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Situated in the Delmon International Hotel in the bustling heart of Manama, Cafe Sayah offers diners a relaxing haven to sit back and enjoy a fusion of fare.
The cafe is located on the first floor which gives guests with a penchant for ‘people watching’ a great opportunity to indulge in their hobby while sampling the bountiful buffet cooked up by its new executive chef, Don Mahinda.
Chef Don, 47, moved to the kingdom two weeks ago after finishing his three-year stint as executive chef at the Caribbean Lodge Hotel in the Dominican Republic. Originally from Colombo, Sri Lanka, Chef Don, who now lives in Manama, has 30 years of culinary experience. He has also taken part in regional competitions and received several accolades.
His skill and passion for cooking has taken him around the world to 19 different countries during which he has mastered a range of cuisines such as French, Italian, Mexican, Arabic, Indian, Chinese and more.
His career as a chef began back in 1982 after completing a training course at Ceylon Hotel School where he learned the basics of his craft. He then took a position as assistant chef at Hotel Wornels Reef Beruwala in Sri Lanka.
“I’ve always loved cooking and after learning the basics I was able to become more creative and really make each dish my own,” he explained.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with Michelin star chefs who have helped me to become more experienced and taught me a number of cooking styles and methods of presentation.
“The presentation of the food is just as important as the preparation because people always eat a meal with their eyes first, so the way the plate is arranged is very important.
“I take great care in cooking and presenting everything that comes out of the kitchen because I want our guests to enjoy the every aspect of their meal.”
Chef Don’s creative flare and expertise has been warmly received at Cafe Sayah by the management and customers alike.
Krishna Shetty, food and beverage manager said: “Chef Don is a great asset to us and his experience is helping to shape some big changes. He’s helping us to come up with various theme nights which I’m sure will be a great success, watch this space!”
The cafe’s relaxed ambience is a welcome change from the hectic movement right outside. There is a mixture of Arabic and Indian styles which fuse to create a decor which is as unique as each item in the buffet.
I sampled the dinner buffet and Chef Don’s influence can be tasted in each dish, particularly the Filipino Chicken Adobo, a chicken-based sauce which is usually served salty. Chef Don’s Adobo was refreshingly tangy and sweet and I devoured it within minutes.
Next up was the Indian favourite Aloo Palak. My beloved auntie Annie is from Goa so I love Indian cuisine and can handle my share of spicy food. Usually Aloo Palak is made with a hefty dose of green chilli but Chef Don’s was surprisingly mild as, he says, to cater for the majority of Western customers. However, next time he’s promised to give it a little extra kick just for me.
Over the next hour I tried almost everything on offer including peppered steak, chicken noodles, mash potatoes, pan-fried fish fillet on egg-plant stew, each item as satisfying as the last.
I’ve always been a dessert guy and I think it’s rude not to round off any meal with something sweet. After gorging on Indian and Filipino main courses, I let out an excited yelp when I saw Italian tiramisu.
My Greek-Italian mum has been making this dish for years and the family recipe has been passed down through the generations. I’m sure Chef Don must have stolen it because it tasted just the same, magnificent!
Also on offer was fruit trifle, another of my mum’s specialties ... after that, I was absolutely convinced he stole her recipe book in preparation for my visit.
However, the best thing on the menu is the price. There are three buffets a day. The breakfast buffet costs BD4, the lunch buffet costs BD3.5 and dinner costs BD5, you simply can’t go wrong!
