For a small island, Bahrain’s vibrant foodie scene is impressively enviable, offering everything from exciting and eclectic to creative and curious. Our cover story echoes that inquisitiveness with the latest culinary trends that are shaping the dining space here and globally.

FLAVOUR MIXES

Food has become a little less predictable these days. Honey gets a hit of chilli, mango meets jalapeño and sweet drinks are being sharpened with tamarind. Food lately is having fun playing with these contrasts: flavours that pull in different directions, keep the palate guessing and somehow make each other taste better.

Sweet-and-spicy, or swicy, has moved from a niche combination into a mainstream trend, taking over TikTok and Instagram feeds. Take hot honey for example – a sticky, chilli-infused honey, with roots in Brazil, was popularised by Brooklyn pizzerias more than a decade ago and has since spread across international menus. The newer ‘fricy’ label, fruity and spicy, is also gaining attention, with mango, pineapple and citrus appearing alongside chilli, jalapeño and other peppers. Yuzu, the tart, faintly floral citrus, known for cutting through rich or fatty ingredients, has become increasingly familiar outside Japan too, turning up in sauces, cocktails, desserts and savoury dishes.

There is some food science behind the fun. Fruit’s natural sweetness can soften the fieriness of chilli, while acidity adds freshness and stops richer flavours from becoming heavy. That helps explain the growing interest in tamarind, pickled ingredients, chilli-lime seasonings and fermented sauces. Gochujang, the fermented Korean chilli paste, brings sweetness and funk in one spoonful. Chilli crisp (a popular Chinese condiment), meanwhile, has migrated from the noodle bowl to the breakfast plate. Current beverage trends are even playing with terms such as ‘swangy’ for sweet, spicy and tangy combinations.

Social media has certainly helped. A dramatic drizzle of hot honey, a bright Tajín rim on drinks or a spoonful of chilli crisp makes food instantly recognisable on screen. But the combinations themselves are hardly new. Mexican, Thai and South Asian cuisines have been balancing sweet, sour and spicy flavours for generations. Meanwhile, Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei cuisine takes a different route, pairing savoury umami with citrusy, spicy flavours and hints of bitterness, creating the sort of unexpected combinations that feel very much at home on today’s adventurous menus.

FUN FACTS

• Chilli doesn’t actually ‘burn’ your tongue. Its chemical compound, capsaicin, activates the same nerve receptors that respond to heat, tricking your brain into sensing burning.
• Yuzu’s peel and juice are its main culinary flavouring components, with the peel especially prized for its intense aroma.
• In many swicy dishes, sweetness arrives first, followed by chilli heat.
• Chilli and chocolate have a long history together, as cacao drinks in Mesoamerica were often combined with chilli and spices rather than sugar.

WHERE TO FIND

• Roka – Harbour Gate
• Clay – Adliya
• Ramenara – Seef and City Centre Bahrain
• SUSHISAMBA – Conrad Bahrain Financial Harbour

CHAR AND FLAMES

There’s something instantly appetising about food cooked over fire. The appeal is partly flavour: fire creates charred edges, smoky aromas and deeper, more concentrated notes as ingredients caramelise and blister. But there is also a sensory pleasure to fire cooking: you hear the sizzle, smell the smoke before the plate arrives and watch ingredients transform in front of you.

And then there is the simplicity of it. As restaurant cooking becomes increasingly experimental, there is something satisfying about watching a chef return to elemental cooking methods, relying on little more than fresh ingredients, intense heat and careful timing. The fire itself becomes part of the experience too, bringing theatre and a little unpredictability into a professional kitchen.

The technique itself is ancient, of course. Put a good piece of meat, fish or a vegetable over a fire, give it time and attention, and there isn’t much else required. What feels contemporary is the precision with which chefs are using it. High heat can brown the surface of meat, charcoal can add smokiness, while direct flame can blister vegetables, char seafood and caramelise the natural sugars in ingredients.

Fire cooking also travels easily across cuisines. Japanese robata, South American parrilla, Middle Eastern charcoal grills and American barbecue all use fire differently, yet share the same basic idea. Of course, Bahrain is no stranger to cooking over flame, from traditional grills to modern wood-fired kitchens. At Roka, robatayaki grilling features skewered food over hot charcoal, with the robata grill placed at the centre of the dining experience. Saltfire describes itself as a wood-fired, meatforward restaurant, while Brasero Atlántico brings Argentine a las brasas cooking to the rooftop, with dishes prepared using traditional wood-fire techniques.

FUN FACTS

• The Maillard reaction is a chemical process responsible for creating many of the browned, savoury flavours produced by grilling and roasting.
• Robatayaki translates roughly to ‘fireside cooking’ in Japanese.
• Wood smoke contains a complex mix of chemical compounds that contribute to aroma and flavour, with different woods contributing different aromas.
• Charring adds distinctive flavour, but heavily blackened food should be eaten in moderation.

WHERE TO FIND

• Roka – Harbour Gate
• Brasero Atlántico – Sheraton Bahrain Hotel
• Saltfire – Adliya
• Seoul Restaurant – The K Hotel

FERMENTED FOODS

Fermentation has been preserving food for thousands of years, long before anyone was talking about gut health. Leave cabbage with salt, milk with cultures or flour with a sourdough starter, and microorganisms such as bacteria and yeasts start breaking down sugars and other compounds, creating the tang, fizz and complexity we associate with kimchi, kefir, kombucha, yoghurt and sourdough. What was once primarily a practical way to preserve food has become one of the most talked-about techniques in modern food culture.

Its distinctive sourness is one reason this age-old technique is having such a culinary moment. Kimchi brings heat and acidity, kefir has a gentle, tart creaminess, while naturally cultured vegetables develop a sharper, more complex character over time. Sourdough gets its characteristic flavour and texture from fermentation too, although baking means most of the live cultures do not survive in the finished loaf.

The wellness world has also embraced these foods, particularly through growing interest in the gut microbiome. Some products, including kefir, yoghurt with live cultures and traditionally fermented vegetables, can contain live microorganisms but not every food made through fermentation is automatically a probiotic. Heating, pasteurisation and cooking can kill live cultures, and the health effects of specific strains vary.

What we do know is that gut health involves much more than adding a spoonful of kimchi to your lunch. Gut microbes feed on dietary fibre, so a varied diet of vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains remains important for supporting the microbiome.

Cultured foods can be part of that picture, but they are not a shortcut to digestive health.

For those looking to explore these foods, Bahrain has a growing number of options. Fermendiet specialises in a range of products, including kimchi and kefir. Health food shops like Marketplace by Live Well also offer a wide selection of whole foods, such as fibre, kombucha and sauerkraut. For sourdough, Broken Breads and GB Bakery both currently offer slow-fermented loaves.

FUN FACTS

• Archaeological evidence suggests humans have been making cultured foods and drinks for at least 8,000 years.
• Not all pickles are fermented: Some are simply preserved in vinegar, which is a different process from natural fermentation.
• As microorganisms break down sugars, they produce carbon dioxide, which is what gives freshly made kimchi its characteristic effervescence.

WHERE TO FIND

• Major Supermarkets: Alosra, Al Jazeera and others, all carry various brands of kimchi and kefir
• Speciality Korean markets: Hanaro Market and Asiana House Market, which also delivers through Talabat, carry kimchi, miso and gochujang
• Fermendiet: @fermendiet.bh on Instagram
• Marketplace by Live Well – Various Locations
• Broken Breads – Riffa
• GB Bakery – A’ali

FUSION CUISINE

When culinary traditions meet, mingle and occasionally surprise each other, the result can be a dish that crosses cultural boundaries. The idea itself is hardly new – migration, trade and travel have carried ingredients and cooking techniques across borders for centuries. What feels fresh today is the sheer number of influences available to chefs, and the freedom to combine them, whether that means Mexican flavours in a Korean taco or Bahraini recipes reworked with contemporary methods.

