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THERE’S nothing quite like the Friday brunch scene on the island and the choice of venues continues to grow ... and one stalwart of high standards, impressive selection and dining excellence is the Golden Tulip Bahrain.
It was one of the first hotels we visited when we arrived in Bahrain nearly five years ago and the recipe for success under the watchful eye of French Executive Chef Daniel Mast remains refreshingly vigilant and at the same time, calming.
This is a man, at the age of 60, who has seen it, done it and is absolutely on top of his game. He makes his presence felt in an unassuming manner, wandering around greeting regular guests, chatting and guiding his team of chefs. It’s a fascinating display of hands-on and hands-off, a game of making sure the team remains focussed and it’s as appetising a spectacle for a restaurant reviewer as the food on the plate.
The choice of fare was extensive – there was a banquet spread awaiting the near 200-strong hungry diners who appeared to be a mixed array of nationalities – Gulf nationals, Americans, Europeans and Asians of all ages. Please do not partake in an early morning sausage sandwich at the rugby club, no matter how tempting, if you’re planning to brunch late into the afternoon at the Golden Tulip.
The Al Wasmeyah Restaurant has been extended into the foyer area for the Friday brunch experience with an array of food stations. The feel was very much like a traditional souq with diners wandering from stall to stall, picking their way at a leisurely pace through the various options.
There are plans to extend the restaurant in the near future as space does not appear to be a problem with some diners already preferring the sunshine by the poolside where the BBQ was in action for ordered steak and fish grills.
The atmosphere is very laid back, the music from the delightful duo just at the right level to ensure customers could comfortably converse. There was plenty of time to dance later on. This was the time to chill, to choose the dishes and enjoy the fare ... easy like Sunday morning back home in the UK.
And what a choice there was. There were Spanish, French, Italian and Spanish meat and salad sections within close proximity of each other, and so much more.
The beef goulash soup was superb and an ideal starter as I awaited a main course of red snapper fish accompanied by a medium rare rib eye steak. You can’t beat a bit of surf and turf and both arrived at the table cooked to perfection.
The children, Imogen, 12, and little Stan, eight, had already polished off a beef dish with vegetables and were busy eyeing up the pancakes and ice cream as the good lady wife Kathryn sauntered over to the sushi selection.
“Friday brunch is not just a meal, it’s an occasion,” explained Zahi Hamdan, assistant food and beverage manager, on the floor, also conducting the show in a quiet and self-assured manner.
The Golden Tulip had the staffing numbers spot on to ensure the brunch was impressively well-operated, not always the experience at other brunch venues. The chefs had time to advise and help customers choose the dishes and the service for accompanying drinks was swift and well-mannered.
The brunch costs BD25 (all inclusive), half-price for children aged 7-12 and those under-7 eat free.
A class act not to be rushed. Executive Chef Daniel shares one of his favourite recipes with GulfWeekly readers, below.
Hammour cooked in a thick crust of salt
(serves four)
Hammour fillet 700gm
Salt 6kg
Egg whites 6
Cabbage 500gm
Sauce
Olive oil 200ml
Avocados 400gm
Tomatoes 400gm
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice 20ml
Persil 100gm
Shallots 100gm
Mix egg whites with the salt
Poach 3mn of the cabbage
Wrap the hammour in the cabbage
Take a big fish platter and add 2cm layer of salt
Add the wrapped hammour and cover with the rest of the salt
With a small knife put a mark a round the salt
Cook for 45 minutes in the oven at 160 degrees C
Virgin olive oil sauce
Mince the avocados, tomatoes, shallots and persil in small cubes. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice
