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ONE of the joys of living in Bahrain is the wonderful melting pot of nationalities that call it home, even if it’s only of a temporary nature, and with it comes a whole host of dishes just waiting to be discovered and shared.
Brian Becher, executive chef at re Asian Cuisine and CUT by Wolfgang Puck often meets up with his team socially and it’s not simply a team-building exercise, more of a ‘family’ gathering.
Each member puts on the chef’s hat for the evening and conjures a homemade dish of their choice. Chef Brian has been so blown away by the feast of flavours he’s experienced that he has helped refine them into a medley of masterpieces.
The result is a marvellous new ‘chef’s tasting menu’ and it seemed only fair that the good lady wife, Kathryn and I, should put some to the taste test at a table on the 50th floor venue with majestic views over Manama.
We started with a warming Sweet Corn Soup providing soothing sips of roasted garlic custard, cherry tomato, black tiger prawn and coriander oil.
The first flavours were added to by some shrimp and corn show feng rolls with sweet soy, pickled chili and Thai basil, making up for the summer holiday in Thailand we missed due to family commitments back in the UK.
Recent dining-out review treks have fortunately taken us on an Asian culinary tour and we now have a growing appetite for dumplings and dim sum. The wok-fried Chinese duck dumplings were a delight and the Korean Munchu with house-made vegetable Kimki magnificent.
Sri Lankan sous chef Ranjana Risantha was the mastermind behind the stand-out dish of our evening dining out experience which Chef Brian admitted when he first sampled it was ‘too good’ to keep secret. Thank you, Ranjana, the Grilled Tiger Prawns in a sensational coconut cashew puree, with banana blossoms and fresh mango is magnificent.
If there was one dish that will attract you time and time again to a particular dining destination then this is the one.
On the list of seafood and shellfish choices the pan-seared salmon, patty pan squash, coconut lobster sauce with Thai basil sausage and courgette came a close second.
The meat and poultry offerings had an interesting tale to tell too with Roasted Quail Philippine ‘adobo-style’ and stylish fondant potatoes, confit quail egg and Kalamansi Aiolo in the mix and a heated discussion between the Szecowkas ensued as to whether quail tasted more like duck than chicken. Ever the diplomat, Chef Brian suggested we were both right.
The grilled lamb chops were a marinated mixture influenced by a meeting of Iranian and Indian minds, with Mughal spices, smoked aubergine puree, compressed cucumber and Cilantro chutney.
The sweet finale would have delighted our son, Stan Jnr, who was too busy having a sleep over with a pal to join us, as the Peanut Chocolate Shortbread featured three of his favourite food combinations.
There was a slight cultural controversy over the Japanese Cotton Cheesecake. I think executive pastry chef Pierre Chambon may have been led astray by his American chef colleague in the naming of this dish because it was simply a slice of the most divine sponge cake I’ve ever tasted, with a superb combination of Momo peach and Timut pepper compote and passion custard.
Overall, prices are very competitive, with the soup only BD6++ and the most expensive dish we sampled, the Grilled Tiger Prawns, at BD17++ and, as suggested, it was well worth it. And you’ll never believe it, the cheesecake (sponge) was only BD3++!
What a treat. And, although I’ve been waxing lyrical about the food can I just add a footnote about the superb service. Back in 2015 we experienced the most impressive help, advice and assistance we had ever encountered in Bahrain, with one young man in particular shining brightly.
John Mulwa Musyoka, from Nairobi, started at the lowest level in the hospitality industry working for a catering company in Dubai and through pure persistence, personality and hard work starting climbing up the career ladder at Four Seasons.
When we first met he was described as the stand-in ‘captain’ on the floor. I was so impressed with his service that I asked for his business card to later email him a personal note of thanks and he politely explained he didn’t have one at his level.
I wrote in that review: ‘we predict one day you’re going to be an Admiral’ of the CUT. I’m delighted to report that John was back by our side on Friday night and his career continues to sail high. He handed me his business card reading: ‘assistant restaurant manager’. Well deserved … and well done.
