As an Indian, I take a lot of pride in sharing a meal rooted in my culture with people from other countries. A few days ago, I had the pleasure of dining with my Bahraini colleagues at one of the kingdom’s best Indian fine dining restaurants – Nirvana at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain.
From the go, we were shown the utmost hospitality by the wonderful staff. Back home, we say ‘atithi devo bhava’, which means ‘the guest is God’, symbolising the respect and welcome for guests in an Indian household. That very spirit of hospitality reflected in Nirvana’s impeccable service.
As we entered, the dim-lit ambience put us at ease. An intimate seating arrangement added to the cosiness of the place, which is adorned with traditional décor. Polished, dark woodwork and a royal red and gold colour palette are just a couple of the elements that bring alive India’s regal aesthetic at Nirvana.
The live musical performance instantly helped us unwind and continued throughout the evening. It featured popular Bollywood songs from the 80s to the early 2000s, played on traditional Indian stringsy instruments. At our table, we even had a fun little game of guessing the tracks – I dare say, my Bahraini mates did better than I!
Just as we were settled in, the food arrived and we embarked on what was to be an adventure of flavours and textures. We started with Chowk Ki Tikki, a pan-fried potato and pea patty, which brought back memories of my college days when we would head to the beach for chaat.
Chaat, which contextually translates to ‘finger-licking delicious’, is an umbrella term used for a variety of popular South Asian street foods, known for their explosion of sweet, spicy, tangy and salty flavours and contrasting textures.
This was an elevated version of the humble concept but retained the vibe of a food crawl in India’s bylanes. It was morish, soft on the inside and seared to perfection on the edges. Doused in a piquant tamarind chutney and sweetened yoghurt, it instantly whetted our appetites.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain’s cluster executive restaurant chef Mahipal Singh decided to up the ante with the next dish – Tashtari-E-Tandoor – an elegant ensemble of grilled meat and seafood. While I enjoyed slicing through the springy prawns, which were laced with pungent mustardy goodness, my dining companions relished the seabass tikka. Other items in the mix included machchi (‘fish’) tikka – hammour, chicken tikka and lamb kebab. These treasures of the land and sea were optimally spiced in a way that did not overpower the protein.
We took a short break before we dove into mains. During this time, the nice people at Nirvana gave us a peak of the equally decorated beverage menu. It goes without saying that we sampled the mango lassi – a refreshing concoction of thick laban and sweet mango pulp. We also tried the salty and spiced version. Our servers recommended the revitalising Coco Highball – a harmonious blend of coconut water, mint, elderflower and cucumber and lemon juices – and Arabian Night, a clever amalgamation of apple juice, with aromatics like ginger, honey, cinnamon and lemon.
The ‘show stopper’ of the evening was most definitely the Raan-E-Mastaan – a slow-cooked lamb shank marinated in vibrant spices. Chef Singh revealed that it was added to the menu on popular demand only a couple of months ago. Prior to this, it was cooked on request.
Slow-cooked for not less than eight hours, the meat was incredibly tender, falling off the bone and melting in our mouth like butter. The fat was rendered to perfection, intensifying the flavours. I absolutely recommend this magnificent creation – fit for royals!
Balancing the robust meaty juices was the Erha Kari, which brought alive South Indian gastronomy. Swimming in a creamy coconut curry, which was tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves, were these jumbo Gulf prawns. I recommend you pair this with white steamed rice but we enjoyed eating it on its own.
Of course, no Indian meal is complete without rice and so we ordered the chicken and mutton (lamb) biryanis. They were prepared dum style – slow-cooked in a sealed pot, allowing the ingredients to steam in their own juices. The boneless meat was tender and the aromatic long-grained rice pliable to the bite. Personally, I prefer my meat on the bone because that is what adds flavour but the chefs at Nirvana had achieved the same result with boneless meat.
The same rice features on the thali, we discovered shortly afterwards. There are vegetarian (Shakahari) and non-vegetarian (Masahari) options, each with its own set of mouth-watering appetisers and glossy curries. We requested the Masahari, which featured mainstream staples like Murgi Makhanwali (butter chicken) and the lesser-known Kashmiri Rogan Josh – a distinct lamb creation. The thali comes with dessert and naan and a lassi to wash it all down.
After a hearty meal, we relaxed for a bit, enjoying the Bollywood music brought alive on traditional instruments. We could not decide what to do for dessert, so our servers suggested Teen Tarke Ke Mithas – a trio of milky, nutty rasmalai discs, syrupy gulab jamun and chilled kulfi (Indian ice cream). Hiding at the centre of the gulab jamun was a blob of gulkand or rose petal jam – a wonderful surprise that blew me away.
We definitely ended the dining adventure on a sweet note and I look forward to the next one soon – perhaps Valentine’s Day. Nirvana has something special planned, which they will reveal in the coming weeks. It will be wonderful to return with my beau – after all, the way to a man’s heart is…
For bookings and enquiries, call 17586499 or email rc.bahrz.restaurant.reservations@ritzcarlton.com
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