THE TASTE OF INNOVATION

Maki holds a special place in my heart because that’s where I first tried sushi and I was thrilled to visit the newly renovated restaurant with my colleagues. The interior exhibited a Japanese minimalist aesthetic; muted shades including creams and whites interspaced with bright green indoor foliage, thread-ball hanging lights and light brown wood elements. Even the seating, which amply spread across two floors, was simple but visually appealing. Our generous hosts led us to our table and we decided to check out the menu, which has an entire section of new dishes. We also spotted a sizeable vegan section.

We were there at the peak of afternoon and so, relieved to see a trio of refreshments approaching our table. I had the passion fruit mojito – you can never go wrong with a mojito! My colleagues had the Rose Electric Bubble, a pretty pink concoction with a lingering rose aftertaste, and the Electric Lemonade, which looked like a chemistry lab experiment but in a fun, good way. Our lunch began with the Chaine Forest Haze Salad, a contrast of textures with red quinoa offering a bite against creamy avocado cubes, spongy mushrooms and a variety of veggies, all tossed in the most luscious extra virgin olive oil and an addictive, citrusy green Ooba – a type of leaf – dressing, which had us going in for seconds. Smoke was trapped inside the salad bowl – hence, ‘Haze’ – which was covered with a smaller bowl, carrying the dressing. The smoky flavour added a certain je ne sais quoi. My favourite was the Crispy Rice Noodle Salad, a new item on the menu. It had a delightful crunch from the peanut crumble and rice noodles and a surprise element – vegetable spring roll bites. The ingredients included a selection of veggies and leaves, coated with a special nutty, sweet and tangy sesame goma dressing. Ribs Crocante came with crunchy mini rice discs, topped with the most tender meat ever. A caveat: you can’t eat just one! The meat was moist, imbued with a sweetish, smoky sauce and the ratio of topping to base was spot on.

We had worked up a good appetite by then and were ready for our next dish. Oliver Maki, the creation of Co-owner, Oliver Zeitoun. The menu has a VIP Maki section, featuring dishes created by select guests. We enjoyed this assortment of seafood maki rolls – salmon, tuna and white fish – garnished with a bunch of secret sauces and toppings that complemented the fish well. In all my years of eating maki rolls in Bahrain, I’ve never seen an ume-wrapped version. The Sandi Ume Maki came with a sweet and sour ume or plum wrap, topped with the freshest salmon and spring onions. I thought this was innovative, which is characteristic of this restaurant.

Elegantly presented in a slender stem glass, the Fusion Temaki, a sesame-studded, delicately flavoured soy paper wrap, encased a gastronomic explosion of ingredients and flavours. The prawn tempura provided an earth-shattering crunch, which was balanced by bouncy, juicy crab sticks. The veggies added a bite and freshness that cut against the deepfried tempura and other crispy bits.

We wanted to try one of the meat dishes and were recommended the Wagyu steak. Our friendly server cooked the thinly-sliced beef on a hot stone at our table, with a musical hissing that indicated the perfect sear. If you prefer cooking it yourself, you can. When I say this cut was of the finest quality, please take it at face value. As soon as we took a bite, the meat melted in our mouths like butter on a hot skillet. Flavoured with a gentle yet persistent truffle mustard and herby rosemary, the meaty juices flooded our mouths.

We left enough room for dessert, which matched the creativity of the other dishes. Some may ask, what’s special about the Pistachio Mochi Ice Cream, another new addition to the menu. Mochi, after all, is a popular Japanese dessert. Well, this was a Japanese-Mediterranean fusion where pistachio ice cream was wrapped in a perfectly thin mochi or rice covering and sat on a kunafa-style filo nest. When our host described it as mochi with kunafa, I must admit, I didn’t think the two would go together. But they do – Maki is truly innovative!

Our second dessert literally looked like a plant in a greenhouse pod. I don’t mean to pile on, but my colleague almost mistook it for table décor. The Terrarium Matcha Tiramisu was a fun Asian spin on the Italian classic and, while purists would argue otherwise, I thought it was delightful. Oh! That silken cream layered with green tea-infused ladyfinger biscuits – the perfect ending to our meal.

Though I’ve dined at Maki just a handful of times, as it is an exclusive restaurant and I’d rather reserve it for special occasions, I’ve returned satiated and happy every single time. Offering innovative, beautifully presented dishes in a new setting, while retaining its familiar vibe, I can hear Maki beckon and I shall return very soon. ✤

It’s seldom I walk into a restaurant and immediately want to know the story behind it. But that’s what happens on my first visit to Banu. This authentic Persian eatery, in Hala Plaza, has some of the most amazing décor I’ve come across in quite some time.

Poured concrete floors bear discreet, decorative brass inlays, seating is plush velvet in gentle blues and golds, the walls boast jewel tones of teal and regal maroon while deep red, crystaladorned glass chandeliers gleam above. But it is the artwork that really catches the attention.

