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Connoisseurs of fine cuisine have a new location to enjoy with the recent opening of Nicole’s Mediterranean Restaurant and Lounge in the popular and expanding Adliya dining destination.
They’ll be in for a treat and a culinary adventure now that Executive Chef Valter Piergiovanni has had his cooking shackles removed after a spell in Saudi Arabia which for cultural reasons curtails the use of certain ingredients.
The Italian has conjured up an amazing signature steak dish combining an unlikely combination of coffee and tea which will probably have food lovers begging him to sign the menu as a keepsake memento … but more of that later.
Nicole’s has been named after the 24-year-old daughter of owners Fadi and Denise Kfoury. They describe the restaurant as a ‘one of a kind’ in Bahrain, where, under one roof, diners can enjoy Italian, French, Greek, Lebanese and Spanish cuisine … with, of course, an original twist by their Cordon Blue chef.
“Our menu has been crafted to satisfy even the most demanding palate,” said Denise, a mother-of-four, who originates from the American state of Alabama. “We seek to provide a Michelin-quality dining experience.”
The aim is to transport visitors to the warm sands of the Mediterranean allowing them to imagine dining on the Italian coast, the French Riviera, the Lebanese mountains, or, when it opens in a couple of weeks’ time, to soak up the sun on a Santorini-style roof-top terrace.
Quite a build-up but often the proof is in the pudding … and before that, the starters and, in this case, the main course.
Certainly, the ambience created by the impressive decorations, furniture, paintings and authentic touches, as a result of investing vast sums into shipping essentials over from Europe, have certainly paid dividends.
Work is nearing completion on a walkway by the impressive building on the site of the former NYIT, with fountains and greenery and within a few weeks the upstairs terrace will be operational but, during this soft opening, there are clear indications that Nicole’s will soon be on everyone’s lips.
Denise met Chef Valter whilst taking a cooking lesson with him during his time as an executive chef consultant and manager in Al Khobar. She and her husband, a Lebanese-American engineering executive and consultant then based across the causeway, struck up a conversation with the maestro and a beautiful business opportunity was born and, with a large serving of perseverance, their restaurant dream has now become a reality.
After being given a conducted tour of the venue by recently appointed food & beverage manager Mark Rowe (well-known as the man who helped steady the good ship Dilly through a particularly sticky culinary storm a few years back) the good lady wife, Kathryn, and I settled down in the establishment’s exquisite French sector, to sample an array of starters.
The Burrata Cheese (BD7), a famous southern Italian fresh cheese served with grilled tomatoes and basil pesto, was succulent, soft and creamy to taste. My favourite, the Foie Gras (BD8.500), a duck pate cocotte filled with balsamic vinegar reduction, served with honey pear and toasted bread, brought back pleasant memories of holidays in France.
The Fish Tartar Duo (BD8) was a tasty treat too and a combination of yellow fin tuna and Norwegian salmon served with rocket salad, beetroot, which made all the difference to the flavour, and Zenzero dressing.
Kathryn’s top choice was the hot pot of Southern Eggplant Parmigiana with Aromatic Herbs, fried aubergine, mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce (BD6).
The presentation of the dishes could not be faulted and the service was attentive and welcoming.
All very tasty but just a tease before the chef’s pièce de résistance, the light espresso coffee-crusted fresh American Angus beef tenderloin in a red beverage demi-glace and tomato spicy jam served with tea risotto and Taleggio cheese.
Slices of the steaks, cooked to medium rare melt-in-the-mouth perfection, have to be placed on a fork with a combination of the accompanying delights and sauce, to fully allow the explosion of flavours to be enjoyed to their fullest.
Words alone cannot fully give justice to this sensational offering. It was one of those moments where I wanted to stand up and salute the chef no matter how embarrassing that might have appeared.
The sweet dishes that followed were a tasty sample of Homemade Baklava, a rich Belgium chocolate parfait with Ameratto essence and Tuscany biscotti, a mini éclair and a cool Homemade Cannoli filled with berry ice-cream.
Enjoyable, but my heart had already been stolen by the Chef’s Signature Dish (BD19) on the meat course selection.
We’ll have to leave it for another day to try out the salads, soups, pasta, pizza and seafood offerings, perhaps over lunch or brunch, or during a candlelit dinner-for-two. The venue also has some tempting early-dining offers too.
The magnet is Chef Valter. Born in the Italian capital, not surprisingly, to restaurateurs, he has travelled the globe taking in St Lucia, Belarus and Japan on his culinary journey and he even had a three-year spell on a live Food Network cooking show in the US.
Now settled in Amwaj with his wife, Jelena, and their two sons, Francesco, seven, and Luca, four, it won’t be long before new legions of fans follow this Roman emperor of the kitchens to the steps of Nicole’s.
