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Bahraini restaurateur Ali Al Sawad shares his love for food through his latest venture, Ali Baba Café, which offers diners a selection of fine fare and casual cuisine.
Dressed-to-the-nines in formal fashion, Ali recently welcomed family, friends and members of the media to the grand opening of his café at The Lagoon in Amwaj Islands, giving them a chance to sample savoury and sweet fare amidst a variety of entertainment including an illusionist, a belly dancer and beat-pumping DJ.
The trendy restaurant owner not only has a flair for fashion but knows how to attract a crowd. He first captivated customers with his continental café, Primavera, also situated at The Lagoon, and now aims to delight diners by combining contemporary décor with a mixed menu that will satisfy every member of the family.
The 30-year-old, from Hidd, said: “This is unlike any café at The Lagoon. It’s luxurious, warm and inviting and open to anyone that simply loves good food. I have brought in chefs specialising in different cuisine to ensure that all the dishes have the right flavour.
“Customer satisfaction is very important to me and I welcome all types of feedback. I want people to feel comfortable and pampered when they enter Ali Baba, which was inspired by the Arabian folk tale.
“This concept was a year in the making due to its décor and because I like to pay attention to detail. This is my vision of what Ali Baba’s palace would look like, peach and gold. The walls are made from marble powder which is special.
Sparkly chandeliers, golden baroque-trimmed walls and peach-coloured chairs adorned the spacious interior which can seat 150 guests comfortably. The terrace also accommodates 220 diners with views of the sea.
As guests took to their seats after the ribbon cutting, Sri Lankan Executive Chef Jude Jayasekera and his hardworking team of cooks, hailing from China, Nepal, India and the Philippines, prepared an array of appetisers for every table and were on standby to receive orders for mains and desserts.
Servers greeted guests and carefully swerved between tables with trays of summery juices including orange and lemon mint and ice cold water. While I sipped my cool and slushy lemon mint, I watched as a large tray of food appeared full of appetisers including falafels, spring rolls, cheese rolls, kebabs, fried chicken lollipops and aloo (potato) samosas. As I chomped down on the flavourful falafel the lovely waitress brought over a cold mezzeh including hummus, baba ganoush, labnah and a tabouleh salad, followed by a bowl of savoury vine leaves and a fatoush salad.
After nibbling on a bit of everything, the waitress handed me a large menu, which looked more like a book, to choose my main course. This book was full of mouth-watering treats including freshly-baked pastries, Arabic and continental breakfasts, spicy Mexican and creamy pastas. For guests looking for Chinese such as dim sum, chicken satay or grilled hammour, the menu has it all!
The pink pasta caught my eye and as soon as I ordered it, a piping hot bowl of penne pasta and vegetables appeared in a tomato and cream sauce. It was rich and cheesy, just the way I like it.
However, I didn’t plan my course of action very well as I was too full for dessert. I wasn’t too concerned though as I knew that this would not be my last visit and I intend to put their huge breakfast selection to the test next time.
I am also eager to see Ali’s next two restaurants as he will be launching his third in Amwaj with a fourth one to open in Seef.
The venue timings are from 8am to 2am from Saturday to Wednesday and 8am to 3am on Thursday and Friday.
For details, call 16010006 or follow them on Instagram @alibaba_cafe
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The Royal Golf Club’s Prego restaurant reopens on August 14 after the summer break with a fabulous new menu created by Executive Chef Paul Gindra.
Prego, highly commended in the ‘Best Family Restaurant’ category of the 2014 Time Out Bahrain Restaurant Awards 2014, offers family-friendly dining at its best.
New additions to the menu include seafood risotto, stuffed chicken supreme and beef lasagne to name but a few.
Prego is open to all and table reservations can be made by calling 17751263.
