The party brunch that packs a punch when it comes to atmosphere, food, service and views…

After four impressive years at Habtoor Grand’s Andreeas, Candypants lively party brunch got a new location, and a new name at FIVE Palm Jumeirah’s Maiden Shanghai restaurant.

But how does the Dim Sum Disco fare in comparison to the big, brash party brunch that previously dominated Andreeas?

Well, Candypants has certainly maintained the same glamourous crowd of brunchgoers, and plenty of them at that, as every seat in the split-level, multi room Maiden Shanghai is taken on our visit. For those who like to be in the thick of the action, be sure to reserve a table in the main room, but if you’re looking for something a bit lower-key, reserve in the adjacent room or private pod for a more private brunch experience.

Our favourite upgrade at this party brunch is the food. Whereas a somewhat underwhelming buffet was on offer before, the Maiden Shanghai offering is a menu of top-notch Chinese dishes served to the table.

A round of starters kick things off, and while we’d prefer to skip on the steamed spinach and sesame sauce, the rest of the starters are a tablewide hit, and we crunch our way through a tasty selection of chilli chicken, vegetable spring rolls, crispy beef and boom boom shredded chicken (our personal favourite).

Mains are equally as impressive. We ask for seconds of several dishes, including the flavourful sweet and sour chicken, punchy Yuxiang sauced beef and the prawn and scallops with silken tofu.

Beverages have also seen an upgrade and a range of themed cocktails, house beverages and prosecco are all included as standard. The signature shot shows are a welcome interlude half way through, and bring the tempo up from lively lunch to full blown brunch party.

With brunch in full swing by 3pm, the CO2 cannons and cheesy hits from the Andreeas brunch have been replaced with a Chinese dragon which sweeps the room and a more grown-up playlist, and DJ Adam Graca seamlessly plays to the crowd, ensuring every brunchgoer is on their feet by the time the afterparty kicks in post 4pm.

When one of our favourite party hotels paired up with one of our favourite party brands, we knew they were on to a good thing. The Maiden Shanghai makeover suits Candypants, and one of the city’s top party brunches just got even better.

Dim Sum Disco by Candypants, Maiden Shanghai, FIVE Palm Jumeirah, 1pm to 4pm, Fridays, Dhs395. Tel: (050) 220 4638. Facebook.com/CandypantsEvents

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