Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
It looks good enough to eat … and when there’s a special Sicilian artistic twist to the cuisine you cannot possibly go wrong.
One of my favourite Italian restaurants on the island has recruited a new chef and he is gently introducing his techniques and talent to the menu.
Executive Sous Chef Marco Terranova is handling the situation perfectly, in my opinion, as too many retaurants in my experience dump the old and bring in the new whenever a new appointment is made.
It would be tragic if that had happened at Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa’s Fiamma Restaurant because it has genuinely established a glowing reputation and a remarkable menu.
What Chef Marco brings to the table is a stunning presentation to old standards and he gave me a tantalising taste of a few new dishes that will gradually be added to the choices available in the weeks to come.
This is what my good friend Executive Chef Indrajit Saha would delight in describing as ‘Instagram-able’ delights – you simply want to instantly share the moment and make friends jealous. I know, because I did just that!
“In the few months I’ve been here it’s clear what our regular diners desire,” said Chef Marco, “and I plan to add a few of my own twists to classic dishes and introduce some new clear cut winners over time that I know from experience will prove just as popular.”
That experience is impressive. He was the Italian restaurant chef at the Four Seasons Marrakesh responsible for opening its Quattro Restaurant and creating a new menu of south Italian cuisine.
He was also the specialty outlet chef at the Rotana Hotel Amman and has two other Four Seasons properties under his belt in the UK and Saudi Arabia. During his spell in Riyadh, the Italian restaurant Rosso was awarded a ‘Best Casual Dining’ industry accolade.
Chef Marco, 39, produced a special tasting menu for the good lady wife, Kathryn, and I, and the starter, Arancino Pizzuto, was a little mountain of more-ness containing fried rice and saffron filled with bolognaise and mozzarella cheese.
A seasonal seafood salad with beetroot and an amazing orange and mandarin confit alongside orange jelly, a real taste of Sicily, followed - a light, bright dish of sunshine.
It’s hard to place these dishes in any order of preference because they were all simply perfect in taste and, of course, presentation, but the Taglioni pasta dish of Porcini mushrooms and Burrata Fondue was as near to perfection as can be – and equally as good as the Grigliata di Pesce, a seasonal Mix-grilled Seafood dish with Hanna Potato, always a firm favourite with a Bahraini audience, that followed. I love sea-bass and I’ve yet to taste it cooked better than this.
Another star turn was chef’s surprise little gift of Sicilian Pizza, a double-layered delight with a Parmesan crust which is part of his ‘special repertoire’. When this becomes a permanent fixture on the menu I’m booking a table for the family straight away. It’s wonderful.
The restaurant is renowned for its Nodino di Vitellio, glowingly reviewed on this page in the past, a giant Veal Chop with Fondant Potato, this time perfectly prepared by Chef Marco ‘Palermitan-style’ with his special breadcrumbs.
The dessert was a delight too, a fried Calzone crisp, golden brown fried pillow of dough stuffed with ricotta cheese, so good but so naughty.
This restaurant has real soul, in my opinion created from the moment it added a showcase entrance of cheese amid a delicatessen counter that really transports you into an Italian setting. The centrepiece has flames flickering from an authentic pizza oven to add to the experience too, which is not surprising as the Italian word Fiamma means flame in English.
With Chef Marco the Magnificent on board that flame continues to burn brightly.
And, as family means everything to the Italians, there’s a special Mini Me promotion taking place on Saturday nights. For every pasta, pizza and salad ordered, your little ones get to fall into your footsteps and receive a mini version of the selected dish for free. This deal is valid for children under 12.
For reservations call 17636363.
