Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
FRENCH Michelin Star Chef Frédéric Simonin pulled out all the stops at the Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa during his first visit to the region.
Chef Frédéric delighted the guests, who included diplomats and government officials in their number at the launch event with his unique take on French cuisine.
The entrée consisted of some delightful foie gras ravioli, flavoured chicken bouillon and grated truffle playfully described by one dining wag as a chicken broth with posh mushrooms and a pate pancake.
None-the-less it was gorgeous and deserved to be mopped up with the help of a slice or two of freshly-cut bread.
The main course had a distinctly Moroccan-twist with selected fine pieces of lamb, glorious glazed dates, flavoured herbs, bastellica carrot spiced up with sumac and condiments.
I posted pictures of the dishes on my Facebook and Twitter accounts and received a deluge of comments lambasting the helpings as too small and suggesting I would need to stop off at Shawarma Alley on the way home!
Most unfair, what these mouthy morons failed to appreciate was that the rich flavour of the fare and gravy was totally adequate to satisfy fully.
The dessert was delightful with a meringue, crunchy glazed mango with an exotic fruits sorbet, playful in design with its caramel crunch umbrella and tasty all the way through.
It’s easy to appreciate why Chef Frédéric is in such demand in the Middle East and his Paris restaurant is the winner of so many accolades. Vive la France!
