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AFTER successfully navigating through 30 days of fasting during the holy month, thereby smashing through my good friend and ex-GulfWeekly assistant editor Charlie Holding’s pathetic expat record of 12 days from last year and setting a precedent which can never be bettered, I figured that the dawn of the Eid holiday signalled a time for a long-overdue midday feast in the sunshine.
Where better, then, than the new Round Table Pizza restaurant which opened during Ramadan in Gardens Plaza, a new retail centre just off Budaiya Highway opposite Country Mall. On my daily drive to the office from my house in Saar, a giant billboard with a pizza in the shape of a T-Rex leers down at me temptingly with its olive eye, and it was finally time to give in to this Jurassic monster’s wishes.
The outlet is bright on the outside, with huge glass windows offering scenic views of the plaza, which will become a bustling retail area when work is completed at the end of the year.
But on the inside, it positively sparkles. Luminous green seats and balloon towers populate the dining area, and there’s even marble benches with single seats for those dining alone to drop in and sample the fare.
The great thing about Round Table is that the dough and all toppings are prepared in full view in the window of the store where the eager kitchen team are hard at work making sure everything is fresh.
The giant dough machine contraption is a sight to behold, and with all the hygiene information and mechanical processes going on in the room, my backstage tour felt a little like visiting the pizza-version of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory!
Although I’m usually reluctant to order an appetiser when I visit a pizza restaurant, as experience has told me that I’ll be full before the main event arrives, not to mention as I’m currently functioning on a significantly-shrunken stomach, I was aching to tuck into the Loaded Potato Wedges and Garlic Parmesan Twists.
The wedges (BD1.400) were fantastic; oven-baked and crispy to perfection and topped with a three-cheese blend and beef bacon, I’d have happily dined out on them alone if there weren’t so many other goodies on offer.
The twists (three pieces for BD0.900) are somewhat of a speciality for the chain, with the freshly-rolled dough sprinkled with garlic and parmesan that perfectly complement each other, with neither pungent enough to be overpowering.
For the main course, there was simply no other option but the T-Rex. The legendary pizza and the mascot of the franchise comes either as a plain margarita (BD1.900) or with a choice of any topping, so you can heartily build your own dinosaur and the chefs will deliver
And, if that line isn’t enough to have your kids tugging at your sleeve, the outlet’s party room upstairs will, which is decorated with banners and balloons and has a capacity of 25 people. What better way to let them enjoy a birthday than creating their own Jurassic World, but this time be the ones eating the dinosaurs and not the other way around?
Since I’m a monstrous carnivore, I plumped for a side of Montague’s All Meat Marvel which was a melee of Italian sausage, pepperoni, salami and tangy tomato sauce. I’d have dearly loved to have managed more than one slice, but my stomach was tapping out like the Cowardly Lion caught in a headlock by the Hulk, so I brought the rest back to our office so the hard-working team could have a munch while scribbling away on a public holiday!
I know tomorrow morning I’ll resent my own generosity and wish I had a little slice of heaven available to me: cold pizza for breakfast.
The Budaiya chain is the third outlet in the kingdom, the first of which opened at Al Raya Mall in Juffair in December, shortly followed by one at the Sultan Mall in Isa Town. A fourth is planned to open in Muharraq this year as the company continues to push the franchise in Bahrain after establishing its base all across the GCC in recent years.
I’d also like to extend my personal thanks to the team at Round Table for their kindness and enthusiasm. I’ve visited many restaurants in the kingdom for the EatingOut page, but rarely have I encountered a group so passionate about their work.
Restaurant manager Franky Fernandes, catering manager Arshad Shaikh and supervisor Frederick Hatol all took their time to welcome me and make feel at home as they took me on a tour of the premises, including the kitchens and gave me extensive feedback about the menu.
With my birthday fast approaching in a few weeks, and with it being an important one in the sense that it’s my last one where I’ll be closer to my teens than my thirties, I may have to come back and host a pizza party with my friends like I last did when I was about 12.
Maybe by that time I’ll have some room saved for the signature King Arthur’s Supreme … and the Cinnamon Twists too.
* Round Table Pizza is open from 9am-1am and is also open for delivery. For more information, call 16161717.
