Walking into the Al Safir restaurant at the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel on a Thursday evening, my companion and I were greeted by a cheerful rangoli and pleasant strains of live Indian music. It was, after all, Indian Night, where a veritable feast from the subcontinent lay in wait for us.
No sooner did we choose a table (and I recommend you reserve yours in advance to avoid disappointment) and settle in, than a steaming platter of freshly-grilled kebabs from the live kebab counter was brought in. We were quick to dig in to tandoori hammour, which flaked the second the fork touched it, succulent morsels of Murgh Tangdi Kebab and minced lamb kebabs. On the vegetarian front were chargrilled cubes of paneer (cottage cheese), mushroom and Bharwa Aloo, all of which took over the senses with their aromas and tastes.
The buffet’s salad counter immediately drew me in as I could see Indian delicacies that I have not tasted in a long time. Fluffy Dhoklas (steamed cubes of rice and gram flour batter, and silken khandvi (bite-sized, paper thin rolls of yogurt and gram flour, tempered with chillis, mustard and coriander leaves) got my attention first. It took one bite of these to tell me that the chef had hit jackpot, replicating quintessential Indian flavours. There is a counter dedicated to chaat, Indian street food redolent with the spicy, sweet tang of the country, after which you can cool down the palate with salted or sweet lassi (thick buttermilk).
Salads included Aloo Chaat, Murgh Chaat, good old kachumber and a unique cabbage with mustard seed salad. For those with a more international outlook, well, because variety is really the spice of life, there was plenty of choice such as vegetable terrine, spicy avocado and shrimp salad alongside local favourites hummus, muttabel, tabouleh and the like. All this went fantastically well with soul-warming Murgh Shorba, a creamy chicken soup, or the Gajjar Adrak Ka Shorba, which is a tasty spoonful of sweet carrot and fiery ginger.
The main course section was lined with all the rich flavours I could possibly imagine – I started with the spicy Mirchi Ka Salan (stuffed green peppers) and Paneer Bhurji (a cottage cheese preparation) and moved on to tender Bhuna Gosht, marvelling at how easily the mutton in its luscious tomato gravy gave way to a nudge of the knife. The Murgh Mussallam made for an intriguing flavour combination – tender chicken medallions sitting in an aromatic gravy of caramalised onion, along with crispy-skinned boiled eggs, topped with the heat of yellow peppers and the sweetness of sliced green grapes.
The grilled Machhi – fish that carried the flavours of coastal Kerala in its core – was something else on the palate – truly divine; as was the chicken Tilwala – crispy, batter-fried pinwheel of chicken redolent with the earthy flavour of sesame seeds. The fragrant Machhi Dum Biryani lent the buffet the royal taste of Hyderabad, and the beef roast was yet another lip-smacking dish.
The sweet section of the buffet was a riot of colour – milky white Ras Malai and Rasgulla, bright orange Carrot Halwa, multicoloured Barfi, canary yellow Pineapple Kesari and golden puffs of Balushahi. The colour spectrum was complete with the pink blush of raspberry mousse cake and the deep brown of assorted sweet pastries. With such choice before you, it’s really hard to decide which one to try, and which to leave for the next visit.
Wash down this lavish fare with a piping hot cup of ‘cutting chai’ as they do in the bustling metropolis of Mumbai, or a bubble-topped filter coffee as they do down south, and you have a Thursday dinner you’ll be reminiscing about for a long time to come.
