UPON entering Kenza Restaurant in the K Hotel I knew I had literally found the kingdom’s newest hidden ‘treasure’ in the heart of Juffair.
Kenza, which translates to treasure, recently opened its doors and has welcomed a variety of diners over the past few months to enjoy a vast selection of Lebanese dishes.
As the cuisine is renowned for its appetisers, the menu is dominated by these small culinary creations yet still stays true to its Lebanese roots and offers just enough grills to leave diners asking the knowledgeable waiter to explain the various differences between them.
The restaurant is separated into four sections; the inside bar area, the dining area, private rooms and the outside terrace – where most of the customers appeared to rush to (even in the windy and cold conditions of the night I visited) for an ideal place to experience a relaxed meal surrounded by a lush green backdrop.
The décor of the restaurant is an excellent change to the usual Lebanese eateries scattered around the kingdom. It was modern, comfortable and sophisticated yet still exuded Lebanese culture through the stained glass lanterns hanging from the ceiling, an Arabic pattered rug by the entrance and the traditional Arabic tunes playing in the background.
I headed straight to the most comfortable seat in the restaurant … the sofa. I wasn’t wrong in thinking that I should run towards it as only minutes later all the sofas in the dining area were occupied.
To start my delicious journey I insisted on having a bowl of hummous (mashed chickpeas) all to myself – I honestly believe it is the best thing ever to come out of Lebanon!
However, Sous Chef Wael Al Darwish explained he could attempt to change my mind by providing me with a selection of his recommendations.
Lebanese Chef Wael boasts more than 15 years of culinary experience. He has always taken an interest in cooking for as long as he remembers, but it was only when he turned 14 that he decided to take it seriously and start with a series of cooking lessons. Prior to working as a chef at Kenza Restaurant, he worked for the celebrated Abd El Wahab Lebanese restaurant in Moda Mall.
Chef Wael, 30, from Adliya, said: “I come from a close family so as a child I would watch the meals being prepared. When I got a little older I started helping my mother out in the kitchen, but when I became a teenager I attended classes and learned to cook professionally.
“I worked for years in restaurants in Lebanon before moving to Bahrain five years ago. I love it here and I want to share authentic Lebanese food with everyone.”
First came the hummous, with a basket of warm, fresh bread. When it was almost licked clean, the next appetiser, fattoush (salad with fried bread pieces) was brought out of the kitchen (BD1.500). Next was the tabbouleh (a parsley salad with bulgar wheat and lemon juice) for BD1.500 and the mouhamara (a chilli paste) priced at BD1.
I usually try to avoid eating tabbouleh unless its homemade as I usually find it to be dry, but I gave it a go and to my amazement it had the perfect ratio of lemon juice to parsley, giving it the tangy taste it needed.
The fattoush was good but it was the mouhamara that left an impression amongst the starters. It tasted so good and not too spicy that I decided to leave some on the side of my plate to devour with the mix grills (BD4.500).
Photographer Ryan snatched the lamb chop but, the kofta, tikka and chicken kebab that it came with were tender – and when paired with my stellar combination of the mouhamara and hummous – absolutely divine.
However, the dish of the night was definitely the Jumbo Grilled Shrimps (BD7.500). It was cooked in a lemon dressing that left the meat succulent and fresh. As one of the more expensive meals on the menu it came as no surprise that the four shrimps on skewers would be fought over. Once again, Ryan won, vacuuming two pieces where everyone else had just one.
To end it all I tucked into my favourite Arabic dessert, Umm Ali (bread pudding), while sales co-ordinator Bambi chose the Mahalabiya (milk custard). I still prefer my mums Umm Ali but after hearing Bambi’s oos and ahs, I decided to have a bite of her Mahalabiya. With a kick of rose water, it wasn’t too thick, it wasn’t too sweet … it was just perfect.
