Spice is right at Shailani

Nestled unassumingly behind Rics Kountry Kitchen in Juffair, Shailani Restaurant is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by diners in the kingdom.

Formerly known as The Garden, the venue is under new ownership with former Dilmun Club manager Mark Rowe at the helm.

The 40-year-old South African has an extensive background in the culinary industry and previously worked his magic at the Dilly, transforming the menu from drab to fab.

Now operations manager of Shailani he is hoping to spice things up. He said: “When one door closes another opens and this opportunity came soon after I left the Dilly.

“We’re starting to expand and diversify the menu, tweak it, and make this a top-class Indian and Arabic restaurant.
“The menu is quite diverse so diners have a lot of choice and everything is made fresh, nothing is frozen. We make our own bread daily in a massive tandoori oven.”

Mark is in the process of revamping the menu and aims to bring in Thai green curry and a token South African dish too in the not too distant future.

The only challenge he says he’s faced so far is letting people know where the restaurant is.

“Everybody knows where Rics is and we’re just behind it, so we’re trying to bounce off that.

“I want everyone to come in and try the food, I’m sure they’ll go away satisfied.

“Since we’re close to the US Navy base we’re hoping to attract American service personnel who are eager to try local food.”

Shailani means ‘white rice’ in Arabic, which may sound a little bland, but the menu is anything but, thanks to the fusion of Indian and Arabic cuisine.

It boasts favourites including biriyani, machboos, mixed grills and a host of vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries.

Mark suggested we try the butter chicken and mutton Rogan Josh, which was accompanied by tandoori chicken and chicken biriyani.

GulfWeekly photographer Ryan Bayona is a tough man to please when it comes to Indian food and is somewhat of a connoisseur when it comes to butter chicken.

I tried to ask him what he thought but he was too busy filling his mouth and making nom-nom noises to answer, I’ll take that as a sign of approval.

It was rich and creamy with a wonderful aftertaste and, in my opinion, is sure to go down a treat.

The Rogan Josh is one of my favourite curries and can be hit or miss depending on the level of spice. I like my curry spicy but not so spicy that my tongue is burned of the taste.

This is honestly one of the best I’ve had on the island in years, the perfect amount of spice and flavour.

Now, any fan of Indian food knows that the naan is an important part of the meal and the bread they dish up at Shailani is worth bragging about. Made fresh on the spot, it arrives at the table hot, soft and smelling divine. We had a mixture of traditional and garlic that was great for dipping and sharing.

The chicken was also an instant hit, fresh, succulent and cooked to perfection. It was also a generous portion and a pleasant surprise for the reasonable price.

The venue is a contemporary affair, clean, modern finishes give an ambiance more befitting a French Café than a fusion restaurant, but that’s part of the charm.

It also has a conference room upstairs that seats 20 and is currently being used to host toastmaster meetings.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Mark, who has a background in international fine dining, is actively involved with every aspect of the restaurant.

He said: “In Bahrain you need to be a jack-of-all-trades, and very hands-on. I’ll roll my sleeves up, I’ll mop the floor and even scrub the pots and pans if need be but I have great faith in the team here and they have exceeded my expectations.”

Shailani offers free home delivery. For details, call 17813976.

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The Royal Golf Club will open its fourth public dining outlet, Repartee, on September 1.

It will feature a light menu with a Far East flavour and views of the golf course. There will also be an outdoor terrace.

The restaurant will be open from 5pm to midnight daily.
For details, call 17750777.

Head down to the Royal Golf Club for its Links Friday Carvery Brunch which includes a range of starters, live cooking stations, traditional carved meats, desserts and more.

There’s also a special section for children including a ‘create your own cupcake’ station.

The brunch, from noon to 4pm, costs BD18 net for adults including unlimited selected soft drinks and BD27 net for adults with unlimited selected house beverages. It’s BD 9.500 net for children under 12 and children aged four and under can eat for free.

For details, call 17751262.