Glittering affair with prizes

TICKETS to the annual gathering of the media for the Batelco Gulf Air Ramadan Ghabga are some of the most sought-after in the industry … but the flavourful fare on offer at the Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa Hotel’s Ramadan tent was so fantastic that I needed to share the experience, writes Kristian Harrison.

Spouses and children may not be allowed at this business event, but if truth be told, we wouldn’t want them to be as more people in attendance would mean less chance of winning some of the awesome prizes on offer in the raffle.

For this is truly what gets everybody in ‘media-land’ talking. The raffle. A year ago, I was just a fresh-faced intern (thankfully now only one of those is correct) deemed too unimportant for an invite, so I had to sit quietly at the table during office Curry Mondays while the team discussed how resident Lady Luck, Deputy Editor Gopal Nambiar, would stumble upon yet another pot of gold at the end of a bountiful buffet-shaped rainbow.

Fast-forward a year, and not only did I have my very own hand-written invite perched lovingly on my desk, but I’d had the brainwave to stroke Gopal’s wonderful, conditioned moustache to bring me luck. I couldn’t possibly lose, could I?

Sofitel’s Ramadan tent is quite unlike any I’ve seen before and one that attracts scores of fast-breakers and expats to the seaside. The ceiling was a glittering array of stars which made me feel like I was dining in Hogwarts’ Great Hall, while palm trees illuminated in bright LED lights brought a sparkling atmosphere to the occasion.

It really gave off an authentic vibe, like we were breaking our fast outside in a peaceful, traditional manner, but without the excruciating heat and humidity.

Despite fasting for Ramadan myself, I’d already skipped Iftar because I didn’t want to be full before rocking up to the event, so I was pleading with the event host to open the buffet for everyone as soon as possible. As soothing as the oud player’s tunes were and how appreciatively pleasant the host’s words were for the attending guests, I just wanted FOOD!

In the end, with no official opening announced and my worry that prematurely sneaking a cheese sambousek would result in a major faux pas with terrible consequences for GulfWeekly, I goaded my wonderful Editor, Stan, into taking the initiative himself. For ultimately, respected and fearless editors are safe from punishment, but wannabe Boy Wonders (yes, that’s my name …) are entirely expendable.

My pleading words went something like: “Hey Stan, if you open one of the containers or dig into the salad bowl, it’ll start a chain reaction and there’ll be no stopping the hungry horde.” Luckily, I was right, and I dived headlong into the superb tuna salad, which had a perfect blend of crunchy leaves and flaky fish, before throwing all manner of spring rolls, samosas and cheeses on my plate.

Thanks to our eagerness, everything was piping hot and filled with flavour. Although it was nigh-on 24 hours since I’d eaten (the point at which even my dear old dad’s ‘cooking’ would be bearable), I could appreciate that the food was outstanding and a lot of effort had gone into preparing it.

After the appetisers were wolfed down, it was time to sample the main courses. There was so much on offer that I really wanted to try it all, but my shrunken stomach would have submitted long before I got the chance.

My first port of call was the live pasta cooking station, where I ordered penne gratin, which is kind of like lasagne but with small pasta tubes rather than sheets. It was superb, and it was only the large queue gathering in front of the poor chef that prevented me from returning.

I managed to find my new favourite Arabian delicacy, harees, while the chicken stir fry noodles provided a different cuisine than normal. My carnivorous cravings also led me to the live shawarma station, the mixed grill, the grilled chicken wings and makhanik sausages, and the succulent and tender meat did not disappoint.

In between scoffing down our platefuls, the famous raffle was taking place. The first prize up for grabs was a return ticket to anywhere in the GCC, a reward I longingly desired so that I could catch up with some friends in Dubai.

As the ticket was pulled out, I jokingly said my raffle ticket number in a suspenseful manner, imitating how the host would announce it. Having never won anything before, you can’t imagine my surprise but raw delight when my number actually was read out. The power of the moustache was real!

A slightly too-enthusiastic “YESSS!!” and a fist pump that almost knocked my dear work mother Mai over like Tyson in his heyday followed, as did a bizarre experience of holding up a giant ticket with ‘Congratulations’ written on it while camera lenses flashed before my eyes.

Sitting in a mild state of shock as Mai and Stan also won similar prizes, my only thought was …SUGAR! So off I ran to the pudding section and ladled my bowl with as much rice pudding, caramel crunch ice cream, strawberries, vanilla éclairs (which need to be tasted to be believed, massive kudos to whoever made them) and cheesecake as I could.

After that, I had to be practically rolled out of the tent and back to the car, but I made sure I was clutching my priceless piece of paper at the same time. The evening and the food had been outstanding, but it was the feeling of defeating Gopal and leaving him empty-handed in my first year of eligibility that will live long in the memory and provide a year’s worth of office banter until the next event comes around.
 
I’m sure the laptop, WiFi router and television he has won over the years will comfort him, though.

The Sofitel Ramadan Tent, with its ‘Under The Stars’ theme, is open every night during the holy month for iftar and ghabga. Prices are set at BD19++. For details, call 17531633.