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I love stories. I love writing them, which is pretty essential for someone who has been making a living out of writing for more than 40 years, but I still love hearing them too.
And nothing gives me greater pleasure than finding out the story behind my second passion … food.
Executive Chef Janardan Das dished up a double main course delight whilst serving lunch at Roti Boti, the Indian restaurant at Al Areen Palace & Spa, starting with a spectacular signature dish, which has folk flocking from across the region to sample it.
I can truly understand why. The Tandoori Kebabs Platter (BD18++) features an array of kebabs served straight from the oven alongside lamb chops with mint chutney, pickled onions, cherry tomatoes and a naan.
There is one delightful luscious lamb offering, oozing with flavour, which simply melts in the mouth. And, according to Chef Das, there’s a story behind the dish, of course, created by a chef of yester-year to ensure a long-departed ruler of a princely state in South Asia enjoyed his favourite fare … despite having lost all his teeth!
While westerners tend to mince-meat as a way of using inferior grades, the Mughals would apparently mince the best cut and rather than use beef, the clever cook used lamb, which produced a softer mince.
He set about hammering it softer still, grinding the meat into a fine paste and then adding ginger and garlic and various combinations of spices. The resulting kebabs were crispy on the outside but so soft and silky within that even the toothless ruler could eat them with pleasure.
It was a case of having to suck and see it, I suppose … and I’m so glad that I did. This is the king of kebabs, without a doubt.
The chunks of Tandoori chicken were then something to chew on, still tender and flavoursome too, the chops were cooked to perfection and there was a surprisingly delicate cheese and cream chicken creation as well.
Surprisingly, in all the years I’ve visited Al Areen I’ve never dined at the destination during the daytime. It’s a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and many folk are using Roti Boti to chill with business colleagues, friends and family.
The restaurant offers a contemporary dining atmosphere with a terraced garden setting over-looking the main courtyard and there’s a guaranteed warm atmosphere which food & beverage manager Simon Gomes, below right, and his team has carefully crafted since its opening last year.
The proof’s in the pudding, as they say, and my waiter Amjad, below left, who must boast the biggest smile in Bahrain, alone has received a special mention in the last 18 reviews posted on the Trip Advisor website. Chef Das was also quick to emphasise that he is diligently trying to ensure that the restaurant is an ‘extension of a guest’s own dining table’, an admirable philosophy if ever there was one.
And how better to prove it, than by serving the Indian cuisine staple of Bahrain, namely, Butter Chicken (BD7.500++). A firm favourite from the days of Curry Monday in the GulfWeekly editorial offices, the kitchen team took no shortcuts in the preparation of this dish, marinating the boneless tikka majestically for hours before reaching the Tandoor oven and being added to the smooth tomato sauce with butter and cream.
It’s lip-smackingly delicious, especially after dipping and letting a torn slice of garlic naan soak it all up.
I was full and ready to head off back home but Chef Das insisted I sample his perfect Phirni, a north Indian milk desert flavoured with saffron and cardamom. It’s a dessert you will not find in many restaurants, he explained, because his grandmother’s recipe needs skill and judgment to deliver as the ingredients easily burn in the pan.
Not many cooks are willing to risk it. No worries here though. This was a story with a happy ending!
Call 17845000 to book a table. Make it a lunch date on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
