Le Meridien Bahrain's Baharat offers the most brunch-ilicious experience every Friday
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
By Tania Rebello
Friday mornings often come up with a legion of challenges, and breakfast versus brunch would be the dominant of all. The brunch will have its natural, eventual victory, for you have missed the timings.
And now you need to zero in on the destination, which has to be Baharat at Le Meridien Bahrain City Center, the perfecto, numero uno dining experience for all reasons. The brunch service starts there at 12:30 pm, entailing foodies to enjoy the best of both worlds.
The Daily Tribune had the opportunity to experience the first brunch upon the reopening of this award-winning dine-out destination.
As we walked into the restaurant, the aroma of delicious food and the warm smile of the friendly greeter welcomed us. The soothing samba and bachata tunes set the vibe for a delightful afternoon. After taking our seats, we decided to order a refreshing watermelon juice. I sipped on my watermelon juice while glancing at the meticulous food displays.
There is a saying that we eat with our eyes first. The salad section was truly a feast for the eyes with all the beautiful salads prepared with colourful vegetables, cold cuts and sushi. I plated my first few bites from the appetizers section, which consisted of spring rolls, spinach quiche and mushroom quiche.
I expressed that I have never eaten a tastier spring roll and my colleagues agreed. I often skip the salad section to devour more items from the main course and dessert section but I could not help but take a bite of the salad niçoise, which is essentially prepared with tuna, French beans and egg.
Bahrain is big on pasta and they have a live counter where guests can order pasta the way they enjoy it and have it prepared and served, hot and fresh.
On my way to the main course section, I had the opportunity to speak to their Head Chef Juan Perez who was very excited to speak about the concept behind the day’s brunch. He spoke about bringing a French flair to what ideally is an international buffet. The main course had several French dishes.
Most of us know about the famous ratatouille, thanks to the movie, but have you heard about ‘Hachis Parmentier Gratin’? The chef explained that Hachis Parmentier means ground meat with potato. This dish was created to make use of leftover meats such as chicken, beef or lamb.
Of course, at the hotel, they do not use leftovers but fresh meat. The ground beef is topped with mashed potato and cheese and baked till golden.
Among the other dishes were duck confit (duck breast in a cranberry sauce, salmon with leeks, chicken blanquette (chicken and vegetables in a creamy white sauce). They also have a roasted meat counter. I tried the lamb rack with the luscious black pepper thyme sauce.
The salmon with leeks was very flavoursome. The salmon was cooked to tender perfection and paired well with leeks and the white sauce. My sweet tooth drew my attention to the dessert corner that boasted a wide array of pastries, cakes, crepes, ice cream, umm Ali and sticky toffee pudding.
The mille-feuille and sticky toffee pudding were our favourites. The fudge cake was delicious too. One cannot miss the chocolate fountain and the children were excited about it.
This restaurant is family-oriented and pleasant in terms of ambience, quality of food and music, which added to a memorable overall experience. Brunch at Baharat is served every Friday from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm. For reservations, WhatsApp 33204175.
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