Who doesn't love a good breakfast? We definitely do and have been meaning to get to ITC Gardenia for breakfast for ages now. We have been through all of their restos so far and it just didn't seem right that we didn't do this as well. And so one Sunday morning, we landed at the reception of the Cubbon Pavilion, where breakfast is served. 

The entire buffet has an underlying theme of promoting good health and makes use of a lot of healthy grains in the preparation. Once you settle down, I suggest you take a walk around the buffet and see everything that is on offer. I made the mistake of not doing it the first time we went there and ended up filling up much before I had  a chance to get through a bigger portion of the buffet. Picto review here on...

Start with something drink first - both the times there were a few variations to what was on offer. Mango Smoothie, Berry smoothie, Salted Lassi instead of sweet, plain yogurt in matkas, grape juice and
oatmeal with fruits.

Opposite this is where you can make a start - roasted herbed potatoes, roasted tomatoes, croissants in multigrain, ham, bacon and sausages (generally a mix)

Going forward, fruit lovers will love the spread of poached fruits to start with - kiwi, muskmelon, figs, lychees. It then goes on to a range of other fruits like figs, guavas, lychee, watermelon, papaya

This is a corner that's pretty easy to miss, but it does have some nice goodies on it like chocolate and cappacino muffins, walnut danishes, chocolate donuts, linseed bread rolls and more. The second time we came I picked up a custard filled donut-like treat - the name is at the tip of my tongue but I can't get it. It was really yummy, smooth custard, not overly sweet and the sugar dusted top made it perfect. 

And now is when the actual buffet begins. Nothing to beat the typical south Indian breakfast to start with and so you have your idlis, vadas and sambar and coconut chutney beginning things. There is also pongal for those who love it. Dosas for the day are made to order at the counter in the center as well as specialty eggs and those made any which way you like. 

If you would rather go the cereals way, then there are quite a few to choose from, along with a range of dried fruits. You have everything from museli to Honey Loops to Chocos. There are also a variety of milks - soy, skimmed, full cream etc to choose from.

Sprouts and dressings - Alfalfa sprouts, Green peas, Iceberg lettuce the first time we went there - the dressings to choose from were the likes of raspberry vinaigrette, mustard dressing and a balsamic dressing. To further spice up the salad were various compotes of dry fruits.  Personally loved the raspberry vinaigrette with alfalfa sprouts and lettuce. 

The concept of good health is carried across cuisines and there was a Japanese addition to the spread as well - miso soup, Hiya Yakko, Nanbakzuke and more items that I could not pronounce. Was rather stuffed at this point so gave this a skip. The second time round those, there was an Arabic platter with pita bread served with tzatziki, hummus, pea hummus, falafel, muttabel and more. All of these were brilliant. 

A very cute thing is the guy who wheels around this cart with fresh croissants straight from the oven and to your table. Make sure you pick one just to sample it... its flaky and with a slathering of butter really

This is the central cooking up station where eggs and dosas are whipped up. For the eggs, there are two exotic versions that you can choose from and the same with the dosas as well. You can just order them and they will be brought to your table along with a side of bread or chutnies as applicable. Also, the second time we went there we were told that a range of stuffed parathas and puris too can be ordered. Fresh fruit juices in a couple of varieties too can be had. Below are a couple of plates of what we had. 

Classic poached egg on muffin with bacon, roasted tomatoes and bread. Oh yes! the range of breads on offer are plenty and you can end up spending a few minutes there on choosing what you want. 

Scrambled eggs with tuna and a kind of cheese with grilled potatoes and tomatoes on the side. 

Pita bread with Mutabbal, Pea Hummus, poached fruits and a fig shake. 

This buffet is priced at Rs 750 a head plus taxes. Anoushka so far has not been charged even though we were told that children were charged nominally. Reservations are not needed as walk-ins are taken. For us personally, this is definitely worth a twice a month visit. The buffet is on from 7AM in the morning to around 10.30AM. Two visits now and there has been a variety to look forward to in each of the sections of the buffet. Its ITC, so service is brilliant as is the ambiance.