One of the best-known examples is Nikkei cuisine, which developed through Japanese migration to Peru. Japanese techniques and ingredients met Peruvian produce, including aji peppers, potatoes and native citrus, creating a cuisine with its own identity. In Bahrain, CLAY has built its menu around this Japanese-Peruvian relationship, with dishes including Hokkaido scallops with huacatay sauce and ceviches alongside Japanese preparations.

Fusion is increasingly visible because our food culture is becoming more connected. Chefs travel the world, communities mingle, diners seek new experiences and social media puts unfamiliar dishes in front of millions of people every day. But there is a difference between thoughtful fusion and simply putting two fashionable ingredients on one plate. Good fusion has a reason behind it and makes sense when you take a bite. The flavours should complement each other, and the technique should respect what makes each culinary tradition distinctive.

Bahrain is particularly fertile ground for this kind of cooking, with its dining scene drawing from a broad mix of cultures and local chefs increasingly looking at Bahraini ingredients through a contemporary lens. SUSHISAMBA, for example, brings together Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian influences, with its menu spanning sushi, ceviches, Brazilian moqueca and Peruvian anticuchos. Taking a similarly playful route, dāwa by Roaya Saleh pairs Gulf ingredients with Asian and international techniques, from prawn mathrooba with Arborio rice to Gulf clams in laksa sauce.

The most successful fusion dishes tend to feel inevitable once you taste them. Perhaps that’s the trick: the combination should make you curious, then make you wonder why someone didn’t try it sooner.

FUN FACTS

• The term ‘fusion cooking’ was popularised by Chef Norman Van Aken in 1988.
• Japanese immigrants arrived in Peru in 1899, beginning the migration that would eventually contribute to the development of Nikkei cuisine.
• Korean tacos became a Los Angeles street-food sensation in the late 2000s, famously combining Korean barbecue and kimchi with Mexican corn tortillas.
• Indo-Chinese cuisine grew from Chinese immigrant communities adapting cooking to Indian tastes.

WHERE TO FIND

• dāwa by Roaya Saleh – Harbour Heights
• KAYA – The Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa
• Legacy – Harbour Towers East, Bahrain Financial Harbour
• SUSHISAMBA – Conrad Bahrain Financial Harbour

PISTACHIO DESSERTS

You’ve probably noticed that pistachio is almost impossible to miss on a dessert menu these days. Its distinctive green colour is showing up in everything from chocolate and ice cream to cannoli and kunafa, often in the form of a smooth pistachio cream paired with something crunchy.

The nut has always been a familiar Middle Eastern sweet-shop favourite, but recent years have seen it become one of the internet’s most recognisable dessert flavours. Its appeal is easy to understand: that unmistakable green colour photographs beautifully, while its buttery, slightly savoury nuttiness works just as well with chocolate as it does with cream, fruit and pastry.

And then came Dubai chocolate. The viral bar, originally created by Dubai-based FIX Dessert Chocolatier, combines milk chocolate with its signature, creamy pistachio-and-tahini filling and crispy kataifi pastry. A TikTok video posted in 2023 helped turn it into a global sensation, with the vivid green centre and dramatic crunch tailor-made for social media. By 2026, pistachio had become one of the most visible flavours across global confectionery, appearing in everything from chocolate bars to drinks and bakery products.

The craze for the nut has since escaped the chocolate bar. Pistachio cream is being folded into tiramisu, piped into croissants, layered into cakes and spooned over crepes. Cookies, cheesecakes and mousses have followed, often paired with chocolate, saffron or kataifi. The flavour also carries a certain sense of luxury. Pistachios are relatively expensive compared with many other nuts, and their distinctive appearance makes even a simple dessert feel a little more special.

