Notch (Hotel Vancouver Sunday Brunch)

Back in 2017, we made it out to try Notch8's Mother's Day Brunch in the Hotel Vancouver.  Of course it was extravagant since it was a special event.  We haven't been back to Notch8 since then due to many reasons including the biggest - the pandemic.  Well, it wasn't as if they were running the brunch anyways.  Fast forward to the present and we decided to hit up the brunch buffet that they serve every Sunday.  Naturally it is costs less than Mother's Day and subsequently, the offerings are more simplified.

As such, there was a much smaller footprint for the buffet where the dessert room (in the chess room) has been eliminated.  Those desserts are housed in cabinets adjacent to the carving station.  So we find a modest selection of salads including quinoa, Greek pasta, noodle, spring mix, arugula and romaine.  The fruit included cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, watermelon, orange, grapefruit and prunes.  There was also a small variety of meats and cheeses.

Right next to this station, we found warm banana pudding along with some baked goods.  These included various danish, 2 types of croissant, chocolate pastries and muffins. I didn't actually try any of these because they would've filled me up before I even got to the main dishes.  However, my son did try the croissant and it was flaky and buttery.  It didn't shatter quite like the ones at French patisseries in town, but they were still decent.

The seafood table was limited to 4 main items including Tuna Tartare, Prawns, Baby Shrimp Salad and a selection of salmon (Gravlax, Candied Salmon and Smoked Salmon).  As much as this was not a huge selection, the quality was high though.  The tuna was buttery and fresh while lightly seasoned.  There was some acidity present.  Prawns were cold-water crunchy and also marinated.  The star of the show was the trio of salmon.  Both the gravlax and smoked salmon were buttery and flavourful.  Loved the candied salmon, it was such a treat being intensely sweet with an appealing chew.

Onto the mains, we found the usual breakfast items like thick-cut Bacon, Chicken Sausage, Potatoes, Eggs and Eggs Benedict.  Complimenting these, there was a pasta as well as veggies.  At the carving station, we found a Striploin Roast and a Lamb Roast.  I thought the striploin was overdone, hence being a bit dry.  The lamb was fantastic though being succulent and juicy.  Too bad they didn't toast the English muffin as it was cold and mealy.  The rest of the Eggs Benny was good though with runny egg and creamy Hollandaise.

I also gave the Omelette Station a go and asked for baby shrimp, ham and cheese.  The chef was busy preparing omelettes for others so I went back to my table and waited for mine.  It took no more than 10 minutes and it was delivered by the chef himself.  Egg was nice and fluffy but there was an extra ingredient I didn't ask for (which was red & green peppers).  Honest mistake and it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the omelette.

I didn't end up getting all of the desserts as the selection was quite good.  I decided on the Peach Flan, Cheesecake, Fruit Tart and Crème Brûlée.  I missed out on things like cookies, brownies and several other cakes.  I think other than the seafood, this is where the buffet shone.  Each dessert would've been good on its own as if we ordered them separately after a meal.  I particularly enjoyed the flan.  Overall, the brunch was pleasant with few surprises.  For $60.00 per person, I would say the selection could've been better, yet at the same time, most things were prepared properly.  Furthermore, being at the Hotel Vancouver in Downtown, you would expect to pay that or even more.

The Good:
- Nice setting
- Most food was prepared properly
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Once it got busier, they struggled to keep food stocked