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Dip and delight in the Mövenpick Hotel Bahrain’s savoury Swiss fondue nights offering cheese lovers a cosy Gouda time until the end of February … and sweet dreams.
The gorgeously gooey evening held at Silks restaurant on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday and daily at the outdoor terrace, provides diners with a taste of the European mountainous region’s winter-time traditional fare.
The classic Gruyere fondue is accompanied by a selection of breads and condiments and last week general manager Pasquale Baiguera and his wife, Claire, invited ambassadors and dignitaries, including the Swiss honorary council general to Bahrain Humbert Buemi and his wife, Sylvia, along with members of the media, for a taste-testing session.
The fondue ritual involves cooking over one pot and the name comes from the French word fondre which means ‘to melt’ and has since been used to reference many other types of fondue from meats, chicken, seafood to chocolate.
Pasquale explained: “Our Swiss fondue nights are normally staged during the months of January and February to fall in line with the kingdom’s winter weather. It also complements the fact that we are a company with Swiss roots.
“We want our guests to experience true Swiss dishes … and have a memorable cheesy evening!”
This event was right up my alley, especially as I have been a cheese fiend since I was a little girl, thanks to growing up in a dairy-loving Palestinian-Jordanian household. Some of my fondest moments with my mum Hana are our ‘tea and cheese time’.
Feta is fine, cheddar is better and mozzarella remains like music to our ears. Don’t forget the brie, the camembert, the halloumi and the Gouda. My mum used to chop up bread and halloumi for me, put them in a bowl smothered with sugar and tea as a breakfast porridge.
My husband, Sam, and I started the night with platters of roasted sweet potato salad, German-style potato salad, and a selection of cold cuts and beef tartar accompanied by rustic bread.
The German pretzel baked buns called Laugenbroetchen were a big hit at our table which featured Bahrain Writer’s Circle’s Claudia Hardt, magazine writer Layla Ktg and Sumaya Dashti, the hotel’s communications & brand manager, and her husband, Andrew.
Pots were then placed on little flames in front of us containing a mixture of melted Appenzeller, Grueyere and Tomme de Savoy Cheese known as The Movenpick Bahrain Cheese Fondue with a side of French baguettes and chilled grapes.
We each grabbed our long fondue forks and began poking at pieces of bread and plunging it into the cheese. The aim was to get tons of cheese on our bread and removing it fast enough as to not lose it in the pot.
Layla started dipping the buns and I decided to combine grapes and cheese. It was delicious and my culinary success inspired Layla and Sam to do the same.
Sam also dipped pieces of toast and made a cold cut and melted cheese sandwich that was equally delicious. Eventually I ditched the bread and started soaking my smoked turkey cuts into the pot. Everything tastes better with cheese.
The desserts are a delight with more dipping on the menu with chocolate fountains ready for fruit and marshmallows.
And don’t forget a slice of cheesecake to keep in with the theme of the night.
Apparently, cheese eaten at night can affect your dreams in vivid and whacky ways, according to researchers. So next time you’re about to feast on some cheddar or Lancashire before bedtime, you might want to know the following.
Blue cheese gives you weird dreams, while cheddar makes you fantasise about your favourite celebrities. Lancashire cheese devotees may find this depressing … it causes people to dream about work.
I had no idea what my cheese mixture would bring after devouring the pot of gooey goodness but I can tell you this much … I passed out within seconds of my head hitting the pillow. I guess a peaceful sleep is guaranteed after a fantastic fondue night at the Movenpick.
For more details contact 17460017 or email hotel.bahrain.fb@movenpick.comuest
