Back in the day you could bet every Friday was all about brunching. These days, I have to admit that I don’t get along to that many. There’s a few reasons, waistline, lack of time and the value proposition has become less enticing over the years. That’s not to say that they’re aren’t some fantastic brunches out there. From high to lower end, there’s a plethora of opportunities to stuff yourself silly from midday till 4pm.

The Toshi Brunch sits some where around the mid range, priced at 300 and 350 Dirahms depending on the types of beverages you’re after, this seems like a pretty decent and affordable outing.

The Friday Brunch at Toshi isn’t new and neither is the Grand Millennium in Barsha Heghts - which I still like to call Tecom, but it’s pretty reliable and is probably more suited towards an audience that isn’t looking for a debaucherous afternoon of mayhem. There’s no fancy Dj but rather, the live entertainment and music is courtesy of the hotel’s in-house musician, who takes great pride in belting out his medley of classics.

The food is centered around the classic tastes of Asia taking in delights from Japan, China, Singapore, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam. Of course you can expect cold & hot appetizers, salad, soups, noodles and an array of hot dishes.

The fried items and hot appetizers aren’t groundbreaking but the sushi and sashimi is actually very, very good and a great reason to check this place out. The sushi chef is very dedicated to his craft and it shows. Of this collection, the stand outs are crispy ebi tempura maki, the beef sushi and seared tuna which was absolutely amazing.

The cold appetizers and salads were also on point with the Thai inspired paypaya salad bursting with flavor and really packing some heat.

Moving on to the larger hot dishes the green curry had some real fire to it but could have provided a little more depth of flavor. The other selections were more or less what you expect, I would love to have seen a whole steamed fish or a laksa but hey, that’s just me.

The raw bar was fully stocked with everything you need to make the most of it, with the oysters being the clear winner.

For those that like it sweet, there’s a whole wall of goodies that are nicely presented for your enjoyment.

In all, the Toshi Brunch offers you some genuinely great flavors without pushing the boundaries or breaking your budget. With the sushi and cold cuts being by far the most compelling of the line up. The service is more than pleasant and well timed, ensuring no one’s glass is left idle for too long - which is a big part of making a brunch a good one.

If you love your tastes of the orient, then this may well be an ideal partner to swing with on a Friday.