Located at Bahrain World Trade Center is Maki, a contemporary Japanese restaurant, where Melissa Nazareth savoured delightful creations.

Maki holds a special place in my heart because that’s where I first tried sushi and I was thrilled to visit the newly renovated restaurant with my colleagues. The interior exhibited a Japanese minimalist aesthetic; muted shades including creams and whites interspaced with bright green indoor foliage, thread-ball hanging lights and light brown wood elements. Even the seating, which amply spread across two floors, was simple but visually appealing. Our generous hosts led us to our table and we decided to check out the menu, which has an entire section of new dishes. We also spotted a sizeable vegan section.

We were there at the peak of afternoon and so, relieved to see a trio of refreshments approaching our table. I had the passion fruit mojito – you can never go wrong with a mojito! My colleagues had the Rose Electric Bubble, a pretty pink concoction with a lingering rose aftertaste, and the Electric Lemonade, which looked like a chemistry lab experiment but in a fun, good way.

Our lunch began with the Chaine Forest Haze Salad, a contrast of textures with red quinoa offering a bite against creamy avocado cubes, spongy mushrooms and a variety of veggies, all tossed in the most luscious extra virgin olive oil and an addictive, citrusy green Ooba – a type of leaf – dressing, which had us going in for seconds. Smoke was trapped inside the salad bowl – hence, ‘Haze’ – which was covered with a smaller bowl, carrying the dressing. The smoky flavour added a certain je ne sais quoi.

My favourite was the Crispy Rice Noodle Salad, a new item on the menu. It had a delightful crunch from the peanut crumble and rice noodles and a surprise element – vegetable spring roll bites. The ingredients included a selection of veggies and leaves, coated with a special nutty, sweet and tangy sesame goma dressing.

Ribs Crocante came with crunchy mini rice discs, topped with the most tender meat ever. A caveat: you can’t eat just one! The meat was moist, imbued with a sweetish, smoky sauce and the ratio of topping to base was spot on.

We had worked up a good appetite by then and were ready for our next dish. Oliver Maki, the creation of Co-owner, Oliver Zeitoun. The menu has a VIP Maki section, featuring dishes created by select guests. We enjoyed this assortment of seafood maki rolls – salmon, tuna and white fish – garnished with a bunch of secret sauces and toppings that complemented the fish well. In all my years of eating maki rolls in Bahrain, I’ve never seen an ume-wrapped version. The Sandi Ume Maki came with a sweet and sour ume or plum wrap, topped with the freshest salmon and spring onions. I thought this was innovative, which is characteristic of this restaurant.

Elegantly presented in a slender stem glass, the Fusion Temaki, a sesame-studded, delicately flavoured soy paper wrap, encased a gastronomic explosion of ingredients and flavours. The prawn tempura provided an earth-shattering crunch, which was balanced by bouncy, juicy crab sticks. The veggies added a bite and freshness that cut against the deepfried tempura and other crispy bits.

We wanted to try one of the meat dishes and were recommended the Wagyu steak. Our friendly server cooked the thinly-sliced beef on a hot stone at our table, with a musical hissing that indicated the perfect sear. If you prefer cooking it yourself, you can. When I say this cut was of the finest quality, please take it at face value. As soon as we took a bite, the meat melted in our mouths like butter on a hot skillet. Flavoured with a gentle yet persistent truffle mustard and herby rosemary, the meaty juices flooded our mouths.

We left enough room for dessert, which matched the creativity of the other dishes. Some may ask, what’s special about the Pistachio Mochi Ice Cream, another new addition to the menu. Mochi, after all, is a popular Japanese dessert. Well, this was a Japanese-Mediterranean fusion where pistachio ice cream was wrapped in a perfectly thin mochi or rice covering and sat on a kunafa-style filo nest. When our host described it as mochi with kunafa, I must admit, I didn’t think the two would go together. But they do – Maki is truly innovative!

Our second dessert literally looked like a plant in a greenhouse pod. I don’t mean to pile on, but my colleague almost mistook it for table décor. The Terrarium Matcha Tiramisu was a fun Asian spin on the Italian classic and, while purists would argue otherwise, I thought it was delightful. Oh! That silken cream layered with green tea-infused ladyfinger biscuits – the perfect ending to our meal.

Though I’ve dined at Maki just a handful of times, as it is an exclusive restaurant and I’d rather reserve it for special occasions, I’ve returned satiated and happy every single time. Offering innovative, beautifully presented dishes in a new setting, while retaining its familiar vibe, I can hear Maki beckon and I shall return very soon.✤

GO: CALL 1752 2733 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.