Liz O’Reilly enjoyed a copious serving of oceanic bounty at the new Hook Seafood Night at the InterContinental Bahrain.

It’s always a pleasure to visit the InterContinental Bahrain; the property is classy with its expansive, classical foyer and everyone is always so friendly and welcoming. I’ve been going there for years and, from my first time, the greeting has always carried the warmth of family with an underlying current of luxury and excellent service.

Our sojourn, on this occasion, was to sample the newly launched Hook Seafood Night, which is staged on Thursdays in the area adjoining Selections and the pool. The restaurant’s décor reflected a playful vibe with mini surfboards adorning extensive displays that teem with oceanic goodness, and plenty of other marine memorabilia dotted around added to the vibe.

Having foregone lunch in anticipation, we arrived hungry and immediately headed to the soup section to try the Tom Yum and Seafood Chowder – the Tom Yum was a little oily for my taste but the flavour was spot on, spicy without being overpowering, with plenty of prawns and fishy protein with galangal and lemongrass. My favourite, and one of my top dishes of the evening, was the chowder – rich, creamy, deeply flavourful and with a generous helping of fish and seafood. I was so impressed that I actually went back for a second bowl after I’d tried some of the other options.

There’s no doubt that this Seafood Night is the genuine article with so many options available. Aside from chicken or beef dishes for those who didn’t fancy the maritime options, pretty much everything else had an oceanic bent from ready dishes to a huge range of fresh catch laid out fish market-style.

To get started, I headed to the extensive salad station where we were truly spoilt for choice. The options seemed almost endless and everything looked bright, fresh and appealing from prawns on a half shell topped by glistening black beads of roe to avocado and tuna tapas and from the 1970s’ favourite, shrimp cocktail, pretty in its Marie Rose sauce in shooter glasses, to seafood terrine and layered salmon cobb salad.

I opted for salmon, mango and lettuce tacos, their crispy tortilla shells offering a deliciously satisfying crunch before giving way to a chunky filling of sweet salmon and mango slathered in a decadent creamy sauce.

The beetroot-cured salmon also caught my eye, particularly after Chef Emmanouil, the property’s Director of Food & Beverage Operations, explained that the fish is cured in-house. Decadently pink, its edges taking on a deeper hue from the rich, earthy beet, it paired perfectly with a slather of horseradish cream and crunchy garlic speckled toast.

My dining companion moved on to the ready dishes where she’d already spotted the inclusion of her particular favourite, seafood laksa. She found the delicate flavours of belacan and coconut milk permeating the succulent seafood deeply satisfying. I was, once again, impressed with the wide choice, including the likes of Fish Sayadieh, highlighting the rich culinary heritage of Lebanon, alongside Shrimp Machboos and Prawn Tikka Masala – a spoonful of this was enough to appreciate the delicate fusion of garlic, lime and coconut, which felt like a warm hug on my taste buds.

I decided to head to the poached shellfish and extensive sushi station for a heaping plate of mussels and clams. I have to confess that I’m not usually a big fan of shellfish but these looked so fresh and appealing on their bed of ice that I was tempted to tuck in and was glad I did. The mussels were firm, perfectly cooked, their flesh bringing a satisfying toothiness to the bite, but the clams were my favourite. Tiny orbs of pink perfection, lightly sweet and slightly briny, they were a delight and singlehandedly changed my thoughts on shellfish for the future.

Then it was time for the main event as we chose our fish from the fish market stand, which featured everything from barracuda and sheri fish to king fish, safi, sea bream and salmon.

I went for king fish and salmon steaks and the king fish was an immediate favourite. Lightly oily and richly flavourful with a light dusting of garlic on the grill, all it needed was a squeeze of lemon before I was gleefully parting the meaty chunks, which yielded succulently to my fork. An absolute joy.

My dining companion went for fried shrimp, which arrived in a delicate, light coating and were quickly demolished, their bright, meaty texture combining perfectly with a crisp, green salad.

We also tried the lobster, of which various options were available. Sweet, tender and cooked to perfection, it was one of the stars of the show, for which we would definitely return.

I was tempted by the fresh oyster station but decided my newfound appreciation for shellfish didn’t extend quite that far. My friend, however, took full advantage, enthusiastically enjoying the rich flavour profile of the premium molluscs with their earthy, slightly salty taste.

In need of a break, we headed out to sit poolside with our drinks, enjoying the balmy evening before heading back in to tackle the desserts of which there were, unsurprisingly, many.

The Umm Ali was a particular hit, my friend describing it as rich, creamy and utterly satisfying. I went for the Eton Mess, a joyous confection of cream and raspberry sauce, all topped with a sweet, fresh strawberry. Despite being already very well served, it was gone in minutes and I even found space for a mini lemon meringue – something that always delights and which I didn’t even try to resist. Tart lemon, sticky, chewy meringue and a crumbly sweet crust. The perfect end to our evening’s adventure. From the warmth of the welcome to the sheer variety of the offering, we couldn’t have asked for more. Safe to say, InterCon, we’re hooked! ✤

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