28.02.2017 Dinner
@ Al Safir Hotel, Bahrain
Building 670, Road 2411, Block 324، Juffair, Manama 324
Eat Buffet Lunch (自助午餐)
Pic1: Chicken Madrooba Rice
Pic2: Oriental Grilled Chicken
Pic3: Dauphinoise Patato w/Green Beans & Italiano Fish
Pic4: Apple Strudle
Thoughts: The Chef said Chicken Madrooba is a Bharaini dish! A little like Biryani Rice, I think! I only tried some of it to get the taste. Next was the Oriental Grilled Chicken, I think the kitchen tried their best on this one! I think during the 10 odd days eating here, besides the Oriental Noodle, now the Oriental Chicken, LOL!
I think that Daupinoise Patalo is a traditional French dish based on Patato (wiki says it is from the historic Dauphiné region in south-east France) and there are many variants of it. The Dauphinois is made with raw potatoes, thinly sliced, and cream, cooked in a buttered dish rubbed with garlic and other (wiki). And it does looke like it and taste pretty good to me.
The Fish is the past week was so so, but today trying the Italiano Fish, I went back for more!
Rating: 3 / 5
28.02.2017 Lunch
@ Al Ezzel Power Plant
Kingdom of Bahrain
Pic1: Russian Yunan Salad
Pic2: Meat Kebab Grill
Thoughts: I wanted to try the Russian Salad on the menu for lunch. It was interesting mixing it with the middle east meat kebab!
Rating: 2 / 5
27.02.2017 Karak Tea
@ Palace Karak Cafeteria at Al Dur, Kingdom of Bahrain
Jau, Bahrain (towards south of Bahrain Island)
Thoughts: Nice of Ramesh (Driver) to stop by a Kara Tea shop near the Al Dur Power Plant. It is a small village just outside the Plant. There is a very very big Jail in this area with lots of police everywhere. Ramesh warns of no photographing when we were passing that Jail vicinity.
It was already 9am when we arrived at the Karak tea shop at Al Dur (from Juffair's Al Safir hotel). But the village seems a quite little town. Only when Ramesh "honked" that someone came out from the tea shop to take the order and bring to our car. With the car window wined down for the cool air and a Masala/Karak Chai(Tea), what better way to start the day.
Today, the hour driving to AL Dur from Juffair, Ramesh and me discussed about a little about of different lives. Ramesh is married with a baby girl, he has been working in Bahrain for 12 years and he only goes back to India usually only 1 time a year. He misses his family a lot especially the new born! It has been tough life for him as job opportunities in the India city he comes from is lacking. Still, he wishes in another 1-2 years to go back to India for good. We also talked about religions in our lives. I wish him well in his efforts to make some good money before returning back to his family.
Rating: 3 / 5
27.02.2017 Breakfast
@ Al Safir Hotel, Bahrain
Building 670, Road 2411, Block 324، Juffair, Manama 324
Eat Buffet Breakfast (自助早餐)
Pic1: Salami w/mixed Omelet on saudi bread
Pic2: Cheese Spring Rolls w/ Foul Madames
Pic3: Pastries
Thoughts: I make may own sandwich again with the mixed omelet, salami, vegetables, cheese, and hummus on the Saudi bread. After several days of trying out the Saudi bread of Tameez (I think), I have to to prefer Tameez over the white bread so far if a choice is given on the choice of bread to use.
On the second picture (where the red/orange stuff with green onions on it) is something called Foul/Ful Madames, dates back from Ancient Egypt. A dish cooked with Fava Beans (Pea family). It's a staple food in Egypt but has become common cuisine in the Middle-Eastern Arab countries as well as African cultures. I do suppose it could go well as a dipping and so tried it with the Cheese Spring Rolls. It seems that the many days here, Ful Madames is a common serving at the Buffet.
Rating: 3 / 5
26.02.2017 Dinner
@ Al Safir Hotel, Bahrain
Building 670, Road 2411, Block 324، Juffair, Manama 324
Eat Buffet Dinner (自助晚餐)
Pic1: Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Pic2: Beef Stroganoff
Pic3: Pasta Tomato Sauce w/ Dill Patato
Pic4&5: Bamia Salona
Pic 6: Salad with Saudi Bread
Pic 7: Banana Pudding
Thoughts: All these food I am having at Dinner time is putting in a lot of weight. But who cares! I tried everything on the buffet table today, I mean a little bit of everything.
Started with the beautiful creamy roasted pumpkin soup. Oh! the soup went well with the Beef Stroganoff, it really did. And I forgot I should not eat Beef, oh Hell here I go again and again! LOL! Who cares anyway, you only live once. I suppose! Beef Stroganoff, ha! surprisingly is a Russian dish.
Next, I tried their Pasta w/Tomato Sauce & the Dill Patato, didn't know a simple patato can have such a fancy recipe, great taste which I like. That Bamia Salona (Pic 4&5) was definitely something too funky for me, must be an acquired taste. And the Salad choice I selected was so sour that I took a photograph and left the entire plate together with the Saudi bread on the table.
