One of the joys of living in the kingdom is tucking into a Bahraini breakfast.
There’s something about the scrambled eggs with Feta cheese that is uniquely sensational soaked up, of course, by some traditional oven-hot baked bread. Once you get the taste of it the joys of Arabic food naturally develop and now a spread of delights are being unleashed for devotees to indulge in an extended breakfast and lunch buffet.
The Anghamm (rhythms) Brunch is now available every Saturday at the Tapas and Le Mere restaurants at Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa with a sensational spread overseen by Arabic Chef de Cuisine Dani Elias Dib.
Now, British readers of my age may recall that ‘Dib’ (or dyb) is used as an abbreviated form for ‘doing your best’ in certain Scout chants … and Chef Dani and his culinary team deserved a Diamond Scouting Award for delivering one of the island’s most delicious weekend offerings.
Apart for the live egg cooking station which drew me like a moth to a light, my scrambled ‘put a bit of everything in it’ eggs were just an appetiser for the delights in store. As a Shawarma sizzled on the sidelines close to a window overlooking the sea, Chef Dani took me of a culinary tour of the Arab world taking in the best dishes from Lebanon, Jordan and his home country of Syria.
There were also marvellous Moroccan and Egyptian favourites, plus a taste of Yemen, alongside some Bahraini staples. Stand out dishes included lamb couscous, potato spinach and cheese, mixed mahashi – baby marrow stuffed with rice, lamb and tomato sauce, a delightful lamb and vegetable stew which settled superbly on a bed of Vermicelli rice, Chicken Mandi, lamb chops and an aubergine (sometimes called eggplant) casserole.
Chef Dani started his career in Aleppo after graduating from a college for culinary apprentices and is now renowned for his Lebanese and oriental creations at the resort’s Pashawat and Saraya restaurants, as well as being in huge demand for helping to mastermind the catering for local wedding celebrations.
“I really want to take diners on an Arabic journey so that they can enjoy truly traditional dishes as they should be made,” he explained.
When it comes to Bahrain, for locals and expats, no meal could be complete without hammour. Two of the finest fish specimens lay in a glorious sea of rice, biting into sliced peppers and baked to perfection with a touch of lemon, producing mouth-watering moments of pure ecstasy. Incredible.
Desserts included rose water & date brownies, Cheese Kunafa, a stunning-looking pastry soaked in syrup, and Mohalabiya, a delicious sweet made of milk pudding topped with pomegranate seeds and rose syrup.
Starting at 11am and running until 4pm, by midday the place was buzzing and the atmosphere peaked harmoniously with keyboard player Robert Hadad playing perfectly in the background. I wished I’d stayed till the end because no sooner had I walked out the door than I received a text message from a friend telling me that singer Rachel Bou Nassar had come to the floor and I was missing out, big time.
Well that (and the hammour) is a good enough reason to return soon! The Saturday Anghaam Brunch costs BD25 net inclusive of soft drinks and BD29 net with selected beverages. To reserve a table call 17636363.
