THERE’S a plateful (no, really full!) of marvellously marinated magic awaiting diners at crust & crema roaster, cafe and bakery … offering a unique taste of Asia, wrapped up nicely in a sandwich.
This is one of my favourite coffee drinking haunts with an eatery opposite the cinema in Saar, which is ideally situated near to the Szecowka family home, as well as a recently-opened venue at Galleria Mall in Zinj.
With little Stan back to school and the good lady wife, Kathryn, running around picking up a friend from the airport, it made good sense to organise an early ‘light bite’ that wouldn’t break the bank last Wednesday.
Although sandwiches are available from early morning, the brilliant breakfasts are the big attraction at that time, as highlighted previously on this page, but, in my opinion, they make the best lunch or early evening dining delight.
The Bulgogi Cheesesteak (BD2.800 or BD3.800 with a side salad and fries platter) is one of the best-sellers. This is a Korean version of the popular dish with marinated beef, grilled onions, mayonnaise and cheddar cheese on freshly-baked ciabatta bread, (historical fact 1: originally created in 1982 by an Italian baker in response to the popularity of French baguettes).
Bulgogi is one of Korea’s most popular beef dishes that is made from thinly-sliced sirloin or another prime cut. It is usually marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, garlic, onions, ginger and sugar for two-to-four hours to enhance the flavour and its tenderisation.
It is often served to visitors as a first taste of Korean cuisine. Bul is the Korean word for fire and gogi is meat, therefore, it translates into ‘fire meat’. However, it’s not spicy in taste but somewhat of the sweet side and now firmly established as a favourite here of Bahrainis and expats alike.
My friend, company director Chorok Woo, suggested we sampled a mix-and-match off the menu so Kathryn went for the Meatball Slider, homemade beef patties topped by cheddar cheese, tomato sauce, on soft seeded mini buns (BD2.500 – fries platter BD1 extra). It’s good to share.
The Lights Bites menu for kids, available from noon onwards, includes one of Stan’s favourites, home-made Macaroni & Cheese (BD2.600), a warming pasta, cream, butter, salt, diced onion and parmesan cheese, served with garlic bread.
The Juice & Tea Bar choices provided a refreshing distraction whilst we awaited the food to be served and there’s nothing quite like a fresh carrot juice to provide a vitamin boost.
Kathryn went for a fruity mix berries concoction and little Stan enjoyed the thirst-quenching lemonade (all priced BD1.500).
The servings are generous but you must keep a little space for dessert as a visit to crust & crema is not complete without a tasty tart or chocolate surprise created by award-winning Executive Pastry Chef Gaurav Prakash.
What a genius! He trained and developed his culinary craft at some of India’s finest five star establishments and received the silver medal in Petit Four in the Ahaar Culinary Competition.
His creations are stunning … but as well as looking good they taste supreme. My favourite, the lemon tart (BD1.400), proved to be an ideal accompaniment to my double espresso, it’s easy to forget after tasting the fare that this outlet built up its reputation of offering an amazing range of coffees (but more of that later).
The Sacher Torte (BD2.500) similarly was another mouthwatering marvel (historical fact 2: one of the most famous Viennese chocolate culinary specialties invented by Austrian Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna) and don’t miss out on the mighty Perry Macaroon (BD2) either.
Kathryn ended the evening with a pot of tea but I suggest you try the Cold Brew, a light and refreshing coffee. It’s named after the process of steeping coffee grounds in room temperature or cold water for an extended period, in the case of crust & crema you’re talking more than eight hours.
Cold brew coffee is not to be confused with iced coffee, which generally refers to coffee that is brewed hot and then chilled by pouring over or adding ice, though iced coffee can refer to cold brew coffee served on ice … just to confuse readers.
But for coffee lovers it’s worth noting the fact that Cold Brew (BD2) will not keep you awake all night as it’s lower in caffeine and is proving so popular the outlet sells concentrated amounts so customers just have to add water and ice to taste (BD7 … and BD6 when you go back for a refill).
Enjoy!
