Astounding Abundance - Eats and Treats by Tania Rebello
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
The Four Seasons Hotel has left no stone unturned when it comes to creating a magical experience for guests of all ages and nationalities. This year, their Ramadan tent is just as magnificent as the years before.
They have upped the experience even further by offering much more this time. The tent boasts regal shades of blue and gold on the beautifully designed arches and buffet counters.
An Arabesque-themed design is seen throughout the tent. Live music and performances add to the enchanting ambience during ghabga. The food choices will blow your mind; it is a paradise of goodies!
To tackle this correctly, you should check all the food counters and plan what you will eat. There are indeed some hard decisions to make. Present in the massive space is a wide range of Middle Eastern delights, traditional Bahraini food, and food from different parts of the world.
The centre of attraction is the hall, designed aptly with street like the decorated with trees and strings of lights.
They were dishing out hot and flashy street food such as saj, Asian noodles, steamed dumplings, pizzas, baos, falafels. A wide selection of salads and appetisers was available to choose from. This section was the most colourful with Middle Eastern, Continental and Asian salads and appetisers.
They have 18 live cooking stations, including syawarma, falafel, koshari, ceviche, carvery treats , masala dosa, panipuri and noodles.
On the sweet side, they have live counters dishing up kunafa, Teppanyaki roll ice cream, crepes and Bahraini halwa, to name a few.
This year they have also featured a couple of new live dessert counters, including a chocolate souffle counter serving piping hot, rich chocolate souffles and Turkish delights shaped like shawarmas that were shaved and served for excited guests to devour. I enjoyed a refreshing Vimto lemonade and a plate of hot and cold mezze.
This was followed by a bao with shrimp filling. This is the only hotel I have been to that serves bao, and they are lovely, like soft pillows filled with shrimp coated in batter and fried until crunchy. Fresh lettuce added freshness and a lively green colour.
The crispy crab roll was so good, with a sweet crab filling covered in soft sushi rice. This morsel was wrapped in nori, batter coated and fried. The spicy sriracha mayonnaise added a spicy kick to the roll. The saj filled with Nutella and banana caught my attention as I headed for the next round.
But it was time to grab a bite of succulent meat from the carving section.
I chose to go with a slice of sirloin. The meat was very tender, and this was evident even as the chef sliced it for me. Jordanian Mansaf was very appetising and consisted of tender lamb topped with a sauce of fermented, dried yoghurt in which the lamb was cooked.
The dish is served with spiced rice. It tastes even better than the description. For desserts, I decided to go with my favourite saffron rice pudding and a saj filled with Nutella (Despite the massive dessert arrangement, I had to get one). The rice pudding was excellent, creamy with perfectly cooked rice and a delicate but noticeable saffron flavour.
Nuts and raisins added crunch and a pop of sweetness. The saj was soft with an everso-thin layer of crispiness, and the warm, gooey Nutella filling was dreamy.
This year, a section of the Ramadan tent has been elevated to include a new and exclusive Premium Experience with exquisite tableware, unique menu and a dedicated butler, apart from the ability to select your favourites from the buffet area.
Additionally, they have a range of activities for children, overseen by the experienced Four Seasons Kids’ Club team.
Iftar :
Sunset to 8:00 pm
BHD 35 net per person (including food, house water, Ramadan juices, Arabic coffee and Moroccan tea). Children aged 6-12 dine for BHD 18; children aged 5 and below dine with the Hotel’s compliments.
Ghabga :
9:00 pm to 2:00 am
BHD 38 per person (including food and Ramadan juices).
Children aged 6 to 12 years dine for BHD 20; children aged 5 and below dine with the Hotel’s compliments.
Premium Experience :
9:00 pm to 2:00 am
BHD 55 per person (the tables can be booked for a minimum of 4 people).
Special group rates are available for bookings of 30 people or more (Saturday to Wednesday).
For bookings or more details of the Ramadan celebrations at Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, contact (973) 1711 5500 or diningreservations.bahrain@ fourseasons.com .
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