Taste that thrills

SOMETIMES it just seems right to spoil yourself, forget about the calorie count and lettuce leaf diet and head for a delightful dish or two at Bennigan’s.

If I want to savour a delicious burger, where the taste makes up for the high intake of calories, I make a trip to Juffair and visit this celebrated casual dining restaurant.

My first memory of Bennigan’s was in 2001, when it was situated in the Seef area. I was approaching my teenage years back then and (as not much has changed since then) I ordered a big American-style cheesy burger.

I’m not sure if my relapse back on to the grease wagon swayed my opinion this time around, but I honestly don’t remember it ever tasting quite as good as it did today.

General manager Christophe-Bruno Marziale explained how Bennigan’s has changed drastically and has become a hot spot for many expats living close-by who are missing a taste of back home.

He said: “Our design of the restaurant is very American, with baseball jerseys, hockey sticks and even retro posters hanging on the walls. We also have traffic lights hanging on the walls to tell staff when the food is ready to be picked up from the kitchen.

“We focus on the customer and are open 20 hours a day from 6am to 2am. The timing has proved to be popular and we also have a delivery service, catering to more than 100 customers a month.

“Many expats visit us because it really is true American diner-style food with steaks and burgers, but we also have splendid salads for those who are more health conscious.

“Many come to us for our live entertainment and to celebrate special occasions. We are going to have a St Patrick’s Day Party with true Irish richness on Sunday because this is an Irish-American restaurant and many of our customers are serious about celebrating it in style!”

He is currently in the process with Chef Don Bernabe of preparing new dishes for the menu to sit alongside the traditional favourites. Additional appetisers will be included as they are amongst the most popular ordered. He is also confident the new main courses will soon become favourites.

Chef Bernabe, 32, moved to Bahrain from the Philippines capital of Manila four years ago. He started his career working as part of the restaurant’s crew, waiting tables before enrolling on a two-year culinary course. When he came to Bahrain he worked for Romano’s Macaroni Grill, a popular Italian restaurant, before moving to Bennigan’s in 2011.

Trusting Chef Bernabe’s advice, I decided to try a ‘Mix & Match’ appetiser, allowing me to pick between two to three starters, so with no hesitation I chose the boneless Buffalo wings and fried cheese and beef quesadillas for BD7, the latter being one of the favourites of regular diners.

The chicken was tender, and not too spicy that by the time I got to the quesadillas (save the best for last), I got to see what all the fuss was about.

No wonder this is one of Bennigan’s top sellers! The tortilla was soft, the beef juicy and the cheese held it all together and kept my mouth watering for more.

But nothing could compare with what came next … The Ultimate Burger (BD7.500). As a proud carnivore, the 1.3lb burger came with a halo. It is topped with four slices of melted cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onion rings and my favourite, jalapeños.

I am thankful I was sharing this with four other people before taking my first bite – but by the time the plate was licked clean, I was a little annoyed that there was none left.

Photographer Ryan, as usual, vacuumed the accompanying side dish of curly fries; leaving me to try just one that he had left behind … it was delicious.

And, if that wasn’t testament enough to prove that everything is bigger in America, Christophe insisted I next try The Big Irish. The two juicy patties, four slices of cheese served in an extra bun, is the size of five normal-sized burgers you would find at most popular fast food joints, but costing just BD5.200.

And to finish off the feeding frenzy, the waitress brought out the crab cakes. They were soft and tender and literally melted on the tongue.

As I waddled out of the restaurant, a board of names and photographs of customers was spotted hanging on the wall by the door.

It featured the names of people who have completed the 1kg Steak Challenge and triggered the ‘beast within’.

I promised I would be back to try it, winning a steak knife, 10 per cent discount on my next visit, a T-shirt, and most importantly, getting my name placed on the hallowed wall of fame.