Chefs Bengt Carlsson and Richiro Matcui
THE DOMAIN HOTEL BAHRAIN
Community Dining A good meal is always best when in the company of family and friends; when the cuisine is centre of attraction it just makes for a more engaged experience.
www.bahrainthismonth.com
The secret to enjoying Japanese food is to abandon all preconceptions about what a meal should be and how it should be served. Imari, the Japanese restaurant at The Domain Hotel Bahrain, delivers authentic cuisine in an unmatched setting. The restaurant uses original recipes and imported ingredients all prepared by their Japanese head chef, Richiro Matcui, who has created the unique Imari menu. “Although I have noticed that fusion cuisine is quite popular in this part of the world, I like to keep Japanese cuisine traditional. If, at all, there is a bit of fusion at Imari, it’s restricted to the presentation,” says chef Richiro. Even the crockery has been imported from Japan; it is this Japanese porcelain that gives Imari its name. Once you’ve taken in the panoramic views of Manama, Muharraq and Bahrain Bay, you will be spellbound by the use of blue and white as the dominant theme in this restaurant. “At the Domain our aim is for the meal to be the most important element of dining. This is why we employ the Izakaya tradition at Imari,” says Bengt Carlsson, chef de cuisine at the hotel. “Tapas-style dishes focus on sharing. A table full of plates being passed around initiates conversation and erases the idea of stiff dining, which tends to be considered the norm. We try to loosen up our guests when they visit and stay.”
On the table The preparation and presentation of each plate reflects the emphasis on traditional form, colour and texture. Any fine Japanese meal, after all, is supposed to be a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. The Wagyu beef rib-eye kimchee-maki was an appealing dish and fermented side gets a makeover, being wrapped in Wagyu beef and then grilled Robatayaki style. The smokey flavour will keep you going back for more. If you prefer raw dishes should try the Aburi Salmon Tataki. You can think of this dish as having salmon three ways — thin slices of salmon, pan-grilled salmon skin and salmon caviar — on a bed of avocado Japanese mustard sauce. The use of yuzu citrus gives it an extra zing. What is perhaps the most surprising is the sushi presented in the form of an arch! The trick to eating it without having it crumble is to start from the centre. Don’t worry; it’s already cut. This specialty does not appear on the menu, but you can always have any sushi of your preference presented this way upon request. The restaurant is open from 6pm until 2am daily, except Sundays. i Call 16 000-000. April 2014 165