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After a week of birthday celebrations and stuffing cake, sweets and chocolate into my mouth, I was crying out for some healthy food to get back on track with my fitness regime.
Thankfully, Mawasim Restaurant & Lounge provided the perfect opportunity as myself, marketing manager Jalal Muradi and photographer Honey Sharma were treated to an outstanding Mediterranean breakfast on Saturday.
The bright and breezy outlet was the perfect tonic for a boiling hot summer’s day, eliciting feelings of holidaying and enjoying some fine fare.
Celebrated Jordanian Chef Maher Ramzi is the culinary wizard in charge at the restaurant, located at the booming Galleria Mall in Zinj.
He commands a strong following after spellbinding work over a five year spell at popular dining destinations in Bahrain, and in the space of a couple of hours and numerous courses proved exactly why he deserves it.
He explained: “The menu is a medley, it’s a fusion actually, it’s my creativity plated. There are Arabic touches with bold yet simple flavours of the Mediterranean.
“The Arabic name of the restaurant means ‘seasons’ and our aim is to create meals for all seasons covering all the glorious seasons across the Mediterranean coast.”
Mediterranean cuisine combines a vast range taking in all the countries that border the sea - Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco.
All of these influences were clear to see on the breakfast menu, starting with the Hummus Poulet, a creamy and flavourful homemade hummus packed with marinated chicken liver and pomegranate molasses, and the Caramelised Foul Hummus, topped with lemon green chili sauce and fresh herbs.
Now, if you’re anything like me, then you can’t properly start a day without a nice cuppa. Mawasim provides a wide variety on its breakfast menu, such as chamomile, lemongrass, Moroccan or the old favourite, yet still unrivalled, English breakfast tea.
This time, however, I plumped for the Chai Karak, which I usually enjoy in a small cardboard cup from the little shops dotted around Bahrain. For a change, I wanted to try it brewed in a teapot and I’m glad I did, with the more bitter and wholesome taste resonating with my tastebuds.
I’m usually averse to savoury food in the mornings. In fact, I’m that stereotypical boring person who is very much content with a Weetabix to kickstart my day.
That may all be about to change after sampling the Mawasim Shakshuka, which I am happy to admit is one of the greatest dishes I’ve ever tasted. It seems simple but it’s all about the execution; slow-baked roma tomatoes, eggs, crumbled feta cheese and roasted onions all encased in a thin pastry shrine. Simply divine.
Of course, any fusion of Arabic cuisine must contain bread, and we were offered a lip-smacking sample of three different types, one topped with Bahraini moajanat, mahyawa sauce and melted cheese, another with Lebanese halloumi cheese and zaatar, with the third Armenian safeha, minced beef and tahini sauce.
Finally, although our stomachs were crying for mercy, we were treated to the most exotically-decorated Croissant Olé, packed to the brim with smoked turkey, creamy spinach sauce, scrambled eggs and garden greens.
The menu designed by Chef Maher combines all the insight he has gained on his travels. His culinary journey has taken him across Europe, meandering into the lap of royal experience at the Al Baraka Palace, Jordan and eventually making way to other Middle Eastern countries in managerial and executive chef roles.
I, for one, am glad his wealth of experience and influences spreads to the plate because this eating out experience opened my eyes considerably. Who knew there was more to breakfast than Frosties and milk?
It isn’t just breakfast that catches the eye either; as the extensive lunch and dinner menus also offer fantastic fare. The outlet is open until late, with the upstairs area featuring big screens for sports fans, and can seat a total of 200 guests
Mawasim comes under the umbrella of Chrome Concept Restaurant Management Company, the F&B division of the Dadabhai business family, the same company that brought the popular WOK Station concept to the kingdom.
