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THEY say variety is the spice of life and this rings true at the recently-opened Baharat restaurant which is offering the kingdom’s fasters an eclectic array of Middle Eastern dishes with a nightly slice of Arabic entertainment.
The restaurant, situated on the ground floor of the Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel Bahrain City Centre, features a beautiful setting of light and dark marble flooring, monolithic counter designs with live cooking stations, saj and tandoor bread clay ovens, private dining areas and a large terrace with a tent.
It was a sight to be seen and an experience to be had as the Arabic band played on and the savory scent of grills and freshly-baked bread tantalised the taste-buds.
Baharat, which means spices, has captured the flavourful essence of Arabic cuisine with its Ramadan menu created by Moroccan Chef de Cuisine Issam Seddoq.
Chef Issam brings a wealth of knowledge from his previous experiences working in Marrakech, Saudi Arabia and Dubai. He has also been involved in different hotel launches throughout his career.
His passion for cooking started at an early age. At the weekend he would work alongside his father, a reputable pastry chef in Morocco.
Food, he says, allowed him to express himself and, nowadays, he creates his own spice mixes to personalise his cookery, which fits in particularly well with the theme of this latest venture.
Chef Issam specialises in Arabic cuisine including Lebanese, Egyptian, Turkish, Iranian and Moroccan food which are all offered up at the venue’s extensive buffet.
He said: “I realised that Arabic kitchens are the most flavourful, but I did not want to just cook Arabic food so I infused my dishes with touches from the Far East and Europe.
“The name Baharat fits perfectly with my style of cooking and my spice mixes! You can have 10 spices combined together to create one amazing taste. All my mixes are organic, natural and full of flavour.
“Most of our dishes are traditional Arabic cuisine but I will be creating fusions too.
“Diners can expect the menu to be exciting, new and fresh. We will put a new spin on salads and upgrade our marinades for our grills. We want our spices and dishes to stand out. Even in our hot food section we will have Mahashi that are not bite-sized. We want to give people large portions like they are used to at home.
“One of our new creations involves stuffing a lamb shoulder – removed from the bone – with apricots and plums.
“What’s important for me is for people to come to our restaurant, try it for themselves and give me their feedback, whether positive or negative. I will be creating some new dishes that some people may like and others may not, so I would like to hear what they think. We are adventurous in our style while keeping with tradition.
“Also, the food is suitable for all, as it is not ‘hot spicy’ as some people can’t handle it. Our food is chemical free, organic and we use the freshest ingredients. I just want everybody to enjoy themselves this Ramadan.”
A wide selection of appetisers include hot and cold mezzah.The restaurant also has a select on of tasty soups such as the Moroccan saffron seafood, a manakish (similar to a pizza) station and a grilling area that serves up juicy shish taouk, lamb chops and Dajaj Mosahab (boneless chicken).
The main courses included Moroccan fish tagine, hamam mahchi (pigeon stuffed with frekk); beef kibbeh arnabieh, spinach and feta cheese stuffed crusted baby chicken and mouth-watering lamb ghouzi.
The desserts station boasted freezers filled with chilled fruit platters, ice cream and yoghurt. The Arabic desserts were also available including loukamat, baklawa, katayef dishes mouhalabieh and, of course, Bahrain’s well-known Um Ali.
The white chocolate fondue station was particularly popular with guests as well as the selection of Arabic beverages and juices.
The holy month offerings are priced at BD17++ for Iftar and BD20+ + for Ghabga. Children aged six to 12 can eat at half price and those aged five or less enter for free.
For more details call 17171000.
