Ask anyone in the FACT team about their go-to restaurant for quality local cuisine, where ingredients are fresh and service is always on point and they’re very likely going to say Foods at Home. Shabana Adam takes a seat to reminisce good times and indulge in all her favourite menu items…

Foods at Home has become one of our ultimate local cuisine fixes and this seems to be the sentiment with diners in Bahrain; we have yet to meet anyone who feels any different. And it’s no surprise why. The restaurant’s location in a tucked away nook just off Budaiya highway is both the easiest place to reach but also the most low-key surroundings to be in. A beautiful residential villa is converted into a cosy restaurant with weaved baskets and old pictures on the wall, colourful cushions to get comfy on and tables made from antique doors – the entire set up embodies authentic vibes that you’re likely going to find in a local family’s home. Not only is it a cute place, but the food is also outstanding.

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What we love about the menu in Foods at Home is its consistency. It is packed with all of our favourite dishes – starters, grills, fresh salads, biryani, and every homely recipe you can dream of. Whether you’re a first-timer, a regular or someone looking to venture out and treat their palate to new flavours that represent Persian cooking and popular Bahraini dishes – Foods at Home is more than the perfect place for an introduction. Begin your experience with a range of traditional Persian dips such as Mast Khiyyar, a delicious infusion of creamy yogurt, cool cucumbers and fragrant herbs, alongside Mast Museer which literally translates to yogurt and shallots in Farsi – and is by far our favourite starter. Both dips are packed with unreal flavours and every scoop in a piece of freshly-made hot bread is a little piece of heaven. The Mirza Qasimi is an appetiser that wows us every single time. Made of aubergines seasoned with various spices, it is taste meets textural elegance on a plate. Another dish that showcases aubergines is Kashke Badenjan. Mixing the vegetable with kashk – a Persian yogurt product – this one is moreish and addictive with a more earthy penchant. The usual culprits of hummous, tabbouleh, vine leaves, fattoush salad, shirazi salad and other familiar dishes also take pride of place at Foods at Home, which serves each one to the highest standard of flavours – at least that’s how good they all taste with the fluffy bread.

Foods at Home stays true to the recipes of a family matriarch who the restaurant’s menu was inspired by. It’s no wonder then that the succulent grills have become the talk of the town. Our all-time favourites include the Kabab Kubeedh served with three colour rice, the meat and chicken tikka with yogurt and Kabab Waziri which conquers the amalgamation of meat and chicken in one luscious skewer. There’s grilled fish and a whole menu of mains that can easily be the ideal choices for anyone having a family get-together or hosting visitors or friends for dinner. The Shoved Lubya can be conjured up with chicken, meat or fish and is a simple dish of green bean rice that tastes rather magical. It’s the Tahcheen that impresses us – a Persian rice cake primarily consisting of rice, yogurt, saffron, and eggs – here the dish is made elaborate by folding in your choice of prawns or chicken. There’s machboos, biryani, qouzi, and pilou items that tick all the boxes for your everyday rice cravings. In particular, the mighty Mahicheh Baqala Pilou is tender lamb shank that will leave any meat-lover speechless. You can also savour a range of curries, pasta and nawashef which all feature classics like korma sabzi, qeema, lentils, liver and more mouthwatering mains. The Khoresht Badenjan was a delightful curry that satisfied our cravings with a side of rice – highly recommended.

The restaurant’s fresh juices range from the classic orange and watermelon to the more unique such as the saffron sherbet and Foods at Home cocktail. Hot drinks add a sense of café culture to the venue, and we would suggest ordering a pot of Iranian Tea to share after your meal. Not only is it a comforting sip, it’s great for digestion too. And if you’ve got room for dessert, the Ranginak with Ice Cream would be our first pick. A rich and energising Persian date and walnut cake, it’s textural bliss with every spoonful.

The portions in Foods at Home are super generous. We’re talking enough to easily fill up three to four people in one sitting. This is exactly what makes things great; there is an encouraged sense of sharing and gives diners the opportunity to order a number of different dishes to try. A reliable team of waiters keeps the service and general good vibes flowing at a professional and friendly pace – we always feel like we’re at home in our own living rooms when we visit Foods at Home – and there really is no better feeling than this.

The restaurant has recently expanded to include a greenhouseesque extension which gives the illusion of being outdoors – no doubt a result of its continuous growing popularity. At FACT, we’re proud to have been a part of the culinary journey and organic growth of Foods at Home, and as long as the food is fresh, hot and cooked with love, you’ll always find us seated at their table. ✤

GO: CALL 1700 0888 FOR RESERVATIONS AND FOLLOW @FOODSATHOME ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE NFORMATION.