Delicious and healthy!

ONE of the kingdom’s popular expat clubs is serving up a fresh menu amid renovated facilities to entice members and their guests this summer, writes Charlie Holding.

The Candles restaurant at the Dilmun Club in Saar has undergone a BD5,000 refurbishment which includes a new colour scheme, carpets, curtains, sound system and a new service bar located in the 200-seater restaurant which will now be used as a multi-purpose hall.

It’s not just the facilities that have been improved, the staff are kitted-out in new uniforms and the new menu has been designed by head chef/ interim general manager Mark Rowe, who promises to offer more variety and healthier options too.

The eclectic new menu includes more fsh and chicken varieties plus a larger selection of steaks, including signature steaks like fambé pepper fllet, plus more burgers as well as old favourites like beef stroganoff, fsh ’n’ chips, steak, chips and egg, the Big Dilly Burger and the popular all-day breakfast.

“My ideas for the new menu came from the very popular ‘Dinner for two’ on a Sunday evening, with the most popular dishes transferred to the new menu and our daily specials,” said Mark.

“We want to offer our members more choices and healthier options while still offering the dishes they know and love.”

I’ve never been one to eat healthily and honestly prefer deep-fried delights instead. However, when I took my girlfriend Layla to sample the new fare on offer at the Dilmun she rolled her eyes when I fxated on the all-day breakfast.

In an attempt to appease her I ordered the tomato soup to start with; nothing unhealthy about that, right. Not only was it rich, creamy and packed with favour, Mark also told me that it’s made from scratch, with nothing artifcial.

Layla ordered some breaded mushrooms with garlic sauce as a starter and the smell was divine, even I wanted some and I don’t like mushrooms.

For the main course, keeping with the fresh and nutritious theme, I decided to order one of the newer items on the menu, the incredibly healthy and delicious poached salmon colcannon.

She, on the other hand, went for the chilli con carne ... I instantly began to crave the all-day breakfast again.

However, any doubts quickly faded when I took a bite of my salmon, which was cooked to perfection. Sat atop a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and cabbage with mixed vegetables on the side, it was a veritable taste sensation I didn’t have to feel guilty about enjoying.

Layla, however, bit off a little more than she could chew when the chilli arrived. Her heaped bowl was accompanied by white rice and a small platter of vegetables. She graciously offered me a bite and I was amazed at just how much kick it had.

There’s a GulfWeekly tradition every Monday when the team orders a curry for lunch and it is one of the spiciest on the island. However, as the steam coming from Layla’s ears will attest, Mark’s terrifc chilli could defnitely give it a run for its money.