Since a refurbishment in October, the walls are adorned with giant paintings and smaller pictures, all brought from Iran, which tell the story of a woman or women going from being covered to the last picture where the subject is lavishly dressed, open faced, her hands bejewelled and, above her head, the royal crown that has, perhaps, subdued her, falling away.

It’s no surprise that the restaurant’s name, Banu, means grand lady or princess in Persian and, one of the driving forces behind the business is Hanieh Mirbaha, both co-owner and Head Chef, who founded the restaurant alongside her husband Ebrahim Ali. Ebrahim, our welcoming host, proudly tells us that all the recipes are from his wife’s home kitchen – traditional dishes passed down through generations of her Persian family’s womenfolk. And he’s quick to point out: “We are authentically Persian, we don’t add in Bahraini or Gulf dishes, if you do that, I don’t think you can really call yourself Persian. For example, if we sold hummus, it would sell out, but it’s not Persian, so we don’t sell it.”

Our dishes start to arrive, crowding the long, heavy wood table, alongside tall glasses of glowing golden Tokhm e Sharbati – a refreshing drink containing sweetened basil seeds, rose water and saffron – and an impressive glass flagon, reminiscent of the 1001 Nights, containing dogh, a salty, cold laban drink, which was a big hit with my dining companion.

Ash Reshteh is truly comfort food, a thick soup packed with vegetables, aromatic herbs, reshteh (Persian noodles) and beans, garnished with crispy fried onions. It’s easy to tell that this pot has long simmered to achieve the perfect fusion of flavours and, though this dish would be better suited to a cooler winter day, it is certainly a tasty spoonful.

Mirza Ghasemi is up next and proves to be my absolute favourite dish of the day. It’s a simple and quintessentially Persian concoction of crushed, smoked eggplant with garlic and a tiny fried egg on top. For someone who loves eggplant as much as I do, it is a triumph. Superbly tasty and creamy and perfect for mopping up with hot, soft, fresh bread.

Shirazi Special salad is Chef Hanieh’s own creation consisting of the regular Shirazi salad of finely chopped cucumber, tomato and onion with lemon and olive oil dressing and, in this case, topped with Zeytoon Parvardeh, a mix of olives, walnuts and pomegranate crushed together alongside juicy chunks of feta cheese. The combination makes for a satisfying sweet and sour mix.

Kashk Ebademjan is one of Banu’s best sellers, and with good reason. Sautéed mashed eggplant is coupled with walnut and fried onions and topped with kashk – the punchier cousin of yoghurt. The mix of textures with the crunch from the walnuts elevates this simple dish and the sweetness of the onions is the perfect foil to the sourness of the kashk.

The showstopper is the Banu Tray – a truly impressive and beautifully presented abundance of food intended for sharing by six to eight people. Ebrahim urges us to start with the kebabs, asserting that if these are good, then the rest will be too. We dig into delicately seasoned slices of lamb fillet and chunks of koftastyle meat, rich with beautifully blended herbs and juicy without being in the least greasy. There are also tender pieces of chicken marinated in the much-loved Iranian spice saffron, which imparts an earthy, sweet taste – another of my favourites. Baghali Polo Ba Mahicheh is a whole, slow-cooked lamb shank, the meat darkly pink and so tender that it literally falls off the bone, a faint hint of cinnamon adding a light sweetness. Firm white fish fillets are perfectly fried, a light coating of turmeric and garlic imparting a delicious outer crunch. And plump half chicken portions are smothered in a rich tomato and saffron coating.

Seasoned onion, pickled red cabbage and grilled tomatoes fill the centre of the tray and each of the meats comes with its own specific rice accompaniment and small jugs of sauce. I am particularly impressed by the green rice – pilaf with fresh dill –and a chunky, savoury gravy that pairs perfectly with the fish. Every item on this amazing tray is prepared to perfection and I feel slightly guilty that we cannot do it justice – we are, after all, only two, not six, and we need a little space to try the typically Persian stews Khoresh E Ghormeh Sabzi and Khoresh E Gheimeh, each offering rich flavourful gravies that perfectly display the depth of talent in the kitchen.

Just as we are about to pop, Ebrahim notices that we have not tried Banu’s famous Tahchin, a divine dish that looks like a cake but contains either lamb shank meat or chicken and eggplant layered with saffron rice and bound together by seasoned yogurt and egg served with Zereshk (Persian barberries) and fried onion. I’m glad I make space for a spoonful as the combination of flavours coupled with the texture, which is indeed almost that of a sponge cake, are both intriguing and intimately satisfying. Finally, we finish with hot tea in traditional small glasses from a prettily patterned teapot, accompanied by traditional sticky sweets. A repast, indeed, fit for a princess! ✤