Sunday Brunch at Coast Langley City Convention Centre

Yes, AYCE or buffets are making a comeback in the Lower Mainland!  If you have paid attention, there are more options now than we have had for the last 10 years.  I've already gone over the reasons in previous posts, so I'm not going to repeat it here.  However, I will say that despite the prevalence of AYCE options, there are not many affordable and good Sunday Brunch buffets in the GVRD.  Well, I think we might have a winner in the Coast Langley City Convention Centre (or CLC).  They turn their ballroom into a huge Sunday Brunch Buffet costing $44.95 for adults and $21.95 for kids (up to 12 years old). We were invited to try the Easter Brunch (which was a bit more for $49.95) to see for ourselves if this buffet was worth the money.  

The one thing that struck me right away was the many different food stations.  The first was the Sushi where there was a selection of maki as well as freshly torched aburi nigiri.  For a buffet (that isn't an Asian one), the sushi was more than respectable.  Rice was chewy and not overdone while the ingredients were fresh.  There were more cooked versions of sushi, but I'm sure they were trying to satisfy all tastes.

They also had the basic Breakfast Items but with a twist.  For instance, the scrambled eggs were folded with cottage cheese and chives.  Even their sausages were a cut above the usual with large country pork and lean turkey.  There was thick strips of double-smoked bacon and herb-spiced hash browns.  Nearby the breaky things, there was chilled whole shrimp, prawn cocktail and mussels.

Moving onto the hot Main Dishes, we had a selection that included Salmon & Cod Thermidor, Roasted Turkey & Stuffing, Beef Marsala, Westcoast Paella, Mascarpone-Whipped Potatoes and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Root Vegetables.  Really enjoyed the fish as it was not overdone (impressive for a buffet) and was sitting in an aromatic lobster cream sauce.  The turkey was moist and came with all the fixins'.  Wasn't a fan of the paella as the rice was dry and bland.  The seafood was excellent though.  Beef marsala was pretty tasty with rich flavours and tender beef.

Over at the Carvery, we found perfectly medium-rare Angus Roast Beef, Honey Ham, Chicken & Waffles, Mini-Pancakes and French Toast.  Loved the beef as it was exactly how I like it being tender and still juicy.  Buttermilk fried chicken was certainly crunchy and still moist inside.  Made-to-order waffles were crispy and light.  Those little pancakes were easy to eat and great for kiddies.

One of the best features of this buffet has to be their Eggs Benedict Station.  Yes, they make it to order and there are 4 options including Cajun shrimp, smoked salmon, honey ham and spinach & mushroom.  We got them all and they featured runny egg yolks and a silky champagne Hollandaise.  I would've liked to see the English muffin toasted more, but honestly, what a great effort for a buffet.

Right next to the eggs benny was the Pasta Station.  Yep, this was also made-to-order and featured 3 choices including Spaghetti with meat sauce, Rotini with pesto and Rotini with spicy sausage.  Yes, the pasta was already par-cooked and need to be reheated, but it still turned out al dente.  The fact that the pasta was not sitting in a chaffing tray meant it was ideal in texture and the flavours were activated from the toss in a hot pan.  Really solid offering for a buffet.

The last made-to-order station was the Omelette Bar on the opposite side as the Benny bar.  We could have custom omelettes with ingredients that included ham, mushrooms, bacon, tomatoes, peppers, cheese, spinach and green onions.  As you can see on the plate (with the salads), the egg was just barely cooked through.  That ensured the eggs would be fluffy and just a little runny inside.  Perfect!

If you are fan of Desserts, they didn't disappoint with 4 different tables including Easter-themed treats (with some Charcuterie as well), dessert jars and creme brulee, fruit and cakes as well as a chocolate fountain.  You really could find something here for everyone.  Unless you are so dessert savant, you wouldn't be able to eat one of everything either.  So there you have it, an extensive Sunday Brunch Buffet that I think is worth the money.  They have their Mother's Day Sunday Brunch coming up for $49.95 (adults), $39.95 (seniors) and $29.95 (children).  The menu will be slightly different as they change it up often.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Fairly large selection with many made-to-order stations

- Decent quality

- Large space

The Bad:

- I would've liked to see at least one more seafood option