TBK finds a stall named after him
When I was walking at The Avenues I saw them setting up a load of stalls and so I searched the Bahrain Tourism Calendar to see what was going on. That is how you stumble across events in Bahrain. I saw an advert for the Bahrain Food Festival and assumed that was what they were setting up for. So I persuaded Rew to join me and we went to see what it was all about. I was very disappointed to find some kind of strong man competition which was very disorganised and a stall selling hot dogs.
Hardly the best food Bahrain has to offer
Then I remembered seeing a lot of bright lights, flags and people in the Financial Harbour as we drove to Avenues and so we walked over there! Guess what- the Bahrain Food Festival this year is at Financial Harbour, not Avenues! We went in search of a Thai food stall for Rew - but there was none. It seems the best food Bahrain has to offer is Indian, Cakes, Fries, Burgers, and my favourite Salmon stall- offering whole salmon smoked in a log fire, served with mashed potatoes or salad etc.
This is now the third time we have visited this stall- at various food festivals over Bahrain. The first was at the Zallaq food Festival next to the FLY residences, and then at Mall of Dilmunia and finally at The Bahrain Food Festival 2022. The owner was telling me they have a restaurant too- if you have not tried the Salmon , you must, its amazing! their website is : https://theflamingsalmon.com/ and the restaurant is in District1 Mall Shop 5, Janabiyah open in the evening, with food delivery available.
They have Instagram and Facebook too:
The Flaming Salmon 🔥🐟
Open everyday from 6pm-11pm (weekends till 12am) at @district1_bh.
#شقصة_الحطب
Considering it was a Monday night and the Festival only just started it was really busy. It is very well organised with lots of young Bahraini stewards in red body warmers from Bahrain Tourism. There is a shuttle bus to take you to and from the car park and Traffic police and security to keep the traffic moving in this very congested area ( there is so much more space and parking next to Avenues I cannot understand why they do not hold it there!)
The stalls go all around the Financial Harbour with food trucks on one side and then stores built into the building on the other and there is a lecture theatre set up for celebrity chef demonstrations with film cameras and lighting ( but as usual no information on who or when). There are plenty of benches and tables to sit and eat and lots of litter bins and guys with litter pickers collecting all the rubbish.
There is plenty of fun for the kids too with Chef cartoon characters, a Unicyclist, flag bearers, music, bright lights and balloons and lots of ice cream stalls! You can see more of the entertainment by checking out the Food Festival Vlog here:
The whole event was so good, and as Rew had already eaten, I decided to go back again on Friday with Chef Coco and Corleen! That way we get plenty of content for you, our dear readers and viewers, and plenty of food for Mr Belly!
There were several stalls I saw that I will go back to like the Indian street food, and the Japanese fluffy pancakes ( which Anis introduced me to with his daughter next to Thai Seafood at Bussatein.
"According to Fluffy Cafe, they are the first one to offer the Japanese style soufflé pancakes in Bahrain. The cafe offers nine flavours including Oreo, Earl Grey and Sea Salt Caramel, Matcha, and Custard among others.
The cafe is located in Al Sayh but you can check out their Instagram account to know more!"
Source: https://www.bahrain-confidential.com/this-bahrain-cafe-is-serving-japanese-souffle-pancakes/ ( accessed 22.3.22)
As my friend Al would say- "Well F a duck!"- look what we found- taken out of service after COV 19! You can find out more at : https://bahrainducktours.com/
Make sure you walk all the way around the Financial Harbour as there are lots more stalls past the entertainment area. When you get to the Duck Tours amphibious vehicle that's it- you can either turn around and work your way back, or go up the ramp, over the bridge , and go back in the entrance!
The entrance to the food festival had a big play area for the kids and plenty of seats for the adults
This was the first time I have walked around the Financial Harbour in 12 years in Bahrain and there are some very Instramgrammable buildings- which is probably why they held it here, to bring people into the area! So bring your camera- I just used my phone on the first visit as I thought it was at Avenues where cameras are not allowed!
Another stall I will be visiting next time. Anis introduced me to Ras Malai, an Indian/ Bangladeshi dessert, some years ago - and now they have a stall at the Food Festival.
Anis's mum kindly made Ras Malai for dessert when Anis and Fatima came to a Christmas lunch I hosted one year. According to Wikipedia:
"Ras malai or rossomalai or rasamalei is a dessert originating from the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent. The dessert is called rossomalai in Bengali, ras malai in Hindi, and rasa malei in Odia."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ras_malai ( accessed 22.3.22)
Photo by Shaharbano - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40867548
Spookily I was chatting to my friend Martin Peters who is on vacation in the UK from Thailand and went for a curry in Birmingham. It reminded me of how in our Little Chef days ( 1986- 1996) we used to go for a Balti, which is a style of Curry served in a wok. I look forward to seeing what the Rasmalai stall has to offer on my next visit to the Food Festival. On doing some research I found Rasmalai has a restaurant in Manama and a website: Rasamalai (rasmalai-bh.com)
Rasmalai Balti Cusine
Their Balti selection looks amazing, looks like Martin will not be the only one having a curry this week!
I will end for now with the details of the Bahrain Food Festival and would encourage all my food loving friends and readers in Bahrain to pay it a visit!
"Unprecedented edition of the "Food Festival," in which visitors will be treated to a festive and entertaining atmosphere that will appeal to all family members and make their visit to the festival an unforgettable experience.
From 17 to 31 March, Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority is holding the Food Festival in the Bahrain Harbour, with over 100 local and international restaurants participating and offering a rich and varied range of food items that cater to all tastes.
This year's food festival will provide visitors with the most spectacular shows and experiences that promote Bahrain's culinary variety and various entertainment shows and events such as: Live cooking station, musical shows, kids play area and competitions."
Source : https://calendar.bh/en/bahrain-food-festival-2-3-4-5-6-7 ( accessed 22.3.22)
Well that's all for now, we will be back for part two soon
Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
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