The finale was the banana pudding, finish them all. Those cakes on Pic 7 behind the banana pudding was just for background photograph, never took any of it. LOL!
Crazy adventure of tasting everything in the Buffet menu today! Crazy Frog.
Rating: 3 / 5
26.02.2017 Lunch (二月初一吃素)
@ Al Dur Power Plant, Kingdom of Bahrain (click to Google Map)
Jau, Bahrain (towards south of Bahrain Island)
素印度香饭 Vegetable Biryani Rice
Thoughts: Today is 二月初一, so a month passed after the Chinese New Year but I hardly notice anyway; no interest in CNY celebrations. But I continue with my Vegetarian today at the Al Dur Power Plant.
Ordered the Vegetable Biryani Rice, I have many times savor Biryani Rice with meat but not Vegetarian. It is different but a good change as lately really too much meat. But I only taken maybe 1/5 of the rice that came with the sauce.
Supposedly as I understand, again from the Web, the word "biryani" is an Urdu word derived from the Persian language, which was used as an official language in different parts of medieval India, by various Islamic dynasties. One theory is that it originates from "birinj", the Persian word for rice. Another theory is that it derives from "biryan" or "beriyan" (to fry or roast) and that is according to Wikipedia.
But it is something of a staple food for the Muslim communities of both but primarily Northern India and Southern India. It seems that its a 4000 year old history of people adding cow meat, mutton, and beef to their rice which is the precursor of what is known as Biryani Rice today. And the derivative into Vegetable Biryani must be due to the demand of the same thing but without meat for a larger population of Indian Vegetarians, I think!
Rating: 3 / 5
26.02.2017 Tea
@ Al Dur Power Plant, Kingdom of Bahrain
Jau, Bahrain (towards south of Bahrain Island)
Thoughts: Ramesh (my driver the the 2 weeks in Bahrain) on arrival to AL Dur Plant (which took about an hour from Juffair), he made me a Chai Karak Tea (or Masala Tea his version).
He used the electric mixer to mix the concoction he put together in the paper cup and walla ! Masala/Chai Karak Tea "Ramesh" version. My friend did fill me up with lots of stories about his life here in Bahrain and India in the 1 hour drive from Juffair to Al Dur!
Rating: 3 / 5
26.02.2017 Breakfast (二月初一吃素)
@ Al Safir Hotel, Bahrain (click to Google Map)
Building 670, Road 2411, Block 324، Juffair, Manama 324
Pic1: 菌菇滑蛋 Egg Bhurji
Pic2: 炒蘑菇 Sauteed mushroom
Thoughts: Interesting to learn that Egg Bhurji is a North and Western India and Pakistani dish origin. In my opinion, it is much more exciting than scrambled egg.The difference lies in its preparation and addition of sauteed chopped onions, chilies and optional spices which are then used together with Tomatoes before adding beaten eggs into the pan giving the dish a tangy flavor. I had it together with the Tameez (Saudi) Bread.
Ended the quick breakfast with some sauteed mushrooms before taking an car trip to another of Al Ezzel's Plant which is the Al Dor Power Plant at Jau, Bahrain.
Rating: 3 / 5
25.02.2017 Tea
@ Magic Karak TeaHouse, Kingdom of Bahrain
Avenue 20 (oppsite Bahrain Airport)
Thoughts: To drink hot beverage standing on the Cold at the streets of Bahrain was a change from the mundane restaurant settings. Here, after dinner at Al Abraaj Restaurant; the guys brought me opposite the street to a small TeaHouse Chain called Magic Karak. Where Karak Tea is served, with only 2-3 chais outside the shop, everyday else either drink the Karak Tea in the car or standing on the streets.
I think its generically called Chai Karak, very popular in UAE and Qatar. I was told the Karak Chain of shops, in early hours of the morning or late at night and you will find endless rows of cars lining up for what seems to be just a small cup of inexpensive tea.
Rating: 4 / 5
25.02.2017 Dinner
@ Al Abraaj, Kingdom of Bahrain
Avenue 20 (oppsite Bahrain Airport)
Pic1 : Grilled Halloumi Cheese
Pic2 : Cream of Vege Soup
Pic3 : Bahrain Tea
Pic4 : Tabulla
Pic5 : Fatusch
Pic6 : Hummus
Pic7 : Chili Beef Sizzling
Opening hours: 12am - 11pm
Thoughts: I would of all the recipe served on the table tonight, the best was the Grilled Halloumi Cheese. Halloumi (Turkish Origin) is a Cypriot semi-hard, unripened brined cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. I guess to be its semi-hard nature, the Cheese could be grilled. The results is fantastic, I liked the slightly burn taste of cheese.
Another dish deserve mentioning is the Chili Sizzling Beef ordered by a Bahrain friend. Surprisingly very familiar Chinese like cooking, LOL!
I was told that Al Abraaj is one of the very top restaurant choices in Bahrain; with traditional decorations in the restaurant. There are open sections and family sections.
Rating: 4 / 5
