Restaurant review: the Fish Market, Bahrain
- Lifestyles
- Travel & Leisure
- Restaurant Reviews
Author: Kyle Pakka
Released 11 April 2004
Al Bander Resort
Photographs Contributed by Al Bander Resort
As the glass and steel skyscrapers continue to rise along the north shore of Bahrain and as the traffic and congestion intensify, those in search of a more peaceful setting in which to enjoy the seafood delights of this island nation should head to the Fish Market restaurant, located at the tip of the Sitra peninsula.
The restaurant, part of the Al Bander resort complex, is only a fifteen minute drive from the Diplomatic Quarter of Manama, but it feels like a world away. The approach, which passes the tank farm of Bapco, the Bahrain Petroleum Company, is not promising, but once past the enormous tanks, the vista softens and the blue Gulf beckons. The Al Bander resort is the second-to-last place on the peninsula; the Yacht Club occupies the very tip.
The Fish Market, one of five eateries on the resort grounds, looks out over a white-sand beach ringing a small lagoon used by the resort’s guests for swimming and kayaking. On the Gulf side of the lagoon is an artificial island equipped with facilities for outdoor barbecues; jutting from the island is a short pier suitable for dreamy kids to dangle their legs in the turquoise waters or for lovers to watch the moonrise.
The restaurant itself is a large, open airy room with big windows encompassing views of the lagoon, the resort’s cabanas and chalets and beyond, the blue waters of the Gulf. There’s also a shaded terrace for outdoor dining. Tall palms shake their heads in the blue sky and colorful flowers burst from the landscaped grounds all around. While we ate, a beach volleyball game broke out and we could catch glimpses of the families around the swimming pool on the far side of the lagoon.
The Fish Market underwent a renovation in the last year and now features a subdued nautical theme limited to fishing nets, ropes, and other bits of seafaring gear hanging behind and over the fresh seafood on display. The sailor décor is thankfully not overdone or pushed too hard – rather than an artificial Disney-esque nautical carnival, the restaurant has a cheerful, casual atmosphere conducive to comfort and relaxation with a focus on the seafood.
In keeping with the casual atmosphere, the tables and chairs are no-nonsense, straightforward wood, the latter are high-backed and cushioned while the tables are covered in plain tablecloths of soothing peach and blue.
The service was thoroughly attentive and friendly. The female staff are outfitted in royal blue outfits reminiscent of saris and suggestive of tropical climes. The men also wore a sari-style bottom garment, in checkered black and blue blazers and white shirts. Atop their heads were white turbans, worn Bahraini fisherman style with a long tail down the back.
Fish Market Restaurant
Photographs Contributed by Al Bander Resort
The staff behind the seafood bar, where customers choose their fish, were very helpful and able to make suggestions about matching the type of fish to the best method of preparation. When we asked about squid tempura, the new-style fish monger suggested that fried squid was a much better option than tempura. They also tipped us off that one bayshore salad would be enough for two. For diners unaccustomed to choosing seafood in the “fresh from the boat” approach, the staff at the Fish Market make excellent guides.
Once you’ve picked out what types of fish you want to eat, it’s time to pick how it’s cooked. The restaurant offers four styles of food preparation and each choice is explained on a helpful, easy to use menu.
Continental style incorporates several methods of cooking, including Provençal, charcoal grilled and Thermidor. (Thermidor was the 11th month of the Republican calendar used briefly after the French Revolution. Lobster tail meat, cooked and removed from the shell, is tossed with a bechamel sauce, then topped with Parmesan cheese and browned in a broiler. According to food legend, the dish was named by Napoleon after the month in which he first tasted it.)
The second style is Oriental. Seafood is sautéed with herbs, garlic, shallots, lemon and parsley.
The third choice is the Chef’s special. On the day of our visit, it was American style: sautéed with garlic and shallots and topped with tomato and cream sauce.
Thai style means your choice is grilled or steamed and then served with a sauce of chili, lemon leaves, lemon grass, coriander and finely chopped vegetables.
Several other sauces are also offered on the side, including Thai curry, mustard and Provençal.
All seafood is pegged to the market price per 100 grams. The day we visited, there were oysters, mussels, salmon filets, shrimp, clams, crabs, segale (local crayfish), Omani lobster (including live ones in a tank, squid, silous (a needle-nosed fish), red mullet, safi, faskar, yanam, sheim, shari, sobatty, white mullet, and hammour. And, if you’re feeling rich, tins of beluga caviar.
All the fish were clear-eyed and firm fleshed, clearly reflecting the chef’s daily practice of visiting Bahrain’s fish markets and selecting what looks freshest.
On the rare occasion when customers are disappointed at not finding chicken or meat on the menu, or are allergic to seafood, they can order from the 24-hour coffee shop and the staff will bring the order to the Fish Market so they can eat along with the rest of their party.
Two kinds of soups, mixed seafood with vegetables and Thai spicy seafood, are on the menu at 1.8 BD. Offerings from the garden patch include mixed salad, with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green peppers, onions and celery, 1.5 BD; bayshore salad with shrimp and crab meat on lettuce, 2.0 BD; and squid on romaine lettuce, 1.8BD.
The vegetable side dish varies, depending on what the chef finds in the market, and can be prepared steamed or sautéed, stir fried in oyster sauce or Thai style, all for 2.5 BD.
What would fish be without chips, and at the Fish Market you can choose between chips (French fries) or boiled with parsley butter, both for .8 BD. If you prefer, you can have steamed (.8 BD) or Chinese fried rice (1BD).
