, the games go on pause for a short time.
Chicken wings are hard to get wrong and luckily there are no issues here. Drenched in buffalo sauce (no buffaloes were actually harmed in the making of the sauce), the spicy wings hit the right balance between blow-your-head-off hot and mildly spicy. We get happily messy tucking in.
Tempura prawns are also a hit and we excitedly crunch into the plump seafood and dunk them into the sweet chilli sauce.
At this point in proceedings things are likely to take a turn for the… Interesting. Round about now, the brunch’s MC (yes it has an MC), Sugie begins to get the afternoon’s activities going.
Many (and we mean many) are beverage challenges, and if you’re not brave enough to take part, it’s likely you’ll watch on as those with a bit more bottle voluntarily make fools of themselves in return for prizes.
To be honest, we’re a bit jealous that someone wins a Nintendo Game Boy, but we’re happy hiding at our table just watching the festivities.
The next thing we know it’s burger time. Everyone at our table has one, some opting for the classic cheeseburger and others the fried chicken option. The classic is exactly that, no fussing about. The chicken burger is a hot one, packed with jalapeños and barbecue sauce, it’s not for the faint-hearted but it goes down a treat.
A few people have dessert, more have abandoned the food and are just playing games. We salute them.
Dhs279 (house beverages), Dhs99 (after-party), Dhs349 (six-hour package). Friday 1pm-5pm (brunch), 5pm-7pm (after-party). Licensed. Stars ‘N’ Bars, Yas Marina, Yas Island (02 565 0101).
WHAT IS IT…
A fun, party brunch with comfort food
WHY GO…
Good food, great fun and a load of activities
