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Whoever came up with the idea of brunch is brilliant! It’s too late to have breakfast, but it’s also too early for lunch. No problem…brunch it!
There you can have a medley of everything from salads and seafood to an assortment of pastas and rice dishes and the list goes on and on. The feasting festivities kick off around noon-ish and come to a satisfyingly stuffed halt by 4pm every Friday.
What a great idea to have it on a Friday as well as it gives you enough time to recover on Saturday before heading back to the grind on Sunday.
Earlier this weekend, my dad Maan, mum Hana and husband Sam Camille and I decided to mark our weekly Friday family lunching by joining the brunchers at the sparkling ART Rotana Hotel & Resort in Amwaj Islands.
We had heard nothing but great things about their brunch buffet and ambience and after spending a few hours dining in their spectacular venue, its easy to see why it is favoured by food lovers, families and friends from across the island.
The resort’s all-day dining outlet Choices and outdoor terrace enchanted guests during its Ramadan Arabian souq theme and the venue is now captivating hearts with its sunny seaside picnic-style ambiance.
Hotel management have turned the Aladdin marquee into a summer garden wonderland with bamboo and picket fences surrounding live cooking stations, vines wrapped around gazebos and white silk lanterns and light bulbs hanging from the lush leaf-covered pillars. The sun was shining especially bright and seeping through the large windows that also boast views of the marina and the sea.
The Choices restaurant was serene and its buffet smelled divine. While Italian executive chef Theodor Rudiferia is away on vacation, Chefs Biswanath Bose, Ibrahim Tabet and Ali Al Jouma are making sure that the kitchen and culinary team are running like clockwork and it shows as they dished out tender meats, savoury seafood and devilishly sweet desserts.
Chef Ibrahim said: “We spend a whole week preparing for the brunch like getting the menu ready and then preparing what we can slowly for the big day. Of course though, everything is cooked and ready at the last minute to ensure that the food is fresh and served right away. This is our signature and this is why we are here – to guarantee that we are delivering fresh food. Some chefs start preparing from 5am on the day while others are here even earlier. Our main aim is to deliver fresh, authentic, great quality cuisine.
“As you should for brunch, because it is special. I believe in Bahrain we are famous for our food quality and that is because we cook with passion and straight from our hearts which is clearly reflected in our food. We have quite a big variety of food and talented chefs.”
According to Ali Jammoul, the hotel’s assistant director of food and beverage, there are 14 different nationalities working away in the kitchen dishing out a melting pot of flavours for guests to enjoy. Aside from the scrumptious buffet and summery set up, there is a Cuban band to keep diners entertained with jazzy and soulful songs.
Ali said: “We want guests to feel at home here. We don’t want people to just come, eat and leave. We want them to have an amazing experience with us from the food to the ambience; to simply relaxing and enjoying their afternoon.
“There are a lot of changes to the set up and we are trying to create a garden theme so that people feel like they are outdoors but are actually picnicking indoors.
“We will be launching our brunch in September as a garden theme. We want people feel like its summer all year round at ART Rotana.”
As the band strummed and sang a mixture of Spanish and English songs, people weaved around the cooking stations and some began plating up steaks, chicken and other BBQ delights from the station Sam and I dubbed as meat-lovers paradise. There was gravy and creamy mashed potatoes to boot as well as roasted sweet potato.
Sam and I made a note to return to that section but not after starting off our food adventure with some appetisers such as hummus, green salad and my favourite, smoked salmon. To not waste any time, Sam attended to one plate while I made my way to the sushi station which featured a colourful assortment of rolls in greens and yellows with shrimp, crab and vegetables. I grabbed some wasabi and ginger for extra bite and met Sam at our table. My mum and dad started with salmon and salad as well as a big plate of bread. We all sat in awe gobbling up the food while my mum looked around admiring the décor. She turned to my dad at one point and told him that she felt she was in another country picnicking because of all the light and greenery.
The seafood gratin was a winner in my books. It was perfectly cooked and the creaminess was to die for. The cottage pie was juicy and the giant grilled prawns were prepared perfectly. There was a chef grilling prawns, fish, salmon, lamb chops and more. Those that don’t want grills can enjoy the crabs, shrimp and mussels nearby the sushi.
Afterwards we made our way to the roast and other meaty items for some steak, gravy and mash while my dad had a grilled fish all to himself.
The pasta was calling to me but I needed to make room for dessert. I loved the chalk boards that had sweet sayings and food rhymes on it such as ‘A day without love is like pasta without sauce’.
After we had our fill of the savoury Sam and I plated some Swiss rolls, strawberry coconut cake, banana crumble, bowls of mousse and tarts. On our way back from the dessert table, I saw it and my heart stopped. There was a cheese stall. How did I miss that? I rushed over there, leaving the desserts on our table and began to drool over the endless blocks of cheese. I grabbed a few options including Brie and Gouda and put it aside as my something salty after having my sweets.
The desserts were lovely but the star was the pomegranate and raspberry yoghurt. The banana caramel ice-cream was another delight. We finished everything off with refreshing mini bottled-mango juice…and of course my plate of cheese.
Boisterous laughter and happy cheer was heard from every table, proving that the kitchen and serving team had achieved their goal. It was a fantastic afternoon with the family and we are already planning another care-free afternoon at the resort. And if that wasn’t proof enough, we almost got a room there for an afternoon siesta as we were so content and full to drive. Chefs pat yourselves on the back for a job well done.
The brunch starts at12.30pm to 4pm and is priced at BD20 net with soft drinks or BD34 net with selected beverages. Children aged six to 12 can eat for BD10, and it’s free for those under six.
For more information or reservations, email fb.art@rotana.com or call 16000111.
Scan the QR code below for a detailed tour of the brunch.
