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Equinoxes and solstices are some of my favourite times of the year, since they bring a sense of balance to the seasonal universe, and GulfWeekly celebrated the advent of the fall equinox and the official end of Bahrain’s boiling summer with a visit to the Mawasim Restaurant & Lounge located in Galleria Mall in Zinj.
Mawasim, which translates to ‘seasons’ in Arabic, was the perfect spot for our equinox lunch, not only because they are introducing a number of new items on their menu but also because it is the perfect balance between Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, prepared for us by the magnetic Chef Maher Ramzi.
The Arab region is known globally for its lavish hospitality, which was on full display as I pulled up and walked past the luxurious lounge, with ethereal lighting and the charming staff guiding me to our table.
Just as we sat down and started to flick through the offerings on the restaurant’s iPad, almost adding the entire menu to our tab, Chef Maher Ramzi stopped by to say hello and wave away the menu, informing us that he had something special and off-menu for us.
We were to be the first guinea pigs for his new menu, a hefty mantle that we stepped up with delight. As the seasons change, so does the chef’s menu, to reflect the spectrum of seasonal delights that the Mediterranean coast has to offer.
While we waited for the main fare, our charming waitress Jocelyn Engo served us a round of healthy and heavenly quenchers. I lunged for the Brazilian Coupe which blended mango, banana and pineapple, topped with fresh mango slices and Brazilian nuts for a celestial saunter along a tropical beach, nostalgically reminding me of the season past. Meanwhile, my colleagues enjoyed Jerry’s Berry, a flavourful fusion of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries and the classic (virgin) Mojito with a twist of dragon fruit.
Our appetisers were in quick pursuit and the Dynamic Shrimp and Chicken Hummus salad appeared on our tables, making our bellies purr in anticipation. The shrimp, in all its deep fried goodness, was delectable. However, the showstopper starter was the thinly sliced grilled chicken, served with hummus, avocado, skinny sweet potato chips, tomatoes and radish, making every nutritionist, and more importantly, my mom, happy that I was eating my veggies.
Of the expansive excerpt of entrées, we were served Mawasim’s marvellous mansaf as well as the salmon stuffed with feta cheese and broccoli and a side potatoes and asparagus, and to balance it all out, a barbecue chicken pizza. The salmon was soft and flaky, gushing with feta cheese and broccoli at the lightest touch and pairing perfectly with the lightly grilled asparagus and fondant potatoes, topped with za’atar blended with dried olives, giving it a truffle-ish taste.
The barbecue chicken pizza was spicy but with a sweet finish, courtesy of the fresh pineapple chunks. The Mawasim menu endeavours to keep it fresh and keep it local, and this was definitely evident in this impeccable offering.
The highlight however, was the mansaf, a Jordanian classical celebration of Chef Maher’s homeland. Jordan takes its mansaf very seriously; only lamb must be used, and the rice preparation is just as important as the meat. As expected, Chef Maher went the extra mile, satiating our palates with lamb marinated overnight in jameed, a fermented dried yoghurt, served with saffron rice, all atop a thin saj bread. My favourite part of the mansaf is that it is a communal dish, and we dove in, our cutlery lying forgotten as we topped the bread with spoonfuls of rice and lamb, topping it all off with the ambrosial jameed sauce.
Our food comas incoming, Jocelyn brought out the dessert, a massive baked delight, somewhere between a crepe and croissant stuffed with chocolate and dry fruit, topped with raspberries and served with vanilla ice-cream. I enjoyed mine with a café mocha, as I chatted with Chef Maher about the new menu, including the secret new burger, which should be hitting Bahrain’s bellies in October.
We left, our bellies full and our hearts even fuller, in appreciation of the food and the staff, who made sure to always go the extra smile.
For reservations call 77232377 or 35911726.
