The Prince George Hotel
Sunday brunch is back!
BY LAURA OAKLEY
PHOTOS MICHELLE DOUCETTE
As chefs, we're always visual people,” says Mary Arab, sous chef at The Prince George Hotel. The Sunday brunch buffet at the upscale hotel is her baby, one of the last fancy Sunday spreads in town. Once upon a time, Sunday brunch buffets were popular, and not just on Easter or Mother's Day—every weekend, hotel dining rooms were filled with guests celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, or just their love of breakfast. Changing dining habits and a global pandemic have damaged the buffet scene. Still, The Prince George stays true to its roots, offering an elevated, thoughtfully designed, and professionally executed delicious brunch spread every Sunday, playing into the season, trends, plus consumer wants and needs. “I'm on Instagram; I'm looking at other people's menus for inspiration. I'm looking at what's available to us locally and seasonally,” says Arab. You've got to keep things fun and fresh if you’re doing it every weekend.
Mary Arab
At The Prince George, you aren’t simply visiting a buffet line. You’re greeted, seated, and offered coffee or tea service; you’re cared for from start to finish. While the mainstay items like Belgian waffles, eggs benny, bacon, and baked goods need to make a regular appearance, each week, a trio of stations vary, two of which are chef-attended. At Sunday brunch, you can approach a satellite bar where a bartender makes house caesars topped with crunchy beet and sweet potato chips, plus other signature brunch cocktails (included in the price). This week, a nearby chef is searing scallops to order, served with a portion of succulent crispy-skinned pork belly, garnished (or not—depending on your preference) with pickled cauliflower, seared sliced king oyster mushrooms, crispy kale, and pea shoots. It’s a beautiful plating, tweezers and all. I am here to try as much as possible, and this high-brow play on scallops with bacon is spot on, with rich flavours balanced by the pickled vegetables.
The other chef-attended station serves burrito Buddha bowls with brown rice and chipotle hanger steak. The vibrant tomatillo sauce brightens the flavours of the tender steak, and there is crunchy, juicy roasted corn, freshly sliced avocado, pico de gallo, crumbled feta, and black beans topped with crushed-up salty tortilla chips. Every Mexican-inspired flavour and texture that I want is in every bite. The bowls are a perfectly customizable but flavourful option for buffet fare. “We've got to worry about gluten-free palates. We have to worry about vegan palates—vegetarians versus meat eaters. So we like to have a variety of flavours so that everybody's happy.” Says Arab. Developing build-your-own options that can meet the dietary needs and varying tastes of customers might seem like a lot of work, but Arab says it’s best to keep things as simple as possible. “My philosophy is always don't overthink it, don't overcomplicate it,” says Arab. “Do what's local, do what's seasonal, do what's fresh. And just make sure there's lots of variety.”
Another nearby station features a side of maple-cured hot smoked salmon alongside capers, pickled red onion, and thick, whipped herbed goat cheese. Arab says this crowd favourite has been at the buffet for at least twenty years. Beside it sits a savoury tart featuring pear, prosciutto, and ricotta topped with rosemary-honey walnuts. The crispy, flaky crust and sweet and salty flavours are incredible. I also grab a KFC bao bun from the next platter over. The white, fluffy bao bun offers crispy Korean-style fried chicken, a smear of ginger Kewpie mayo, and a tangy, crunchy mix of pickled cucumber and carrots sprinkled with a sesame crunch. The buns provide a lovely few bites to mix things up.
But even the “regular” brunch fare displayed in the main dining area is anything but ordinary. There is a dramatically decorated “nosh board” as a bit of a centrepiece to the buffet line—a sturdy, live-edge wooden board scattered with high-end cheeses, charcuterie, roasted tomato and walnut spread, tzatziki, berries, grapes, pickled vegetables, and artisanal seeded crackers. There is a heirloom tomato board with fresh peaches, Ciro’s burrata cheese, and sliced sourdough bread from Luke’s Small Goods. Herbed butter, balsamic, and olive oil drizzle are available for the sourdough. What other breakfast buffet offers locally-made burrata? (Spoiler: none.)
There is also a chef-attended omelette station, beautiful salads, fresh fruit, and pastries made that morning. But the dessert station may stop you in your tracks: An entire table covered in cakes, tortes, tarts, squares, and sweets of every size, shape, and colour. From pistachio-white chocolate panna cotta jars to lemon-basil meringue tarts to Belgian dark mousse cake. And, of course, mini cupcakes, macarons, and more adorable bite-sized options. I take a few bites of a Gianduja chocolate raspberry slice (decadent chocolate, intense raspberry—heavenly) and also the lemon-basil tart, which has subtle notes of fresh basil in every bite layered amongst the sweet and tart lemon. Then, I end the meal the best way possible—with another splash of coffee.
“I've been here 22 years, and [brunch] has been here as long as I have,” says Arab, who remembers coming to The Prince George brunch buffet as a young culinary student and feeling inspired. Arab was banquet chef at the hotel for 20 years before moving to sous chef in 2022. “It's lovely that I can now put my spin on it and put my touch on it, but also to carry on the longstanding tradition of it being a very nice spread.” Arab credits her team for their effort, interest, and passion in keeping the buffet at the level it has achieved and that people have come to expect. She says The Prince George also has quite a few culinary students in the kitchen learning the ropes. “I say look, learn, listen, take pictures, observe. That's how you learn. That's how you grow,” says Arab. It’s clear the hotel has fostered growth for many culinary talents over the years, some who have moved on, and many who have stayed put, feeling lucky to be a part of such a well-respected Halifax culinary team.
The Sunday brunch buffet at The Prince George Hotel runs from 12 to 2 p.m.; reservations are recommended. For $55 ($25 for kids), it might be one of the best deals in town—and don’t get fooled into thinking you need a special occasion to treat yourself.
