Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
HOW many times have you been out for a meal and the friends you are eating with insist on knowing what you’re having before they order … just in case they miss out on something special.
I’m not usually being awkward; sometimes I simply cannot make up my mind, especially when the menu is as rich and full of variety as that on offer at the renowned steakhouse Plums at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa.
But what to choose is now so much simpler a task thanks to new Chef de Cuisine Carlos Rodriguez’s fabulous ‘tasting menu’.
If you like fine food, well-cooked and presented with the occasional mouth-watering surprise, look no further.
The good lady wife, Kathryn and I were treated to an amazing Amusse Bouche crab cake starter with Wasabi Mayo, green scallion, radish salad and Yuzu vinaigrette.
Plenty of crunch with a warm flavoursome centre, the best we’ve tasted since a recent trip to Mei N Yu created by the chef who used to prepare the same dish at Upstairs Downstairs.
A restaurant reviewer never forgets a good chef, even if he moves around, and the Ritz has signed up quite a star in Mexico City-born Chef Carlos.
His culinary experience spans 15 years in different countries, from the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico to Chile, where he helmed the kitchens at some of the finest establishments including the 5 Diamonds Restaurant ‘The Club Grill’ at The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun, the Marriott Los Sueños in Costa Rica and the Marriott Casino Stelaris in Puerto Rico.
The 34-year-old is married to Ilianil who will be joining him shortly in Bahrain from Mexico with their daughter, Regina, aged four. Chef Carlos’ food creations appeal to all the senses – from their aromas, to their taste, texture and presentation. He believes that to enjoy food to the fullest it should be shared with friends and family for ‘unforgettable moments’.
There was a mixed bunch of diners at Plums on the Thursday evening we attended.
On one table a couple lovingly looked into each other’s eyes between courses and it was obviously a first or second date as the girl kept laughing heartily at her young man’s witty conversation.
I turned to Kathryn and asked her why she didn’t laugh at my jokes anymore. She looked me steely in the eye and said she’s heard them all.
In the far corner a group of businessmen chatted seriously, probably on a company team-building exercise, and opposite us, a Saudi family sat huddled together on a weekend break, a nice picture of generations joining together in harmony.
Kathryn was sat on a strange sofa-type contraption, very comfortable, she told me, but oddly-shaped like a peeled orange split open in quarters, which meant my eye kept embarrassingly catching the eye of the chap sat on the seat to her side.
Plums has recently undergone a dramatic transformation, with a two-month long refurbishment that has seen the hotel’s intimate restaurant redesigned into a contemporary setting with ‘jazzy design elements’.
Framed boldly in white, black and orange, the 50-seat steakhouse features furniture and accessories specially-selected from Italy and Spain, complemented by striking wall upholstery from France, and illuminated by a centerpiece chandelier from Hungary.
Bahraini designer Ammar Basheir conceptualised Plums’ interiors and was instrumental in the decision to use glass throughout the space to create the convincing illusion of depth. This aesthetic strategy is also reflected in the use of ‘transparent’ chairs which aim to dramatically contrast the elegant onyx walls.
I’m not convinced it works. Some of the lampshades looked like strings of bowler hats. It’s a bit too schizophrenic in my opinion. Is it a dating diner, a family restaurant, a business retreat, or a bit of everything rolled into one?
Maybe it’s me and it works by the very nature of the varied custom it is attracting. Or maybe, just maybe, the catch is simply the food.
I would eat Chef Carlos’ creations if I was sat alone in a shed with no air conditioning off Budiaya Highway … and leave a tip.
The Provencal jumbo wild green asparagus came in a puff pastry, with lobster and Chives Hollandaise sauce.
I love asparagus. I used to regularly drive over the Humber Bridge from East Yorkshire into Lincolnshire to the little village of Barton-on-Humber (and no-one normally does that by choice) because it boasted the best Italian restaurant in England which served the most sensational asparagus dish.
But even they were not in the same class as Chef Carlos’ sizeable sensations, cooked to perfection, firm yet oozing with moisture.
A masterpiece on a plate.
Dover Sole Filet and Duck Foie Gras essence and pealed grapes came next. I would have enjoyed it more if the tantalising taste of the asparagus had not been so firmly fixed in my memory.
My European Championship footballing experience was tickled with the soup dish which followed as Polish Borsch with raspberries arrived alongside smoked salmon with caviar on brioche.
Now the last time I visited my late father’s land was at the tender age of 16 and this dish made me reminisce and I once again suggested to Kathryn that we ought to take a trip to Eastern Europe.
Not if the food is like this she moaned, the kids will never eat it.
She may not have liked the soup but she savoured the sample platter of steak which followed. Again, it was utterly amazing.
Dry-aged, bone-in, natural prime strip loin, a centre cut tenderloin certificated Angus beef and boneless chuck short ribs, American Wagyu. Wow. All serviced with side dishes of creamed spinach and truffle mash potatoes.
I had very little room for desert and executive pastry chef Antony Fernandez produced a selection of hot and cold concoctions which were pleasing to the eye … but to be honest, by this stage, my eyes were too big for my belly.
A cracking culinary experience and my main man has created a six course Chef’s Tasting Menu for diners to savour over the next few weeks for the superb price of BD35. It’s too good to miss even if the décor’s not quite to my taste.
