The REALLY fast food!

A fast food outlet has opened in a Bahrain mall serving low-fat, low cholesterol ostrich burgers, steaks and fajitas.

In less than a month it is already proving popular with a flock of weight-watchers and calorie-counting connoisseurs.
The first ‘Big Bird’ ostrich fast-food restaurant, located in the Gosi Mall off Manama’s Exhibition Avenue, is the brainchild of Bahrain businessman, Jassim Saleh Kalban.
He said: “I first came across it in Saudi Arabia when I tried the ostrich meat in shawarmas in a few places in Riyadh.
“The main thing that attracted me was the health issue. Ostrich meat has the texture and flavour of beef but without the fat. The good thing about eating ostrich burgers is that you don’t feel heavy or stuffed after a meal.
“Unfortunately when fast food is mentioned it is usually considered as an unhealthy option. The image that comes to mind is ‘FAT’.
“There are beef and chicken burgers everywhere in Bahrain but now we are offering a good, healthy alternative – ostrich!”
Juicy, succulent and tender, ostrich meat tastes similar to lean beef and is low in fat and cholesterol, as well as high in calcium, protein and iron.
Mr Kalban buys his meat from the Al Kharaj farm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest ostrich farms in the Middle East.
He now has plans to open another branch in Riffa and introduce more specialties which include a further selection of steak dishes and shawarmas.
The manager in Big Bird in Manama, R J Llanto, and his team, say customers are particularly keen on the hot flavoured specialties: “We only use ostrich thigh meat for cooking – it’s the softest part and very tender.
“A variety of flavours are served but the ‘Spicy Kofta Pounder’ and the ‘Chili Tornaedo’ are the favourites with the local crowd. We also do ‘Chili Fusion’, steak with cheese and mushrooms, Fajitas and the ‘Big Bird Special’ comes with coleslaw on top.”
One customer, Sanjay Santiago, said: “Although I am not a frequent visitor to fast-food places, I wanted to try this out.
“The meat tasted a lot smoother – it was very well marinated and proved a tasty treat.”
But not everyone is excited by the prospect of placing ostrich on the menu.
Campaigner Kate Fowler-Reeves, of Animal Aid, said: “Ostriches are the oldest living birds on earth. In the wild, these sociable creatures live for up to 70 years, roaming over vast areas of grassland and desert.
“But now, businesses kill them for no better reason than to satisfy a food fad.
“Truly compassionate people will shun these sort of outlets and instead opt for a meat-free diet.”
What cannot be disputed is that Big Bird is supplying a truly fast food – the ostrich can run at a speed of 65km/h – the top land speed of any bird.