For whistle-wetting, the Fish Market offers assorted waters, still and gassy; fresh fruit juices which can also be served up island mocktail style; seven kinds of beer priced around the 1.8 BD range; a full bar and a short wine list with red, white, rosé and champagne offerings from California, Italy, and France. Selections from Germany and South Africa were unavailable the day we visited.
Looking over the menu, we wished we had a dozen visits planned but after much discussion and help from the staff, we ordered bayshore salad, grilled segale, shrimp Oriental style, fried silous, and grilled shari Thai style.
To stimulate the taste buds, diners are served a complimentary appetizer of fried pita with yogurt-cucumber dip laced liberally with garlic.
Our bayshore salad arrived quickly, along with the fried silous, served atop a warming grill. The salad was a generous serving of crunchy lettuce and ripe tomato, topped with nuggets of boiled shrimp and strands of surimi, the imitation crab meat made from pollock and other white fish. The dressing, applied with a light hand, was creamy and peppery and simultaneously soothed and zinged the tongue.
The fried silous, lightly breaded and golden yellow, arrived heads-on and splayed open. The firm white meat came easily off the spine and with a little lemon squeezed on was light and delicious. We wished we had ordered a kilo of it.
Our main courses were equally impressive. The shrimp were superb, juicy and sweet, and floating in a zesty lemon butter with herbs, garlic and onions. The sauce cried out for a crunchy baguette to sop it up.
The segale, the local crayfish, was split down the middle and grilled. Big chunks of firm white meat, not as sweet as lobster – what is? – but with its own distinctive taste lifted cleanly from the shell. These crayfish are much bigger than their Louisiana cousins, but have a similar slightly smoky taste.
Our shari was grilled perfectly, the flesh moist and tender and smothered in a Thai sauce of cilantro, coriander, yellow and red pepper, carrots, scallions, soy and honey. The sauce wasn’t exactly Thai but a complex mélange of spices with a low burn or soft bite, courtesy of the coriander and cilantro. The chili note was a subtle one, delivered via flakes or powder – the dish was missing the slices of fresh red and green chili like you get in Thailand.
For people who worry about Thai spice being too hot, this dish should allay those fears: it won’t make your forehead sweat but it’s a long ways from sweet and sour sauce.
All of our choices were prepared quickly and expertly, served with little fuss and left us planning our return visit, but dessert first. The choices were fresh fruit, ice cream, chocolate cake, Tiramisu, cheesecake and crème caramel, all prepared by an in-house pastry chef. The generous slice of cheesecake that we shared, while perhaps a day old, was thick, creamy, and sweet, with a thick graham cracker crust – the real thing, not the tasteless pseudo cheesecake often found in the GCC.
Al Bander Resort
Photographs Contributed by Al Bander Resort
The views of the sea and lagoon, combined with the happy buzz of the many diners, made for a comforting and comfortable experience, far from the madding crowds in Manama. The pace was slower, more serene – a delicious escape from the hectic bustle of the city.
The entire Al Bander resort is a sweet escape. It opened about 12 years ago as health club and marina. Later, a string of cabanas were built on a finger of reclaimed land. Currently, there are 80 chalets and cabanas.
The 44 chalets and 36 cabanas are luxurious but cozy at the same time. Cabanas are studio rooms with patios offering views of the lagoon or the Gulf. Royal cabanas all overlook the Gulf and are fully self-contained with a private swimming pool and hot tub, living/dining rooms, kitchen, two baths, and a large balcony. Duplex chalets are two stories with living/dining, kitchen, balcony and two baths. There are also luxury duplex chalets with a private swimming pool and hot tub.
On the grounds of Al Bander, there are two swimming pools, one with slides for kids and larger adult pool with a swim-up bar. Nearby are a terrace suitable for parties and a 24-hour coffee shop that also offers the fragrant joys made possible by shisha.
Junior Club
Photographs Contributed by Al Bander Resort
A feature sure to please parents is the Junior Club: a huge playground plus an indoor play area with tables, craft supplies, and computer games, all watched over by an attentive staff.
Nearby is a bowling center with six lanes, a video game arcade, snooker and pool tables, and upstairs, a bar with a terrace overlooking the marina.
Health Club
Photographs Contributed by Al Bander Resort
The well-appointed health center is equal to those found in more expensive hotels. Facilities include two squash courts, two tennis courts, a sauna and steam room, weight machines, stationary bikes and exercise classes taught by friendly fitness guru Donna Kenyon. The club also features a “Swimex” pool where you swim against an artificial current. Kenyon has recently added a rowing machine and is looking to introduce manicure and pedicure services.
Members and non-members, if accompanied by a member, can take advantage of programs and facilities, including snorkel and dive trips.
Recently completed is the resort’s new conference center, built in the Islamic style: its big wooden doors are hand-painted in Andulsian star patterns and the ceiling is a swirl of vegetal patterns. The dome over the reception hall is fitted with mashrabiyah panels and there are also wall panels and friezes of carved gypsum.
The resort’s location – far enough from Manama to feel like a secret getaway, but close enough to make shopping excursions easy – and within a few minutes’ drive of the Grand Prix course and the Riffa Golf Club make it a good choice for either a weekend of absolutely nothing or an active holiday. The resort and Riffa Golf Club are working on a “Play and Stay” package that will allow golfers to use the resort’s excellent facilities for a special price.
For further information on the resort, visit www.albander.com/location.htm. If you are like us, then your first visit, whether online or in person, will only whet your appetite for more.