Dining trends can be as fickle as fashion trends, and to borrow a line from Heidi, one day you're in and the next day you're out. One dining option that is currently back in, is brunch, but not the humble brunch of the past. Brunch is now glamourous and in keeping with brunch's new look is the season's must have accessories: caviar, foie gras, lobster, Iberico ham, and let's not forget the free flow champagne.

It's no wonder that brunch is in, and with increasing diner awareness of what's available comes the 'anything you can do, I can do better' outlook from restaurants, hungry for your brand loyalty. One of the latest restaurants to introduce an indulgent brunch is Whisk.

Caviar and Vodka

One thing that distinguishes Whisk's brunch is the pass-around items. Small dishes, with just a few bites to tease the palate and stimulate the appetite, that the staff serve to the table, and it was with one of these that we began. Slow Cooked Egg with Iberico Ham was a charming coupling of the soft, custard-like egg contrasted by the chewiness of the salty ham. Almost straight after came Pan Fried Foie Gras with a Cranberry Reduction. For me it was good, but I have had better. My friend enjoyed it and was wanting more, which never came. I am a fan of these pass-around plates, but I did think that they stopped bringing them around a little too early as we only had one more offered to us, Baked Oyster with Parmesan and Spinach.

A 'caviar' bar is another feature of the brunch and that is where we headed. There was a selection of five (Moluga, Oscietra, Anchoviar, Salmon Roe, Ebiko) plus all the traditional condiments, such as egg, sour cream, blini, onion etc...and two different vodkas on ice with chilled shot glasses. I tried a little of each type, and some were enhanced by a sip of the smooth, chilled vodka, and the blini were excellent. None of the caviar had the wow factor for me and some was not to my taste at all, but am sure if you are a big fan of these salty, fishy morsels you will probably enjoy the caviar bar experience. I did think it was strange that we had to eat it with our cutlery as it should be eaten with a Mother of Pearl spoon or straight from the back of the hand, which didn't seem a practical option.

Bloody Good Prawns Mate

A selection of salads, make-your-own salad, cold cuts, cold seafood, carved Serrano ham, and made-to-order salmon tartare was to follow. Highlights for us were the Scallop, Orange and Grapefruit Salad and the superb Duck Rillettes, that despite its ghastly appearance (resembling cat food) had a fantastic flavour that was heightened and balanced by wrapping the unctuous duck in a spinach leaf. We still had the alfresco bbq selection (changes each week), choice of egg, main course and dessert to go so we didn't go back for seconds to try other items, but everything we did try had a distinct flavour and the quality of the ingredients was evident

Also good were the prawns, all the things that a decent prawn should be but that can be so rare to find, with its perfect texture and enchanting taste that I can still recall. The King crab claws were also packed with flavour but some of the larger pieces were a little watery.

Suckling Pig and Gourmet Egg

One of Whisk's signatures is its Suckling Pig with Spiced Red Wine Sauce, and this is served at the BBQ station in the charming alfresco area off the restaurant. Heart-stopping deliciousness that was oh so good, but be warned, it is uber fatty, and the description 'rich' does not begin to come close. Despite the wonderful sauce breaking the intensity we could only manage one piece each. There was also a selection of barbecued meats and items such as potato, corn and tomatoes, but I knew this would all be too much. I wished that I had dined the week that they were doing barbecued seafood, maybe next time.

From the egg choices we opted for the Gourmet Fried Egg with Parmesan Foam, Shallot Confit Sauce and Parma Ham. One exquisitely cooked egg that was given richness from the parmesan and confit and complexity from the salty ham. A choice that delivered more than expected - it was worthy of the moniker "gourmet". My only complaint, instead of one piece of Parma ham, I think a few small pieces would be better, both in terms of the dishes appearance and in terms of even flavour bursts. 

In case your waiter doesn't tell you, mains are intentionally small, personally I think too small to be given the name "main course", but the intent is so that you can have more than one or share a few with your fellow diners. From the seven options we picked Green Chicken Curry, Lobster Timbale and Poached Scallop Shaoxing Wine Sauce, and Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Bordeaux Sauce.

The Thai-based curry had been made by a Frenchmen, the new chef de cuisine, and Thai cuisine fan, William Girard, and it showed. The sauce had more of a sheen than a typical green curry, had it been finished with butter? I wouldn't be surprised. The spicing was an interesting bold blend with a lot of Thai basil. I am not sure how a Thai chef would feel about the authenticity of the dish and its appearance, but as a dish it was tasty. It had a certain complexity that made it an unexpected hit.

My dining partner expected more from the timbale, especially of a main. I enjoyed its texture and tastes of the sea but would agree that this dish would not fill the gap that one expects to fill with a final savoury course. The beef was served with mash, broccoli, patty pan squash and tomato, and with just three rounds of meat it didn't take too long to finish. A competent dish, but nothing special.

Brunch, a Form of Worship

In addition to a table of sweet indulgence is a choice of four ice cream/sorbet with such names as Karamel Sutra and Chunky Monkey. We sampled a few of the buffet items including Mini Apple Crumble, Macaroons, Tiramisu, Chocolate Mousse Cake, Frangipane Tart, and fresh fruit. The only letdown were the macaroons that had softened from being out for too long, the highlight was the mousse cake because of the cheek-tingling intensity of the chocolate.

I am a fan of brunch, it is a favourite way to give thanks to the gods of gastronomy on a Sunday. I enjoy the leisurely pace and the suggestion that this is a meal to linger over, that it is more than just lunch, it's beyond sustenance, it is a form of worship to good company and all that brings pleasure to the senses. 

Whisk has made my list of places to do just that. 

Ambience, Service, Price

Although I like the decor of Whisk, I find the ambience to be a little stiff and formal for brunch. My dining friend said that interiors that have a lot of sharp angles create a more formal space, perhaps this was what was behind it. It wasn't the staff, as they were all friendly, and they did a good job of taking away empty plates quickly and champagne glasses were filled without having to ask. A DJ is on hand to play lounge-style music.

Whisk serves Louis Roederer champagne at its brunch, which is priced at $550pp and is available from noon until 3pm Sundays and Public Holidays.

Images: 1,2 3, 5 supplied by Whisk.