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Published on February 24, 2008

The Sunday brunch at Trader Vic's in the Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa is always very fine, but now executive chef Simon Beaumont and newly arrived executive sous chef Stephen Wright have refined it further.

Organising the brunch into themes, for instance, the boys have called one area "Russian Delicacies", full of caviar, vodka and salmon - three or four kinds of smoked or cured salmon, three or four kinds of caviar, all of which you can wash down with Stolichnaya vodka.

Another area is the "French Country House", featuring homemade terrines and patés and freshly baked brioche.

Don't think they've forgotten cheeses. Another area is "The Dairy", which offers nearly 20 gourmet farmhouse cheeses from around the world with such exotic names as Tomme de Savoie, Reblochon de Savioe, Comté St Antoine and Tomme de Chèvre.

There are many more themes - "The Mediterranean Cruise", "From the Ocean to the Ice" and "Tastes of the Orient". The boys have also included your standard soup stations as well as some dishes you can order a la carte - egg Florentine, tiger prawns, foie gras served on a spring-onion blini with slices of poached pear and a port-wine reduction. You can even check out Beaumont's creation, the wagyu beef burger, which is served with seared foie gras, a pan-fried quail egg and truffles.

The brunch has two prices. The one for Bt1,599 includes Mai Tai's, draft beer, soft drinks and juices. The one for Bt1,899 includes a selection of wines as well as the other beverages. The tariff is half price for kids between five and 12 years old.

With its inside and outside gardens, the plentiful food and the flow of beverages, this "Sunday Extravagance Brunch" is a lovely way to end the weekend.

Laurie Rosenthal

The Nation