With ardent intent to catch up after a long time, a friend and I headed to Al Safir’s Chocoholic Friday Brunch at the Sheraton Bahrain. The restaurant enveloped us with the warmth of its sun-kissed ambience, and the light wooden panelling interspersed with glass lent the space a cosy glow.
This Friday spread is not all chocolatey – there are plenty of savouries and live cooking counters to write home about. We started at the focal point of the restaurant – the semi-enclosure where delicious fare awaited us.
My partiality for soup drew me to the giant tureens just past the live shawarma station.
The intoxicating aromas of lemongrass, chilli and lime meant the Thai soup won out over the hearty minestrone. The salad counter was resplendent, with ample choice for vegetarians. Platters of seafood calamari rolls, gravlax, Thai chicken salad, vegetable terrine and caprese salad sat alongside dainty bowls offering stuffed egg, brie and dried fig, and salmon roulade, amongst other fresh fare. The assortment of cheese at the bread and cheese station was commendable too.
The affable chefs at the live pasta and teriyaki stations were happy to mix up ingredients to guests’ liking – doling out steaming plates of Italian and Oriental comfort food. Kid-friendly chow such as Tupelo fried chicken, potato wedges, mini pizzas and burgers kept the little ones munching happily.
Out of the 10 or 12 delightful main course options, I took second helpings of the mustard baked hammour (delicious melt-in-your-mouth fish with a mustardy sauce) and the almond potato (golden crusted spheres of nutty potato mash). I would have had some more of the yummy stir-fried duck in its cute little ramekin, but my mind directed me towards the glorious hunk of prime rib with beef jus calling out to me. The salmon papillote with dill sauce sitting beside it made it slightly harder to select what went onto my plate. Beyond this, stood the seafood counter, laden with the ocean’s colourful bounty waiting to be cooked up as you fancy. There are also dressed oysters and clams.
Gliding past the lovely ladies of the live band, I found myself looking at the real deal – the ‘chocoholic’ aspect of the brunch. My eyes must have been swirling in concentric circles, hypnotised by the sheer array of sweetness that stood before me.
The large two-tiered centre spread had the most mind-boggling variety of desserts arranged around a fantastic sculpture made of, well, of course, chocolate! The staples of a sweet binge were present – red velvet cake, chocolate mousse, almond chocolate parfait, et al. The sights and smells of other inimitable creations kept the brain in tempted anticipation till I reached the table and took a bite.
Some of the desserts looked just too pretty to break into, but the eager palate pushes you to dig in anyway. My favourites were the vanilla dome, raspberry dark and white chocolate mousse, pistachio swiss roll and mango mousse.
For choco-fanatics wanting to ‘dive’ in, there are two chocolate fountains – light and dark – to be savoured with gooey marshmallows, fresh cut fruit and cubes of sponge cake. The chef at the neighbouring counter flipped paper-thin crepes onto plates, stuffed and topped with fillings, ice creams and sauces of preference. Yet another dessert stand sported traditional Arabic sweetmeats, and types of local dates as well.
The Chocoholic Friday brunch at the Sheraton Bahrain is ideal for family and friends to spend quality time together, in the company of marvellous flavours and music. We spent some leisurely three-plus hours there, doing justice not only to the culinary plethora before us, but also to our precious friendship.
