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I rarely find the time to cook and I miss my mum’s delicious lunches and dinners that were piping hot and ready for me whenever I got home.
She used to make an assortment of dishes, in particular a host of eastern Arabic fare from Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.
I find myself constantly craving the taste of home. After recently visiting Dalaona Restaurant, I think I may have found it.
I’ve driven by the grills and pastry restaurant in Muharraq, located behind Oasis Mall, on countless occasions while making my rounds but I’d never ventured inside.
However, over the weekend, I was invited by restaurant owner Nahad Mohammed Abul to join more than 50 bikers from the Bahrain Motorcycle Club (BMC) for an authentic Lebanese buffet dinner.
Miss Abul, who is Bahraini-Lebanese, transformed a residential villa three-years-ago into a busy restaurant boasting the food and atmosphere she loves.
She said: “I often visited Lebanon and grew to love the food there. When I came back to Bahrain I missed it. That is when I thought of starting a Lebanese restaurant for my Bahraini family and friends to enjoy.
“I named it Dalaona after a traditional Lebanese song that is played on happy occasions, which is what I want my diners to feel while eating here.”
Miss Abul, along with a business associate and friend, chose Muharraq as her destination because the area is dear to her heart. She explained: “I love Muharraq. It is my home and there were no Lebanese restaurants close by. Dalaona is the first. Also, I wanted to bring more tourism into Muharraq and help the area gain a reputation for good food and a lively environment.
“Our ingredients are fresh and made the Lebanese way by our Lebanese chef. We only purchase a few spices from Lebanon as everything can easily be found here nowadays. People may not know who we are but I am a firm believer in letting the food do the talking and our food has stirred up a lot of business, especially on the outside catering side.”
Due to its popularity, there have been requests to open branches of Dalaona in Riffa and Hamad Town and Miss Abul and her team are currently researching the possibility.
The restaurant can seat 100 guests within its outdoor and indoor dining facilities. The décor is simple and clean, making the food the highlight of the restaurant.
The garden is spacious and is covered. The Jasmine flowers growing on the walls reminded me of sitting outside on my grandfather’s patio in Jordan. The sultry sounds of Fairuz were playing in the background along with the sounds of a water feature which was relaxing to say the least. However, that serene feeling was shortly interrupted by the loud revving sounds of motorcycles parking outside.
Hamad Ali Saqer, BMC’s public relations and activity manager, said: “This is part of our social media and community outreach to support local businesses. We spent a day at a car show in Isa Town and wanted to end the day on a high-note dining at Dalaona, a local business which supports us too.”
The BMC boasts 400 members of different nationalities and as I waited behind a long line of hungry bikers I caught a glimpse of the food they were queuing to feast on.
Hummus and mutabbal are always a must in any Lebanese meal so I was not surprised to see it added to the buffet fare. There was fattoush salad, kibbeh, spinach fatayer (pastry), lahm bil ajeen (meat pastry) and cheese rolls as the hot and cold mezza.
For the main course there was creamy pasta, chicken on top of a bed of rice with minced beef, potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes stuffed with minced beef and white rice with vermicelli noodles.
Dessert featured a sugary sweet kunafah, a traditional Lebanese delicacy.
I watched in amusement as the bikers devoured their food with zeal, leaving nothing on their plates. I chose to savour my food and take my time. I loved that it tasted homemade this is as true a ‘mums and pops’ venue as it is a favourite for butch bikers.
Aside from the large portions, the fare is affordable with plates of grills starting at BD2 and mezzas at 650fils.
After a hearty meal, guests can sit outside in the garden for some fresh air and a cup of tea with mint.
Dalaona also serves breakfast and is known throughout the community for its pastry manaqeesh. The restaurant is open from 9am until midnight.
For details, contact 17330930, email dalaona.bh@gmail.com or follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @Dal3ona.
