Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Right up there with shopping and cars, Bahrain’s favourite pastime is eating at the island’s many diverse culinary retreats. So it comes as no surprise that the Bahrain Food Festival (BFF) is one of the most popular festivals in the kingdom.
This year, as the fifth edition of the Bahrain Food Festival was launched, we stopped by on Friday evening to check out some of the most popular food vendors in the country.
One of the most impressive booths we noticed was the Lulu food booth. Having shopped at Lulu Hypermarket before, but never really had the opportunity to sample their fresh prepared food, we jumped at the opportunity to explore their two-storey booth and try out some of their culinary treats.
The first thing that stood out was the colourful walk-through booth complete with an upstairs dining area, vibrant benches outside and a sideways room.
There is even a puzzle game on the side of the booth, which, if you manage to solve before time runs out, you win a BD2 voucher to spend on food at the stand. Fun and free food – what’s not to love!
As for the cuisine itself, it was incredibly well-price with entrees ranging from 500fils to BD3 for a diverse set of food including grills, dosas, noodles and burgers.
We started off with the chicken shawarma (500fils), freshly sliced off the grill for our rumbling bellies.
This quickly followed with a mixed grill order – a combination of the BBQ Ribs which came with roasted potatoes, sautéed vegetables and garlic bread (BD3), Grilled Butter and Herb Shrimp, which came with grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes and khubus (BD3), Shish Tawouk with khubus and salad (BD1) and spicy Chicken Kebab (BD1).
And of course, no meal in Bahrain is complete without a couple of Barbicans, which were being sold in the back of the booth along with fresh fruits and chocolates.
The shrimp was my colleague’s favourite, as it was well-marinated in a butter and herb sauce, with a crispy exterior giving way to a melty succulent core. My own favourite was the shish tawouk, which was cooked just right, and perfect for either a sit-down meal or as a snack to munch on while exploring the festival.
Our vegetarian photographer also found a number of options to suit his eclectic tastes. He started off with the vegetable noodles (750fils) and quickly added on a Mysore Masala Dosa (750fils). As his meals were being prepared, he enjoyed watching and filming the chefs concoct the meal in front of him.
We also took a few minutes to explore the upstairs dining area, which had a small café-style feel to it, especially with live saxophone and keyboard brothers Elton and Ronald Shera serenading diners with fresh tunes.
As we walked around some of the other stalls, it was quickly apparent that not only did the prices at Lulu offer better value, but also that it had a better seating area with a fun family ambience. We returned for perhaps the most important course of the meal – the dessert and were treated to hot cocoa with marshmallows (250fils), which we enjoyed as we took in the live performances on stage.
The Lulu booth at the BFF continues until Saturday and will also be available during the second leg of the BFF from March 5 to 14. Stop by for an affordable treat, a great family atmosphere and lots more!
l Check out our coverage of the Bahrain Food Festival on Page 12-13!
Scan the QR Code below to check out Lulu’s culinary treats.
