Pre restrictions much of Bahrain’s social scene revolved around dining, and sometimes dancing, at the island’s myriad restaurants and lounges.

A certain virus has put a stop to all that, not to mention the overseas travel so many of us enjoy. But, thankfully, we can still venture to far away places with strange sounding names courtesy of the enterprising and highly skilled restaurateurs who have set up outdoor dining spaces to showcase regional and international cuisines that give us a taste of the world beyond our shores. The Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa is renowned for its multiple outlets offering a huge range of flavours from all around the world and we were lucky enough to try some of them in safe, socially distanced outdoor settings. It’s safe to say, the restaurants may have (temporarily) lost their sumptuous and atmospheric settings, but the excellence of both the culinary offerings and top-class service are still very much in evidence making the move outdoors seem effortless and even adventurous. Over the coming pages we report back on three outdoor dining experiences that come very highly recommended.

Japanese Flavours at the Pearl of the Gulf

While most restaurants are trying to survive on outdoor service; those with no outdoor space have been forced to get creative. Thus, the committed team from Sato at The Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa, one of the best in the island’s culinary industry, took the brave decision to move their kitchen outside. The roof of The Gulf Spa is now the new al fresco Sato. Wooden tables and plain tissue-covered chairs, set with social distancing in mind, are backed up by the sound of the water fountains in the background melting into the well-chosen melodies, outstanding service, and extraordinary flavours. We are treated to a nine-course journey in this perfect atmosphere! Thank you, Gulf Hotel, for the invitation! Wagyu Beef Temari with Foie Gras is a sophisticated bite to start that will awaken your taste buds.

Toro Tartar in Crispy Salmon Skin is another great starter. The saltiness of the crispy skin and the creaminess of the tartar… go ahead and use your hands, no forks required. Plate number two is Hamachi Truffle Yuzu. Believe us, yuzu is the perfect sauce to complement any fish. The next plate is Instagram-worthy, but we resist the urge to whip out our cameras, instead choosing to tuck into the Shima Aji Salad which is a spring painting!

A perfect marriage between rocket leaves, edible flowers, and raw white fish with orange ponzu dressing. The laksa-inspired prawn soup that follows is a welcome discovery. Flavourful broth and tender prawn meat cooked to perfection. Next up, at number six, is Hokkaido Scallops Maki. Three rolls of a heavenly creation that you should not miss. The main course comes as a pair. The first is a combination we did not see coming. Truffle eggs and pan-fried fish with a simple squeeze of lime, impossibly simple and surprisingly good. The second is amazing Beef Sukiyaki with creamy mash and mini Brussels sprouts, a dish that’s definitely worth going out for. And the end… light and refreshing with sweet melon and tapioca pearls in coconut milk. A well thought out dessert after so many plates and so many flavours.

If you crave the Japanese cuisine, but do not know what to order? Do it A La Omakase and leave it to the chef as we did, because the best things in life are those that come to you unexpectedly. ✤

GO: CALL 1771 3000 FOR RESERVATIONS OR MORE INFORMATION.

Elegantly Eastern at Royal Thai and China Garden

We walk through the hotel and right out towards Typhoon Lounge, where our outdoor feast is to take place. Today’s choice of cuisine is a mixture of both Chinese and Thai food. Opting to sit right by the man-made koi pond, we are presented with menus from both China Garden and Royal Thai, which are now being made available to guests sitting at the hotel’s outdoor terrace. Despite being almost complete opposites, both these restaurants, ironically, really go hand in hand once you begin ordering, as the fusion of both cuisines helps in balancing some of the flavours. Starting with appetisers from both outlets, we decide to try the Chicken Sui Mai, the Royal Platter and Som Tam Koong (a classic green papaya salad with grilled shrimps). The combination of the sui mai with the Thai starters might have been one of the most interesting choices we’ve made to date – whilst the Thai dishes focused more on balancing different flavours altogether, once dipped in soy sauce, the sui mai surprised our tastebuds by challenging our palates completely.

Ready and eager for our main courses, we once again decide to go for a combination of different dishes from the two restaurants. Pairing the Kai Pad Med Mamong with China Garden’s Crispy Beef, we grab our forks and dig in! While the stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts is perfectly balanced in its distinctive taste, the Crispy Beef is completely the opposite (in a good way!). Shredded to bite-size pieces and soaked in sweet chilli sauce, the beef is fried to perfection and has a delightfully spicy kick to it!

Despite both cuisines being very different from each other, each of the dishes complements the other by balancing out the different flavours, while still giving you that “I’m indulging in Asian food” feeling. Ending this culinary journey on a sweet note, we opt to go for a Thai-inspired dessert, the Kluay Tod – which is one of the favourites – made from banana fritters, fried vanilla ice cream and lemon honey sauce, it tastes even better than it sounds! With the banana fried to a perfect golden texture, the vanilla ice cream perfectly honours the rest of the dish, making it one that we won’t ever forget. ✤

GO: CALL 1771 3000 FOR RESERVATIONS OR MORE INFORMATION

A True Taste of Persia

With current restrictions forcing us all outdoors, Takht Jamsheed has set up on the pool deck, looking over the sparkling waters, with much of the cooking done on a very efficient grill and bread warmed in a traditional flaming oven.

The menu is limited for now but there will be a special celebratory dining list on offer for Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, which will run from March 20 to 23. After a bowl of fresh greens to begin, a starter of salad – cucumber, onions and tomatoes – might not seem overly adventurous but the dressing of pomegranate syrup, lemon juice and olive oil lifts this staple, exciting and uniting the different flavours. And the very traditional Kashk Bedamjan is one of the night’s stand-out dishes. Aubergine is grilled and then mashed to an almost creamy texture topped with dried yoghurt and cream and tiny dots of mint mixed with olive oil.

Pure comfort food at its best with the mint dabs adding just the right sharpness to the otherwise mellow, tonguesoothing mix. Unable to resist finishing the whole bowl of Kashk Bedamjan, we try to cry off the soup, Ash Reshteh, in anticipation of our mains. But boy are we glad our attentive and knowledgeable waiter, Albin, won’t hear of it. Another absolute corker! Filled with minced green leaves, noodles, red kidney beans, chick peas, lentils and, no doubt, a generous helping of herbs, many of which are just a fleeting tease on the taste buds, the soup is topped with dried yoghurt and, make no mistake, it is heavy. But, every spoonful is a dip into pure culinary heaven.

We have to say, the Kashk Bedamjan and Ash Reshteh are the first dishes in a long history of food tasting that have made us, confirmed kitchenphobes, want to learn to cook (except maybe the truffle risotto, but that’s a story for another day). But Albin is quick to point out that it’s not just about recipes; food from the kitchen of Chef Hussain also has the benefit of the chef’s “magic hands” We move onto the mains, Chelo Kabab Kubideh Zaffarani and Tikkeh Masty Gousht. The minced lamb of the kabab is seasoned with onions and the delicate tang of saffron lends the meat an almost sweet tenderness, while the lamb fillet of the tikkeh literally melts in the mouth, the taste and flavour of the yoghurt, peppercorn and onion marinade combining to boost the piquancy of the lightly grilled flesh.

The accompaniment of traditional Iranian three-coloured rice, the yellow with its saffron and barberries, and the green, with its dill and broad beans, lends the plate a carnival appearance. A fitting way to end our feast. ✤

GO: CALL 1771 3000 FOR RESERVATIONS OR MORE INFORMATION.

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