Caesars Restaurant is a majestically-adorned venue that has been catering to a wide array of palates in the kingdom for the past 18 years.
Situated in Adliya, opposite the CBI office, the restaurant has become a household name for many who enjoy a good meal in the backdrop of a plush, yet cosy interior, and a rich menu featuring Indian, Chinese, Arabic and continental dishes.
Chef Jagat Bahadur, head of the Chinese kitchen, regularly surprises diners with a range of culinary delights to ensure the menu remains contemporary and full of flavour.
Originally from Kathmandu in Nepal, Chef Jagat, 35, started his career in 1990 at The Club, part of the Holiday Inn Mumbai, India group. Four years later he joined the prestigious Mainland China. He moved to Caesars in Bahrain in 1990.
Johnson V Jose, restaurant manager said: 'Chef Jagat's interest and passion has always led him to experiment with different cuisines and styles of preparation.'
He is well known for his creative Chinese cuisine prepared with a distinctive Indian touch. Some of the dishes he has introduced at Caesars include crispy chicken tei pei, Apollo fish and crispy corn chilly paneer.
Mr Jose added: 'He has also offered diners a taste from Thailand with Thai green and red curries which are proving popular with our customers.'
Chef Maria Das is in-charge of Indian cuisine and has been with the restaurant since 1993. He started his career at Koshi's Restaurant and Confectionaries in Bengaluru, India and later joined the former Bengaluru- based Caesars Restaurant in 1982. He moved to Bahrain in 1993.
Dishes such as mutton rara masala, chicken lababdar, heena jinga, Goan fish curry and vegetable kofta hariyali are some of his specialities.
Alongside the two chefs, the kitchen is also home to Chef Manoj Bhat who is in charge of the continental and Arabic dishes as well as Chef Imtiaz Khan who assists Chef Maria. The team also boasts eight cooks.
Thomas P Joseph, general manager, said: 'We have already added two new cooks to help in the Indian and Chinese sections. Once our team is complete we hope to bring out a fresh new menu for our customers with many more exciting dishes.'
The restaurant's facilities also include private cabins and large party halls that can accommodate 30 and 100 diners respectively.
Under its umbrella, the company also has Caesars Confectionaries with outlets in Hoora, Muharraq, Jidali and Riffa specialising in fresh cream cakes, pastries and savouries.
Caesars Group of Restaurants has been operating in the GCC since 1973. Currently the chain has branches in the UAE, US, Kuwait, as well as Bahrain.
Here Chef Jagat shares a recipe with GulfWeekly readers.
Crispy Chicken Tei Pei
Ingredients:
Boneless chicken leg 80gms
Chopped ginger 20gms
Chopper garlic 20gms
Celery 20gms
Onion 1
Spring onions For garnish
Red chilli paste
Refined flour
Oil
Corn flour
Procedure:
Marinate the chicken with the ingredients. Batter it with refined flour and corn flour and deep fry it. SautŽ shredded onions, chopped garlic and chilly sauce and toss the deep friend chicken cubes along with chopped spring onions.