Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
As the office’s resident Canadian expat, sales manager and fashionista Camille Jones, struggled to contain her emotions when she found out that a Tim Hortons coffee shop was opening imminently at the Galleria Mall in Zinj.
I remember vividly how she frogmarched the team into Editor Stan’s office and begged, nay, demanded, that we do an Eating Out review there as soon as possible.
Earlier, Camille’s son Aiden, 13, had already grabbed a sweet taste of home on the day the outlet opened.
Chief Reporter Mai bounced up and down in delight having sampled this caffeinated happiness numerous times during her university studies in Ottawa, while staunch Englishmen Stan and I looked at each other bemused, shrugging our shoulders and proclaiming: ‘Nah, never heard of it’.
Big mistake.
The GulfWeekly team know to dive under their desks and pray for shelter when Camille is dealing with a difficult client on the phone, and this statement drew a similar apoplectic reaction.
We daren’t argue with a Canadian blonde on a mission, so off to Tim Hortons I went to be initiated into this underground cult. And, I’m proud to declare, I’m a very willing convert.
The location immediately stands out with its contemporary design, glass frontage and arch of balloons spanning the entrance. There is a choice of traditional outdoor seating, or the quirky indoor layout appealing more to the younger social crowd with its green and blue assorted seats.
The signature drink of the franchise is the ‘Ice Cap’ (BD1.600), essentially frozen cappuccino with sugar goodies thrown in for good measure. Now, this is probably about the time that I should disclose that I hate coffee (I’m English, it is tea or nothing), but I steeled myself up to steal a taste of Camille’s, and it was actually OK! It tasted more of caramel and sweetness than coffee, so I can see why it’s jocularly dubbed ‘The Canadian Crack’ in its native country!
As for myself, I plumped for a Cookies & Cream Frappé (BD2) that was delicious.
Tim Hortons has more than 4,500 outlets around the world and is by far the most popular quick-service restaurant in Canada, even surpassing McDonald’s by some distance. To achieve this, it branched out into serving sandwiches, burgers and baked goods along with its good ol’ coffee and doughnuts.
To begin with, I ordered an appetising Crispy Chicken Sandwich (BD2) that was fresh and tasty. Camille ordered a Steak & Cheese Panini (BD2.400) that I was instantly jealous of, and the speed in which she devoured it indicated I had a right to be!
After that, we quickly decided to put the savoury stuff to one side and move onto what we really came here for … the sugary sensations.
I’ve done many of these Eating Out reviews since I joined the team, and I can’t say I’ve ever been as stuffed as I was that afternoon. I literally tried EVERYTHING that was available. What I didn’t manage to try, I took home so I could have it later and write about them too!
The first port of call was the Timbits, a specific type of doughnut ball exclusive to Tim Hortons. They came in four flavours: Old Fashioned Plain, Honey Dip (by far the best), Chocolate Glazed and Sour Cream Glazed. I wish I could have had 20 of them … but I knew I needed to save room.
The treats just kept on piling up … Boston Cream Doughnuts, Canadian Maple Doughnuts (of course!), Honey Crullers, Cinnamon Rolls, Apple Fritters, Nutella Doughnuts (divine), and that was just what we got through for our first helping.
This place really is a glucose paradise … with sincere rather than sugary support. What really helped us enjoy the experience was the friendly team. Every barista had a beaming smile that gave you a proper Canadian welcome that could melt snow and they couldn’t move fast enough to answer questions or make sure our plates were topped up with treats.
They all seemed like they really enjoyed bringing the Tim Hortons experience to Bahrain, and I can foresee this being the new hotspot for crowds of all ages.
I’ll certainly be back, for second helpings of those Red Velvet Muffins and the assortment of Cheesecakes. O Canada indeed!
