Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Bayti restaurant aims to serve up hearty Arabic home-style cuisine just like mama used to make … but with a modern twist in order to cater to a variety of taste buds on the island.
The brightly-designed venue, located off the King Faisal Highway, close to Kids Kingdom, and the Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH), is dishing out a selection of signature sweet and savoury meals from around the Arab world.
According to restaurant manager Saira Tariq, Bayti means ‘my home’ in Arabic and that is exactly the ambiance she aims to deliver in the venue which can seat 150 diners comfortably.
Saira said: “People on the island love Arabic food, as most of them grew up with it. Europeans, for example, may want to sample some of the Middle Eastern dishes but don’t know what the items are or their names.
“We gathered all the favourites from different parts of the Arab world, perfected the basic recipes and then added some European or Asian touches.
“For example, our tabouleh salad is unique. While we offer the regular tabouleh, it may be too bitter for some customers that are not accustomed to it. That’s why we also have a raspberry and pineapple version to cut the bitterness with its sweet fruitiness.
“This is what makes Bayti special. It caters to the Middle Eastern demographic but it is also a good starting point for new visitors to the island that wish to sample the local and regional food while also keeping some of their flavours from back home.
“When you come here, regardless of your nationality, you can always find something that will remind you of home … our head chef Anthony Gomes, who specialises in Arabic cuisine, makes sure of that alongside his talented kitchen team.”
Growing up feasting on my mother’s Jordanian, Palestinian cuisine I could not wait to give their take on Arabic food a try and who better to try it with than GulfWeekly’s assistant editor Charlie Holding who has adopted Bahrain as his home.
The friendly servers, who make a habit of remembering every customer’s name, seated us at a beautiful white table surrounded by benches and colourful cushions for that Arabic feel. I was mesmerised by the walls decorated with retro images of the Arab world’s most acclaimed actors, actresses, singers and artists.
Flashbacks of watching old black and white films with my grandparents popped into my head as I went around admiring the creative outlet’s décor.
The menu came in the form of a large placemat offering a wide variety of hot and cold mezzas, salads, soups, bread and dips, grills, sides and other specialties. Diners have the option of enjoying a lunch buffet, which is open from 11am to 4pm or going a la carte.
A special Iftar buffet is also being set up for Ramadan, starting from sunset to midnight, perfect for those working late nights at BFH.
Keeping in the Ramadan spirit, Charlie quenched his thirst with a chilled date shake while I went for the sweet and refreshing Turkish Delight mocktail.
Saira started us off with a selection of fluffy breads and dips including classic hummus, zesty avocado salsa, roasted red bell pepper dip and tzatziki.
The raspberry tabouleh and pineapple tabouleh then made its way to the table. While the raspberry was too sweet for our taste, the pineapple was just the right balance between sweet and sour. Although personally; nothing beats a traditional tabouleh.
Bayti’s gourmet shawarmas, where you get to pick your bread and topping, caught Charlie’s attention. However, instead of going for a usual chicken, salad and tahini, he decided to try a dori fish shawarma wrapped in spinach bread with a side of salad and chips. Eyeing the shawarma, it was not much to look at. But take a bite and you will be hooked. Trust us; it’s a shawarma not to be missed.
I ordered Bayti’s pistachio and walnut crusted salmon on a bed of garlic mash potatoes with steamed asparagus, which I devoured within minutes.
We ended the meal on a sweet note with Bayti’s signature chocolate-checkered cake.
For the next visit, I will be sure to sample their traditional Bahraini breakfast and chai karak tea.
The venue, which is open from 7am to midnight, is operated by Bahrain Family Leisure Company (BFLC), which also manages award-winning restaurants Cucina Italiana and Bennigans.
For details, contact 17229778 or email bayti@bfc.com.bh
