Launch of Brunch, Boards & Bubbles – The Ultimate Weekend Brunch Experience
Today we were at the Marriott Pinnacle in downtown Vancouver for the sneak peek look at Showcase’s new weekend brunch buffet, ‘Brunch, Boards & Bubbles’, debuting in July 2025.
Thus, providing the only brunch option in their vicinity and a great meal for their hotel guests. The experience will be centred around a Bottomless Mimosa Bar with your choice of juice partnered with sparkling wine, and Brunch Boards. The latter is basically a breakfast themed charcuterie board, perfect for sharing.
We would get a look of this brunch in its entirety as a pre-made and decorated long table feast. However, as stunning as this all looked, it meant everything we had after the photo taking session was cold. So as a disclaimer, please take this review with a grain of salt. The flavours were mostly all there, but much of the textures off from rock hard churros to starchy potatoes, and soggy toast. I would end up taking much of it home, to be able to microwave and enjoy closer to its original heated state. However, once again not as intended, and not as you would have it during their brunch service.
There were two featured boards, described as a curated spread for two, either in sweet or savoury. Ideal as a warm up of grazing.
For savoury it was pretty much a build your own bagel board with smoked steelhead salmon, crispy bagel, HB golden valley deviled egg yolk parfait, black pepper candied salmon, dill chive boursin, shave red onion, house pickle, and birds eye chimichurri. Even cold, the crunchy bagel was the perfect base to build upon.
The sweet option was thick brioche French toast, vanilla panna cotta, chocolate covered strawberry, thick whip cream, bay leaf honey butter, cinnamon churros dipping chocolate, and a Calabrian maple syrup. Individual bites complimentary to one another, but not necessarily assembled to be eaten together. I especially liked the neutrality of the panna cotta that ate like cream.
Full brunch plates included the Mr Egg Benedict which was two poached eggs, roasted mushroom, spinach, and back bacon on grilled sourdough with a citrus herb hollandaise. Today it was served as a foursome, open faced. These were perfectly poached eggs with a thick runny yolk that paralleled the creamy hollandiase and brought everything together. The earthiness of the mushrooms especially came through, dominating the salty ham, peppery greens, and crunchy bread.
The 8oz Chuck Burger Dip was an interesting presentation. Once again normally one serving, made into two here. A half cut beef burger with mushrooms, provolone, parmesan, caramelized onions, and savoury mayo; all between a martins bun. Each half resting face down in a black pepper gravy. It would have been nice to have the gravy on the side as a dip, as to not have a ticking clock on the texture of the quick to soggy bun and congealing gravy. I appreciated how the beef was still pink at the centre of the patty and therefore still juicy, to match the rest of the softer topping textures. As a whole I would have liked some freshness to this, an acid or a side to break up the one toned heavier flavour. I could have easily remedied this with ketchup.
My favourite dish was the Chilli Maple Fried Chicken + Waffles. The crispy chicken was still tender although cold. The calabrian chili maple sauce, cafe de paris butter, and parmesan are what elevated it. I was happy that this was just as tasty reheated the next day.
Listed under their lighter bites options is the Burrata + Avocado + Toast, an open faced grilled sourdough sandwich with smashed avocado, frisee, arugula, baby hierloom tomatoes, balsamic glaze, and esplette chili. It was as advertised, a fresh option and a healthier start.
Much like the Oatmeal Power Bowl. This is not something I would regularly gravitate towards with steel cut oats, jasmine rice, compressed strawberries hemp seeds, flaxseed, house granola, and nut butter bay leaf honey. Finished with warm 2% milk that you pour over yourself. The rice was a curve ball that added something different to the mix of textures. There was plenty of grit in the grainy textures. This served well as a nice stomach filler.
Although they didn’t look like much their house made croissants were flaky and buttery with a nice pull apart chew. Available in plain butter and a chocolate spread with almond topping.
If you are looking to enjoy the boards and don’t think you can muster enough stomach space for a full plater after, you can look to their collection of sides instead. Available a la carte or in a set of three for $28. You can choose from nine different options. We had the following six.
The Roasted Mushrooms were the same as the ones in the eggs Benedict. Their house mushroom blend in cafe de paris butter.
I liked the Grilled Asparagus as a healthy green plate, dressed in pecorino with a balsamic glaze.
The House Caesar Salad was like a union between salad and dip. Romaine hearts, baby kale, confit garlic olive oil, hummus, and crispy chickpeas. The crisp of the chickpeas was needed for textural interest amongst the lettuce heavy with the weight of the garlicky hummus spread.
The Patatas Bravas was one that needed to be warm with smoked paprika, spicy aioli, and charred tomatoes caramelized onion. Cold, the texture was starchy and the sauces congealed.
The Roasted Pork Belly was also heavy, and fairly fatty with gristle on its own. Slow cooked for 12hours in orange and thyme, this went best with the asparagus for balanced freshness.
The Crispy Prawns remained crispy even cold, thanks to its thick breading, seasoned in garlic and butter prawns, citrus, and herbs. It was a little bland as is and I would have liked a tangy, acid-rich dip to accompany it in contrast.
And like the chicken in the chicken and waffle combo, just the chicken is available as a fried cutlet side, dressed in their maple calabrian chili sauce and scallions. A tasty bite that felt like it was missing something on its own and needed a vegetable or mushroom side for this side.
And for drinks they have the classic mimosa bar with either orange or grapefruit juice and sparking wine.
In short, I would love to experience the actual brunch, as intended in July, to be able to try it in its natural splendour. I have full confidence that I would enjoy it all a lot more than I did split across a there cold meal and at home warm one.
Showcase Restaurant & Bar
1122 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6E 4R5
(604) 639-4040
showcaserestaurant.com
