Maki(ng) the right choice

Diners at Maki, the contemporary fusion Japanese cuisine restaurant in Moda Mall, can now order their food on an iPad and send specific messaged instructions directly to the chefs in the kitchen.

But don’t worry, a helpful member of the table team will be readily on hand to offer any assistance and advice but Maki management believes it all adds to the service being offered.

iPads were first introduced to customers as a unique way of looking at the menu providing sharp images of the fare to allow for a more informed choice.

“A couple of years back Maki was the first restaurant in the Middle East to deploy iPads to be used instead of hard copy, conventional menus, which elicited so much positive feedback from local bloggers, food critics, and newspapers,” explained managing partner Amer Zeitoun, a great fan of Japanese sport as well as food and a well-respected black belt karate advocate in the kingdom.

He felt that the restaurant did not receive enough credit for its technical innovations because Maki is not present in high-profile markets such as Europe or North America.

But it’s certainly proved popular in Bahrain and undeterred it has gone one long step further and upgraded the concept.

Now guests get to place their own order on the iPad in a ‘shopping cart’ form. No need for the waiter, except for recommendations or to review the order before it is sent straight to the chefs with a click of a button.

Pretty nifty claims Maki, considering that many international restaurant chains are still struggling to perfect their paper menu versions!

Conceived in 2002, Maki was inspired by Japanese cuisine and culture. The aim was to provide the elegance, modesty, and piety of Japanese culture, complemented by extravagant, healthy and delectable ingredients.

It appears to be working, as the restaurant was buzzing last Wednesday evening at a special press reception in its upstairs area which is reminiscent of a trendy lounge unlike the more formal dining setting downstairs.

Maki’s cuisine aims to transcend the boundaries of culture and country. It certainly embodies what fusion cuisine is all about. French, Italian, American, and Mediterranean, are examples of some of the various cuisines that Maki infuses with Japanese ingredients and cooking methods.

The products of this fusion are interesting, scrumptious and healthy and you can taste the spicy, the tangy, the extravagant, and the exotic all in one bite.

Its iconic dishes include the Fusion Temak, Issa Mak, Maki Mak and Chef Chopped Salad. It has also introduced several new, colourful Maki wraps that found their way into new dishes such as the Amer Mak, Dhari Wazzan Mak, Bader Mak and Thea Maki.

These wraps include the soya bean (mame) wraps, midori wraps, plum (ume) wraps, and spinach wraps.

By using non-traditional, yet high-quality ingredients such as foie gras, house-grown extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and even chocolate it has revolutionised the Japanese fusion domain and growing demand for Sushi.

Its original dishes and its success has been well documented in recent years by winning accolades such as best new -comer of the year in 2010, top nosh in 2009, Best Sushi creation and display by Horeca Kuwait and the Boeker food safety award in 2012.

It’s not just another night out; it is an experience – and a good one at that – with or without an iPad.