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There are few things in hipster culture (and the world) that are more enjoyable than fine coffee paired with a snack or two, while enjoying a book or working on a writing project.
The ambience of a perfect café, the aroma from my coffee and a relaxing Saturday afternoon – akin to my Canadian weekends – felt like exactly what I needed as I drove to the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay.
What I had not accounted for was the Arab hospitality that would become the base for a rich, luxurious and smooth afternoon.
As soon as we arrived, the staff at Four Seasons’ Bay View Lounge led us to our alcove, where Fabian Apel, the restaurant and lobby manager at the hotel, and Gregonio Montilla, the head barista, made us comfortable and chatted a bit about what was in store for the afternoon.
While I had merely expected to have some delicious coffee and croissants, Fabian swept us off to the land of Folia, a new plant-based menu designed by Matthew Kenney, the world’s best-known vegan chef, in collaboration with Saudi Prince HRH Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud.
Although the GulfWeekly had sampled a few bites when we covered the launch of this menu, this time, we got the full appetiser, entrée and beverage treatment. While we waited, we enjoyed the sunny jaunty ambience with a wonderful view overlooking the Bahrain World Trade Centre.
We were soon joined by our first round of aperitif beverages (BD4.2 each). Designed to excite our palettes for the courses on the horizon, the Pearl Dynasty, Labour of Love, Grandstand Finish and Tree of Life appeared at our table.
The Pearl Dynasty, which was served with a pearl shaped white chocolate, had a citrusy yet milky flavour, the pinnacle of pineapple, rosewater, rice milk and agave nectar working together to entice our taste buds.
To really soak in the grandeur and to celebrate the start of our Chilling Out series, I went for the Grandstand Finish. It may be because of my life philosophy of mixed bags et al, but I really enjoy bittersweet juices. To say that the Grandstand was a perfect bittersweet experience would be selling it short. Passion fruit, ginger, orange, basil and a splash of Baharat cordial created a divine taste that definitely took pole position in my books.
Our sales and marketing manager Jalal Muradi revelled in the Labour of Love, a watermelon-mint delight with a large hemisphere of ice topped with gold leaf, while the citrusy chilled Tree of Life enlivened us just in time for our food.
The Folia menu is deceptively simple looking. We got the Beetroot Poke (BD5.5), Beet Hummus (BD 6.5), Dukkah Avocado (BD9) and the Wild Mushroom Sandwich (BD8).
At first, I diminutively thought: “Psht, the ingredients in these barely require cooking or prep.” But every dish in front of us seemed to be on a mission to disprove my prep prejudices.
The beetroot poke, which had pickled ginger, kale and macadamia for an additional kick had a lovely sweet-savoury flavour and a texture that both felt healthy and tasted buttery.
The Beet Hummus dish came with delicious crisps (with a choice of pickled celery) the flavours of oregano and dill permeating through the dish and our noses as we dived in.
The Dukkah Avocado, featuring a skinned avocado covered in Dukkah spice and served with greens and radish was my personal favourite, especially once I stole some of the crisps from the Beet Hummus.
My lunch mates’ favourite was the Wild Mushroom Sandwich, with the mushroom flavours accentuated by caramelised onions and a sublime truffle aioli, for a perfect melt-in-your-mouth finish.
Just as we finished our meals, a second round of drinks showed up: the healthier vegan smoothies (BD 4.2 each). Green with Envy, Bundle of Energy and Go Like a Rocket got us revved up again, with my favourite being the Green with Envy. It deliciously married avocados, matcha powder and spinach, with soya milk and agave nectar blending into the background for a healthy, yet delicious and smooth finish.
A third round of coffee drinks (BD 4.2 each) showed up revitalising our energy levels for our chat with Fabian. Somethings Brewing and Black & Blue had interesting flavours. While java blended with juices and ginger ale is not my cup of coffee, per se, I am sure some of the Four Seasons patrons with more refined palettes would appreciate the fusion.
And if I thought all this was extravagant for what Jalal had described as a simple coffee/chillaxing afternoon, the desserts (BD5.5 each) that magically appeared were opulent overkill.
The Japanese cheesecake served with mango sorbet was celestial and the chocolate symphony, featuring a fruity rich chocolate cake served with white chocolate ice cream, was beyond sensational. Even though the Japanese cheesecake was perfect, bringing back memories of Toronto’s Uncle Tetsu restaurant, I will always be a chocolate man.
With all this food marinating in our stomach, we were about ready for a nap but we were saved by the platter of Traditional Afternoon Tea (BD 14.6 for 1; BD 26.7 for 2). It had a selection of delicious delicacies, my favourite of which was the Pistachio raspberry macaroon.
But all the attention was stolen by the three cups that showed up which were plated with 24-karat gold. What was inside was even richer. Coffees from more than 500 metres above sea level, from Panama, Jamaica and Hawaii, filled our noses with their luscious aromas.
At this time, with our bellies filled to the brim and our memory card almost full with food footage, we were approached by a customer who wanted to give a testimonial. I won’t say more; you’ll have to check out the review online to find out!
For my part, I cannot recommend the Bay View Lounge’s Folia menu enough. Even though my lunch mates looked a bit ravenous when told we’d be eating vegan, the full flavours and the impeccable presentation of every dish brought them around.
