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Something is sizzling at the Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa Hotel and it’s coming from the kitchens of a sensational new restaurant called Wok.
Vietnamese Chef de Cuisine Phuc Nguyen Minh and his team is masterly introducing an array of authentic South East Asian fare from his home country, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia to the palates of the kingdom’s fine-dining connoisseurs.
However, although the restaurant is a delight to the eye and is themed to perfection with Buddha statues on display and a giant gong at the entrance … the venue is so dimly-lit around some of the tables it’s extremely difficult to see what you’re eating.
And, that’s a real shame because I firmly believe that all sensory connections play a vital role in enjoying a night out; the smell of the flavours and the taste run parallel to the look of the food displayed on the plate.
Perhaps diners sitting close to a large kitchen observation window watching the master chefs at work would not have encountered the same problem. I was up for the challenge and fortunate enough to have a camera with a flash gun poised over every dish so I could look at the images each time before tucking in.
And Phuc’s magnificent offerings deserve a second look – the presentation is as good as the taste, which alone is exemplary.
I knew we were in for a visionary challenge when the very attentive waiter, called Henry, provided the good lady wife Kathryn and I with pencil lights to read the menu.
I was hoping to impress her with my new slim-line physique after four weeks on a diet and a determined exercise regime but she could hardly see my face, let alone those bulging biceps pressing against the silky material of my new shirt.
However, she was well impressed with the food having visited East Asia during her younger back-packing days and the cuisine has always remained close to her heart.
Chef Phuc says he is looking forward to the challenge of encouraging other diners on the island to try, discover and enjoy the ‘authentic style and traditional culture of Vietnamese cuisine’.
The 28-year-old started his career in 2003 in the kitchens of a Chinese restaurant, moved to an Italian establishment then joined the Mövenpick Hanoi in 2006 before being snapped up by the rival Sofitel Plaza. He joined the new Sofitel hotel start-up team in Bahrain last January.
We shared the starters of steamed dim sum with king prawns and bamboo shoots transplanted inside transparent pastry, plus golden crispy spring rolls filled with lobster, crabmeat, bean sprouts and herbs accompanied by a sweet and sour fish sauce called Cha Gio Hanoi. The combination was superb and proved to be a real case of Wok and roll!
My favourite, in different circumstances would have been the Goi Vit, a crunchy salad of roasted duck breast with shredded banana flower, young papaya and bean sprouts, marinated again in that superb fish sauce … the only problem was in the dark I failed to spot Kathryn sneakily helping herself to all the meat! But the salad was amazingly crunchy.
I made up for it with the main course, of course, and what a way to celebrate the end of a diet. The specialities on the menu include the BD19.500 Tom Hum Rang Muoi, a deep fried lobster with salt and pepper and fragrant herbs, succulent and moist and each piece hidden cleverly under the shell in bite-sized packages.
The Cha Ca La Vong was not a new dance craze from Vietnam but a magnificent marinated sea bass and a snip at BD8.800.
The side dish consisted of a Pak bung fai daeng – a yummy fried ‘morning glory’ with chilli and garlic.
The expert knowledge of Camille de Compiegne, sommelier and chef de bar, ensured the exquisite bottle he chose for us accompanied the meal to perfection.
There really wasn’t room for dessert but the warm sticky rice garnished with fresh mango slices was well worth the effort as I sneakily adjusted the hook of my trouser belt into the next hole.
I love food and I love Wok; I just hope next time I visit some extra candles are placed on my table … this is seriously good food that deserves to be admired!
