Review : Hilton Breakfast (Glass Brasserie)

Hilton Sydney
Glass Brasserie
Level 2,
488 George Street,
Sydney

Tel: (02) 9265-6068

monday - friday 6am - 10am

saturday - sunday 7am - 11am


As anyone familiar with our blog knows, breakfast is one of our favourite meals. So when Lorna O'Neill (many thanks Lorna!), from Hilton Sydney invited us to sample Executive Chef Carl Middleton's new breakfast menu - well, it was hard for us to say no.
Carl's resume is very impressive. Coming to the Hilton fresh from his stint as Group Executive Chef, Lilianfels Spa & Resort, he headed the kitchen at Darley's where he achieved a Good Food Guide Chef's Hat back in 2011.
Middleton's new role at Hilton Sydney, also sees him taking responsibility for hotel dining, Zeta Bar, Marble Bar, Caffe Cino, in-room dining and events.

Prior to Lilianfels, Middleton served as Executive Chef at the Four Seasons in Sydney where he oversaw all hotel dining as well as the hotel’s restaurant, Kable’s. Middleton has also worked as Senior Sous Chef at Quay.

Arriving at 8.30am this Sunday, the restaurant is a hive of activity. The space is gorgeous and eating breakfast in such an amazing room really adds to the indulgence of it all.

 

We are lead to our table overlooking George Street, order two coffees (single origin, of course) and, while we await their arrival, restaurant supervisor Ken talks us through the Chef's Signature Dish.

The Signature Dish -  beechwood house smoked salmon with English potato scones, pan roasted asparagus, free range scrambled eggs & baby watercress - arrives and it presents so prettily. 
The salmon is cold smoked and therefore not cooked, the texture is delicate & the slices are generous and sliced on the thicker side. The salmon is really clean, fresh and the flavour is quite mild - it is immensely enjoyable. The free range scrambled eggs are not mushy, they are on the firmer 'chunkier' side and have a really lush, creamy texture. The English Potato scones are a hit with us both- they have a somewhat 'doughy' texture with chunks of potato throughout, they are really well seasoned and have a great potato flavour. The pan roasted asparagus in also beautifully seasoned & still retains some bite. We really love this dish.

Ken now invites us to sample the restaurant buffet. The assortment of breakfast items available is extensive to say the least.

 

Check out that yolk!!

The hot buffet service offers breakfast favourites including - bacon (the eye and our much preferred 'streaky' portion are offered separately), sausages, hash browns, roast tomato, scrambled eggs, poached eggs (which contrary to so many other buffets, retain the runniest yolk), baked beans and mushrooms.

Choosing the buffet also allows you to put together the Chef's Signature Dish yourself - with all the individual components available, along with directions on how to assemble it.

The buffet also includes an amazing assortment of cold meats, cheeses, cereals (including Whisk & Pin), yoghurt (the yummy Yalla), juices (and juice shots), bircher muesli, Yakult, porridge, fruit and so much more.

Congee

 It also includes Asian influenced items such as Congee, Chicken dim sum and fried rice.

Moving over to the pastry section and we have - a variety of muffins, croissants and danish, a huge array of homemade jams and some fresh honeycomb; a selection of bread for toasting, and some truly more-ish jam doughnuts.
You really are spoiled for choice.

Normally a breakfast buffet tends to leave us (and the food) a little cold - but we have to say that the Hilton's Buffet has really won us over.
The food is cooked really well, is very fresh with certain individual components really standing out - i.e. hash browns, potato scones, sausages, poached eggs, doughnuts and bircher muesli - so much of it is so good though.

As we leave the restaurant, we are already discussing a return visit, perhaps next time after an overnight stay....

Squeak