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During Ramadan this year my appetite has changed quite dramatically and I find myself craving nutritious home-cooked meals instead of heaped helpings of junk food. So when I was informed that I would be eating out for iftar this week I was a bit apprehensive and began to miss my mother’s cooking.
However, when found out that I’d be dining at Silk’s Restaurant in Mövenpick Hotel Bahrain, that frown quickly turned into a smile because I knew I was in for a tasty treat.
My fiancé Sam accompanied me on the yummy adventure which quickly turned into a great night out.
Silk’s Restaurant boasts chic decor and sultry dimmed lighting which, in my opinion, exudes class and sophistication. The silver and white interior featured stylish lighting fixtures and an elegant dining room.
The partially-visible kitchen allowed savoury scents to waft through the venue, teasing diners with the delicious Mediterranean feast to come.
If you prefer a more traditional Ramadan atmosphere, as Sam and I did, then you can book a table in the restaurant’s extension, which offers stunning sea views.
The extension has been transformed to look like a tent with fabric draped from the ceiling along with big, beautiful chandeliers.
Each table had a small pot full of dates, a custom for breaking your fast, and a matching lantern as a centre piece.
There were television screens located around the hall which made me feel as though I was seated in my own dining room, eating with my family.
My favourite aspect of the venue was the shelf filled with board games and dominoes. It’s a staple during any Ramadan Ghabga for guests to play a round of cards or dominoes.
In my opnion, this venue offers a bit of everything to keep families and friends entertained and full at all times.
Executive Sous Chef Praful Srivastava, who specialises in European-fare, beamed with pride over the buffet. He said: “Silk’s is a multi-cuisine restaurant and usually serves up an array of international dishes, but it is now offering up more traditional dishes in keeping with the theme of Ramadan.
“Our usual lunch buffet has something from everywhere including Lebanon, Europe, South Asia and the US. We also have different theme nights such as steak night, seafood night and so on.
“For Ramadan, we added a more Mediterranean menu with a modern twist in terms of flavour. However, we also kept some popular dishes in the buffet, for example mashed potatoes.
“Otherwise you will find lots of authentic Bahraini cuisine including ghouzi, thareed, madroubah, dahreesh and muhamara.
“A lot of families prefer to book in the extension because it’s so spacious. The tables are spread out to give families and guests their privacy. Also we serve up tasty food in a Ramadan-style tent with a 5-star feel.”
I skipped the salad and went straight to the main course, piling up my plate with lamb chops, mashed potatoes, ghouzi, chicken and thareed. As I dove into the thareed, Sam devoured the ghouzi stating that it was scrumptious and the meat was extremely tender. He loved it so much he went back for seconds while I made my way to the pasta station for some creamy, cheesy penne.
You’d think that after two plates each, we would have called it quits but there was a dessert table calling out to us, not to mention an ice cream bar.
As nobody was standing by the ice cream station I was left to fend for myself and was struggling to get a single scoop. Luckily, a kind member of staff took notice of my plight and came to my rescue, placing two scoops into my bowl and making me feel like an absolute weakling. Perhaps I should book more sessions with my personal trainer.
We couldn’t reach our table fast enough as we were excited to try out our sweet treats. Sam was impressed by the Umm Ali and said it was the best he ever had. I sampled a healthy slice of peach pie with a side of that pesky caramel ice cream.
At the end of it all we were too full to move, a conspiracy I’m sure conjured up by the hotel to keep us in their tent longer by stuffing us with delicious food. I just wished that there was a wheelbarrow to roll me out at the end of the night.
Iftar is BD12.5++ per person from 6.15pm to 8.30pm and the Ghabga is BD13.5++ starting from 9.30pm until 2am.
