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If one was to attempt to distil the vibes of Ramadan, it would boil down to an essence of the daily dance between fasting and feasting, albeit with a strong whiff of ouzi and lentil soup as well as a sweet aftertaste of umpteen desserts.
And why shouldn’t it?
After a day of meditative fasting, Ramadan is just as much about the meal you finally enjoy, as it is about the atmosphere where you steep in the vibes of the month and the people with whom you savour the season.
Amongst a buffet of ghabga and iftar options across the island during the holy month, the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay continues to sparkle with the fanciest food and finest feels, sure to delight you and your loved ones.
The GDN Media team experienced this seasonal delight last week at the hotel’s Ramadan Tent during an evening of fun and food, all elevated, of course, by the classic Four Seasons touch of hospitality.
This year, the five-star property further upped the ante with the Premium Experience, available only during the ghabga for a few select tables.
The Premium Experience offers an opportunity to enjoy full table-waited service, with a dedicated Four Seasons Butler on hand to attend to every request.
To get a true feel of the Premium Experience, we were led to our table, laid with chic and tasteful tableware, with an unobstructed view of the stage.
On the table was served up a selection of Executive Chef Leonardo Di Clemente’s recommended menu of Arabic mezzes, soon to be followed by a sumptuous main course and desserts. The cherry on top was, of course, having staff always on hand to bring us anything from the buffet that caught our eye.
Chef Di Clemente’s recommended menu of appetisers included hummus, muhammara, moutabel, cheese rolls, spinach fatayer, halloumi rolls and of course, kibbeh.
The main course’s highlights were the chicken machboos, salmon harra and the batenjen mahshi (stuffed eggplant in a delectable tomato sauce) while my dining companions also enjoyed the Bahraini ouzi, harees, kofta in tahini sauce and the oriental mix grill.
Even though the table service was top notch, no ghabga feast is complete without a few jaunts down the buffet lines, where Oriental Specialty Chef Tony El Khoury had whipped up his signature world-renowned Lebanese delights.
Our eyes feasted on 18 different live Arabic and Lebanese cooking stations featuring Ouzi, saj shawarmas, Egyptian koshari, falafel and much more.
Of course, the cuisine was not just limited to the Levant – with a whole bevy of global cuisine, from Peruvian ceviche to Asian bao buns, sushi and biryani to wok and carvery treats, Italian pastas, and Spanish paella. Even the pickiest eaters are sure to find something to satisfy their cravings here.
And of course, what Ramadan gathering is complete without an ocean of desserts?
This year, Executive Pastry Chef Imad Boukli and his team have added a chocolate soufflé station as well as unique Turkish delight shawarmas– both of them a feast not just for the taste buds, but for the eyes and nose as well.
Although I have sampled Turkish delight before, it was an experience seeing Chef Imad slice a thin layer of the dessert off five different kinds of Turkish delight.
Meanwhile, at the table, as part of the Premium Experience, you can also enjoy aish el saraya, assorted baklawa, warbaat, saffron rice pudding, Um Ali, katayaf and awamat, though I’ll have to be honest, we were as stuffed as the batenjen mahshi by the time our butlers tried to entice us into more dessert.
Instead, they thoughtfully brought out some fresh fruits, which we munched on, while enjoying live music and performances, courtesy of the lead vocalist and members of the famous Opera House of Egypt.
The Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay’s ghabga and iftar experiences continue to dazzle, and this year, the Premium Experience as well as the new buffet additions have made them shine even brighter. And we will definitely be going back for more, because there is simply no way to sample everything in just one evening! Unless perhaps, we got a room at the hotel to sleep off the food coma.
The Iftar at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay is served daily from sunset to 8pm, and is priced at BD35net per person, inclusive of food, Ramadan juices, Arabic coffee and Moroccan tea. Children aged six to 12 dine for BD18.
Ghabga is available daily from 9pm to 2am, priced at BD38 per person, inclusive of food and Ramadan juices. Children aged six to 12 dine for BD20.
The Premium Experience is only available during Ghabga and is priced at BD55net per person, with a minimum of four people required per booking.
Children aged five and below can enjoy the iftar or ghabga with the hotel’s compliments.
For bookings or details, email diningreservations.bahrain@fourseasons.com or call 1711 5500.
