I am always looking for good places for brunch. Grain Tasting Bar, a newly renovated lounge, inside the Hyatt Hotel, just launched their brunch menu. Any restaurant where I can enjoy a great benny and a cup of coffee on a nice patio, downtown is going to be on my Go-To Brunch list.
Now the grub
They serve a range of Benedict’s on their menu, Oyama, Dungeness crab, prime rib, grilled chicken and smoked tomato bruschetta, tomatoes are from Chef Thomas Heinrich’s favourite local farm G.B.E farms.
I chose the Oyama Benedict, I was drawn in by the red wine prosciutto, any excuse to get away with having a little bit of vino in the morning. Yes, it is THAT Oyama, they have been popping up on menus all over town. Aside from Two River Meats, this is one of my favourite cured meats places. Perfectly poached eggs wrapped with red wine prosciutto, on a bed of Oyama Pamplona chorizo and arugula with a side of potatoes. Suffice to say, with the indulgent hollandaise sauce, this is a very rich dish, the saltiness from the cured meats cut through the richness a bit. I recommend a cup of black coffee to help you digest this one.
I was told it is Hyatt Hotel standards to only use free range eggs and real cured meats.
Know Your Bacon
Commercially available bacon you see at supermarkets contains harmful nitrates, which have been linked with cancer, according to a study done in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Sodium ascorbate or erythorbate are added to accelerate the curing and stabilize colour.
I checked out what Oyama had to say about nitrates from their website:
“A word about nitrites…
Oyama products which are not part of our Green Label line may contain sodium nitrite as part of the traditional curing process. However, the amounts contained are typically less than you would find in many green-leafed organic vegetables!”
Next up we ordered the Prime Rib Benedict with blue cheese, pickled onions and horseradish. We really enjoyed the thicker piece of prime rib, typically it is shaved. The rib was not overly rich and was nicely cooked and seasoned. The pickled onions would have been a nice touch to cut through the richness of the benny but, they forgot it L and I didn’t notice it till after the fact.
I would definitely be back, I love the casual and modern environment. I could sit here for hours…well I did. My favourite of the two was the Oyama Benedict, it’s so indulgent that I could only finish one of my benedicts.
Check out some of their daily specials.
I had their $6 vanilla sky and $6 oyama sausage
— Grain Tasting Bar (@Grain_Bar) September 10, 2013
