I’ve previously been to Ewaan for Iftar, but during my recent staycation in The Palace Downtown, I got to enjoy what was possibly the best, most indulgent and most well-stocked hotel breakfast I’ve ever had the pleasure of sinking my teeth into. With its Arabesque decor, high ceilings and royally welcoming staff, Ewaan is everything The Palace stands for.
I usually have no trouble sleeping through rain or storm, and maybe it was the dozen cups of green tea I had, or maybe I felt bad for M for having to work all night on an annoying deadline, or maybe I was simply just too excited for breakfast; but I unintentionally ended up pulling an all-nighter and got to witness the Burj in a whole new light: at sunrise, with the soon-to-open Dubai Opera at it’s helm. It was one of the most breathtaking sights and most calming experiences ever. Since I had been up all night and the hunger pangs began to kick sooner rather than later (that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it), I threw on my abaya over my PJs at 6 a.m sharp and flip-flopped over to Ewaan with an ear-to-ear smile, thinking to myself: “Breakfast, I’m comin’ for ya!”
The variety was so colossally overwhelming, that I had to do a few rounds of the vicinity before I could map out my course of action and shortlist what I really wanted to try first and what I wanted to risk missing out on in case I got too stuffed too early on. Yes, I take my breakfast very seriously.
From pure honey to fresh juices; from croissants through muffins through quiches to breads of kinds; from all sorts of cold cuts through cheeses to gigantic roasts; from fresh salads through smoothies made-to-order and fresh juices of at least 8 different flavors; these guys had it all!! I was so pleased to see that in addition to the usual cereals that most hotels offer, Ewaan also had an array of healthy mueslis and yogurts. There was also an Asian station serving up dim sum and congee, an Arabic Fool Medames station (and of course manakeesh), and an Indian station that totally satiated my love for a big bowl of spicy chickpeas-yum!
Here’s something everyone needs to know about me: I do not rush through breakfast, ever. Late for work? Breakfast must not be rushed. Missing a flight? Breakfast cannot be rushed. A tornado heading my way? I can’t die on a breakfast-less stomach, can I? So, I took my sweet time grazing over breakfast till- wait for it- 9am.
Except for the waffles (which were the worst, most bland and dry waffles I’ve had anywhere, every single thing we tried was extremely delicious. The Eggs Benedict were some of the best we’ve tried, and call for a special shoutout. Also, the service and hospitality at The Palace always stellar, but here’s a special mention for our very pleasant server: Shepard 🙂
Oh Ewaan, why do you make me fall more in love with you than I can handle? I can’t wait to come back and wish I lived close enough to have breakfast there every single day. Thank you so much for having me.
