Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
THE claws are well and truly out as a leading hotel restaurant enters the fray to entice diners for a healthy midweek treat with a gourmet seafood sensation.
The message from Executive Chef Ilango M Agastya is simple: ‘eat your way to Westin wellness at Saveur’.
Food lovers with a craving for all things crustacean will be delighted with the selection on offer as part of the weekly ‘Claws’ promotion every Wednesday with tuna, king fish, crab, sand lobster, clams, squid, Bahraini prawns, salmon, oysters and much more on offer with a pledge to prepare them in 40 different ways.
“Every Wednesday morning our dedicated chefs visit the fish market to handpick the best of local seafood and fish, supplemented by international delicacies flown in on the day,” explained Chef Ilango. “Our spirited team prepares delectable dishes exactly the way our guests desire, encompassing the cuisines of the world.”
The competition in the kingdom is strong with many restaurants boasting seafood nights as frequently featured on this page and particularly appreciated by this dining out reviewer who adores all fare floating around in the sea, and is partial to a few of their cousins found in the rivers of the world too!
Let’s take it as read that many destinations offer a good choice and pan fried, poached, baked or steamed should not be too much of a challenge to an experienced cook, although sometimes over-cooking can be an issue.
There were no such issues with the chef who took my chosen sea bream and dished it out in perfect style, crispy on the outside with soft and flaky flesh on the inside.
But what makes a good night special is the accompanying array of dishes too tempting to resist.
According to Chef Ilango a ‘must try’ is the à la minute baked Lobster Thermidor. It is no wonder that this is the ‘most popular’ dish with guests and why regulars keep coming back for more.
A close contender to the title was a gorgeous Goan Prawn Curry with ginger and coriander leaves and one my colleague Nawaar (AKA Prawn Ball) will probably rave about when she books her table.
Having recently attended a Spanish Food Festival, and feeling a bit of a connoisseur nowadays, I can also recommend the sensational Seafood Paella which I cheekily used to soak up the saffron dill sauce in the lobster Medallion served with spinach.
The side salads and little entrees were also impressive such as the fish cake with tomato salsa and the magnificent marinated peppers with comfit calamari and garlic chips.
Chef Ilango, of Australian/Singaporean nationality, has recently taken over the kitchen reins at both the City Centre Bahrain’s Westin and Le Meridien restaurants, and boasts an impressive culinary history having served as executive chef at one of the Dorchester Collection properties in China and Hilton Worldwide in South East Asia.
The Saveur team as a whole appeared well informed and helpful when it came to offering advice on the selection of dishes available and offered a polite and prompt service which particularly impressed my sister, Helena, who was on her first trip to the Middle East from the UK.
My daughter Imogen, a chocoholic, was equally excited with the opportunity to explore the chocolate room to end dinner on a sweet note as the good lady wife, Kathryn, and I sampled the collection of cheeses over coffee.
It was a delightful conclusion to a gripping encounter with Claws.
* Venue: Saveur, The Westin City Centre Bahrain
Date: Every Wednesday
Time: 7pm – 11pm
Price: BD20 net inclusive of soft drink and water
BD25 net inclusive of selected beverages
Children under-six dine for free and up to 12 eat for half price.
