Cooked to perfection

IT’S rare to find a restaurant that is perfectly suited for any occasion, be it a business meeting, romantic meal or even a boys’ night out. However, Legendz steakhouse at the Intercontinental Regency Bahrain Hotel may just have cracked it.

The restaurant is neatly slotted away on the first floor and is as much a feast for the eyes as for the stomach.

The décor is modern and stylish. A beige and cream colour scheme dominates the venue to create a tranquil and relaxing ambiance. Paired with the soft lighting and comfortable seating, you have a winning recipe for a great night.

The venue is a good choice for a business dinner because it is quiet enough to hold a conversation and classy enough to make a good impression. For a romantic meal, the dim lights paired with the dulcet tones of the hotel’s pianist gently echoing in the background create an intimate setting.

For me, however, it was the perfect place to enjoy a guy’s night out with my pal, Philippe.

With my girlfriend away on holiday I’ve been left with a staggering amount of free time to watch what I want on TV, ditch the healthy salads and take a well deserved break from playing the dreaded ‘these shoes, or these shoes’ game.

Don’t get me wrong, I miss her terribly, but sometimes it’s good to hang out with the guys, talking about guy things and doing manly activities … like eating steak! Now, I’m certainly not implying that eating steak is a privilege reserved just for blokes, I’m just warning you that you’ll need a big appetite to tackle the impressive selection at Legendz.

Upon entering, we were greeted by Princi K Vasudevan, the restaurant’s assistant manager. He very politely and knowledgably talked us through the menu, explaining the most popular choices.

Soon after, I spotted chef de partie, Dinesh Dharma Dasa, hard at work via the large window looking into the kitchen at the back of the restaurant. He has been running the kitchen while the head chef is away on holiday and, I must say, he’s doing a great job.

It’s always good to meet someone who is passionate about their work and chef Dinesh is definitely that. 
The 34-year-old from Sri Lanka began his journey to culinary glory after watching cooking shows on TV as a youngster.

Eager to try and replicate what he saw, he put his new skills to the test by cooking for his younger sister Iresha while his parents were at work. He says she remains his biggest fan.

After finishing secondary school, he took a two-year course in hotel management at the prestigious Ceylon Hotel School and in the end, he chose the kitchen.

However, after the hotel he was working at was ruined during the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami, Chef Dinesh left his native Sri Lanka for new adventures.

Now living in Bahrain, he has come to enjoy life in the kingdom and especially his job at Legendz.

He said: “Cooking has always been my passion and although my speciality is Asian cuisine, I’m always learning new things and new styles and I’m really into grilling now.

“This restaurant is so intimate and the large window looking ino the kitchen is a great idea, it allows diners to see how we prepare their food and is very popular with guests.”

He’s not wrong, watching the master griller at work is definitely an experience and Philippe and I were transfixed until the friendly waitress came to take our order.

I started the night with the chicken wings and Philippe tried the Caesar salad with grilled salmon. Both dishes arrived quickly, were fantastically presented and tasted as good as they looked.

Next up was the main event … and choosing your steak is only half the battle at this restaurant. Not only do you pick your cut of beef, how you want it prepared and which accompanying sauce to have … you also get to choose your own Laguiole steak knife!

I ordered the 200gm US Angus filet (BD13) which comes with one free side order and I couldn’t turn down the creamed spinach. What an impressive slab of beef. It arrived to the table piping hot and glistening with think, juicy goodness. I cut into it to reveal its medium interior cooked to perfection. It was bovine … sorry, divine.
Philippe had the 280gm US Angus Rib eye (BD14), with a side order of sautéed seasonal vegetables. His reaction ‘this is fantastic’ (but said in a typically Belgian accent, which makes it sound even more impressive).

Just when I was sure I was full, the dessert menu made its way to the table and we both decided to sample the selection of fruits with lime sorbet (BD3.600). It was tangy, refreshing and light enough to sit well on top of a full stomach and a perfect end to a remarkable meal.

Overall, a truly legendary experience which proves this venue lives up to its name.

The restaurant has launched a new lunchtime and dinner menu. It is open for lunch from 12.30pm-3.30pm (Fridays 11.30am-3.30pm) and dinner from 7pm-11pm.

For details, call the InterContinental Regency Hotel Bahrain on 17227777.

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This Friday sees the launch of the brand Olive’s Lazy Friday Brunch, based at the Best Western Olive hotel in central Juffair.
 
Featuring two venues at one price, guests get to choose from the large buffet selection in the atmospheric Vesuvio bar, including live cooking stations, salads, Sushi platters, desserts and much more. 

To compliment this, guests can also choose from the delicious a-la-carte menu in Mantraa with mouth-watering Indian dishes straight from the streets of Delhi.
 
With unlimited selected beverages also included, plus live entertainment on hand, the Olives Lazy Friday Brunch aims to offer something for everybody’s taste-buds. 

For reservations and more information call the Best Western Olive on 17211133.