Bahrain is firmly in on the trend. Pistachio Sweets offers everything from pistachio tiramisu to pistachio chocolate mousse cake, while Lilou Artisan Patisserie has pistachio Nutella and Woodbury & Co offers a saffron pistachio brûlée layered with kunafa.

FUN FACTS

• Pistachios are technically seeds, although they are commonly classified and eaten as nuts.
• Pistachio shells naturally split open as the nut matures, giving them their familiar ‘open’ appearance.
• Pistachio trees typically take several years to begin producing a significant crop, with commercial yields increasing as the trees mature.
• Pistachios naturally contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants also found in green vegetables.

WHERE TO FIND

• Pistachio Sweets – Budaiya
• Lilou Artisan Patisserie – Various Locations
• Woodbury & Co – Various Locations
• Cioccolatitaliani – City Centre Bahrain

VIRAL FOOD TRENDS IN BAHRAIN

From decadent desserts to innovative sushi, check out these viral food trends taking over the island.

MATILDA CAKE

Made famous by the iconic movie scene of Bruce eating a massive chocolate cake from the 1996 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda, this dessert trend has taken social media by storm. Versions began popping up in kitchens, cafés and restaurants worldwide, and everyone’s Instagram grids were taken over by this rich, fudgy chocolate sponge smothered in gooey ganache. Sweet tooth mixed with childhood nostalgia – we think this trend is here to stay.

WHERE TO FIND

• Parker’s (@parkers.bh)
• Chocomelt (@chocomelt.bah)
• Cine Café (@cinecafe)

CROISSANT ICE CREAM SANDWICH

This cheap and cheerful DIY trend has been going viral on Instagram and TikTok lately. It’s fun, super simple and only costs a few hundred fils. All it takes is a croissant and ice cream. Chocolate-covered versions, like a Magnum, seem to be the most popular. Tear open the top of a warm croissant, remove some inside layers to make a hollow space and stuff the ice cream in before removing the stick, et voilà, you have a snack ready for on-the-go. Crunchy, creamy, with that hot-and-cold combo – what’s not to like?

SUSHI TIKKA

A quintessential Japanese dish gets a local spin with Sushi Tikka, as Bahrain’s eateries get hot on the heels of this trend. This fusion dish puts a twist on maki rolls, where meat tikka pieces replace the raw fish or other fillings, wrapped in sushi rice and nori (seaweed sheet), and generally dressed with spicy mayo and sesame seeds. With grilled meat so popular here, we’re surprised this trend didn’t catch on sooner.

WHERE TO FIND

• Kababbi Grills (@kababbi.bh)
• SHIMU (@shimu.bh)
• Asyakh (@asyakh.bh)
• Salomi Grills (@salomigrills)

PUSH POP SUSHI

Push Pop Sushi was first popularised by Suka Sushi in New York City, blowing up on TikTok and Instagram, and even making it to this year’s New York Fashion Week. Sushi rolls come stacked in a cylindrical tube with a slender, straw-like soy sauce tube. Simply open the lid, pour in the soy sauce, then stick the same sauce tube in the bottom to push the sushi up and enjoy! No chopsticks, no mess, just a practical grab-and-go snack.

WHERE TO FIND

• Tao Downtown (@tao_downtown_bh)

MORE TRENDS TO TASTE

• TROMPE-L’ŒIL (ILLUSION) DESSERTS:
  Hyper-realistic pastries that look like real objects, like fruit and vegetables.
  Where to Find: JOY Pâtisserie (@joy.patisserie.bh)
• LONDON CAKE:
  Chocolate and whipped salted caramel layered cake, made famous by its creator Edd Kimber.
  Where to Find: Cake Boutique (@cakeboutiquebh) | Sugar Cravings Bakehouse (@sugarcravings.bh)
• LOADED SPUDS:
  The humble jacket potato 2.0, upgraded a notch using various toppings and flavours
  Where to Find: SPUDILICIOUS (@spudlicious.bh)