A sumptuous selection

Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, increased devotion and worship. Muslims and non-muslims alike celebrate during the holy month with bountiful feasts of sumptuous fare at the break of fast and what better place to celebrate than in a ballroom?

The Sheraton’s iftar is in the impressive Awali Ballroom and offers guests a buffet of traditional and international dishes, as well as impressive live cooking stations.

Awali Ballroom is located on the ground floor and boasts Italian terracota tiled flooring and traditional Arabic décor in a neutral colour palette, palatial arches engraved with fine mosaic, carved mahogany wood panelling and a twin tent roof with stunning wrought iron chandeliers, which creates a distinct and sophisticated ambience.
 
The fare on offer is just as vastly stunning and some of the dishes on offer include mezza, a selection of salads, soups, Ramadan juices, traditional Quzi, shawarma, vegetable saloona, hammour harra, lamb stew with spinach, Harees, Tandoori chicken and mince lamb kebab, sweet & sour chicken, mutton korma, beef medallion with tarragon sauce, veal escalope and mushroom risotto to name but a few.

From the moment you are seated by the friendly and attentive staff members, your culinary adventure begins as you savour the lively and enticing atmosphere.

Cristalyn Pastrana, marketing & communication manager, said: “This Ramadan, our entire team put the best effort to ensure that the food quality and freshness and variety are our main priority.

“We understand that iftar is the time of sharing with family and friends and that we had to make it memorable to every guest dining at Awali Ballroom. We ensure a vast variety of dishes from salad to main course and desserts to Ramadan juices.”

Despite my recent health kick, I’m still not a fan of salads but thankfully there are other ways to get those healthy vitamins into my body without munching on rabbit food.

The healthy and nutritious lentil soup was delightful and aromatic. It was the perfect start to the evening and was accompanied nicely by a slice of thick, fresh, crusty bread ... smothered in slightly less than healthy, but exceedingly tasty, butter.

Making a conscientious effort to get more of those pesky vitamins my girlfriend is always telling me about, I heaped hefty helpings of spinach, mushroom risotto and Kashmiri cauliflower masala onto a side dish and then made my way around the rest of the buffet.

I’m all about my meat and there’s certainly no shortage of it at this iftar. After making a dent in the Quzi, I piled my plate high with a selection of beef medallions, tender chicken and juicy lamb chops, which were so tender they practically melted in my mouth.

No meal is complete without a dessert and thankfully there were plenty to choose from at the Sheraton. I’m usually a cake man and can devour the stuff like I have hollow legs, as anyone who has ever met me will attest, but I couldn’t pass up the offering from the chef at the live cooking station.

Crepes are fantastic, not just because they bring back nostalgic memories of my magical time in Holland, but because, when they’re done right they make life worth living. At this iftar, you have the option of filling yours with fruit, chocolate, nuts, or all of the above ... I went with the latter. How did it taste? Divine!

Iftar buffet is served from sunset to 8.30 pm. It costs BD14.900 ++ for adults during the weekdays, BD15.900++ during the weekends, BD 8.500++ for children four to 12 years and children below four eat for free.