new in town
THE DOMAIN BAHRAIN
Contemporary Japanese Japanese food has been adapted to suit the tastes and whims of people throughout the world, but chef Riichiro Matsui sticks to his tradition.
The Domain Bahrain’s Japanese restaurant, IMARI, has undergone a menu expansion. Having opened its doors again after a two-month closure, chef Riichiro Matsui has implemented a stripped-back taste of Japanese food. “At IMARI, we focus on authentic Japanese flavours,” he notes. The chef has changed 20 per cent of the menu, adding dishes such as a seafood salad, which combines multiple fresh fish with wasabi dressing, scrumptious chicken and daikon salad with sesame Japanese dressing, and grilled red bean curd with sweet white and red miso paste. “It is more about miso paste than lashings of mayonnaise; soya sauce is used sparingly,” he adds. That being said, keeping up with the local penchant for the cuisine, he has included a wide selection of mouthwatering sushi rolls and sizzling robatayaki and tempura offerings. This includes the ‘Ten-don’ rice bowl, which has prawn and veggie tempura drizzled with the chef’s special sauce, Japanese pickles and miso soup. In the kitchen The success of IMARI is found on its freshly imported ingredients from Japan; everything is handcrafted on site. “Customers were not familiar with these tastes, but they are now adapting to the authentic flavours,” the chef notes. Having travelled the world, the Nagoya-born chef has brought with him techniques that he picked up along the way. In turn, he has left an indelible mark in far-flung
124 October 2014
places, such as Italy, Taiwan and Malaysia, by reversing the Westernised Japanese cuisine to its basic roots. The menu places a strong emphasis on a variety of vegetarian dishes to meet everyone’s expectations, like the cold green tea noodles with shiitake mushrooms, wasabi and dry seaweed. The range of desserts includes unique offerings of black sesame ice cream and green tea tiramisu. A real treat On Monday night, IMARI lets you be your own sushi chef. Select your fillings, type of wrapper, type of rice and toppings to create your own culinary masterpiece. Enjoy a wide selection of the chef’s favourite sushi rolls served buffet style for you to enjoy plate after plate. Eat and drink as much as you can for BD14++ from 6pm to 9pm. Another fantastic way to enjoy a night out with friends and family at The Domain Bahrain is the Biru Garden concept. Hosted every Saturday, the theme night combines a casual and dynamic atmosphere with a special selection of chef Riichiro’s favourite dishes served izakaya style. Choose what you like; the plates will keep on coming. Wash it down with a free flow of Kirin draughts and red or white grape. The Biru Garden is the perfect option to have a great time. Drop by between 5pm and 9pm to experience the unique dining concept for BD23++ or BD17++ (excluding alcohol). i Call 16 000-000. www.bahrainthismonth.com