A tale worth tasting!

Gulf Weekly

2 days ago

The word 'elevated' gets thrown around on menus and in foodie circles like, well, avocado on toast... intriguing at first but quickly lost in overpriced hype.
My theory is that it's usually just part of the buzzword salad meant to prime your palate for an average meal in a fancy setting, however, every once in a while, I am happily proven wrong.
And last weekend, the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay's first volume of its Arabian Horizons culinary experiences did that and then some, with a dinner that refined not just my stomach but also storytelling as a culinary art form.
Held in the intimate and atmospheric Royal Majlis for three nights only, acclaimed Egyptian chef and owner of the Avec Karim brand Chef Karim Abdelrahman was the featured gastronomic storyteller to take 30 diners on A Meaningful Journey – a seven-course experience that elevated Egyptian and Arabic cuisine with stories marinated in smoke, salt, citrus and memory.
As we arrived, we were greeted by the top-tier Four Seasons hospitality, as well as a story book on our seats, with tales behind each course explained in poetic prose.
'Some journeys begin with a single step – ours began with a simple meal,' the book began.
'What started as the story of one chef grew into a collection of moments, memories and quiet lessons shared across kitchens, fields and tables. This book is a reflection – not only of Chef Karim's path, but of the many souls that shape Tableside. It's about the search for belonging, the power of intention, and the deep connection between food and soul.'
Each named course on the book – A Humble Start, Expectations, Purity and Purpose, Connection in the Middle of Nowhere, Trigger, The Ascent and The Heart's Oasis – shared a different chapter from early epicurean memories in Chef Karim's life through culinary school and the journeys he has taken since, including a black lemon flavoured nod to his time in Bahrain.
In A Humble Start, a richly layered pigeon broth poured tableside alongside a foie gras croquette warmed both our stomachs and hearts, as we learned about the soup he missed when he left home to study in France. Paired with cocoa nib and black truffle butter, and exquisite house sourdough, the accompanying selection of canapes offered both comfort and creativity, as we tasted just a bit of the sights, sounds and senses that coloured Chef Karim's childhood.
With the second course, Expectations, Chef Karim gave a nuanced nod to his cooking training with royal red shrimp and caviar served with crab and tomato confit condiment, rosewater cream and squid ink tuile. Seductive and sharp, it exalted the rigours of French training, while also showing how these expectations could feel like a prison.
Where the second course flexed, the third, Purity and Purpose, meditated, much like Chef Karim had, after he was done his official culinary training.
And on the table, reflecting his search for purpose, we were served ricotta stuffed zucchini flower, brightened with lemon balm and a hint of curry – deceptively simple, yet refreshing and thoughtful.
At this point, the magic of the evening truly showed itself, not just because of the food, but rather our own stories around the food that fed our stomachs and nourished our souls.
The conversation at our table had matured from small talk to an in-depth discussion of the people, food and stories that feed us not just for an afternoon and evening, but across lives and generations.
And even though Chef Karim was busy in the kitchen, it felt like he joined us to offer his take on 'rizk' – the Arabic term for sustenance – with his fourth course Connection in the Middle of Nowhere.
Here, aged Bahraini wild grouper (called Hamour in the GCC) and Egyptian 'Terfas' desert truffle met under buckwheat in a gentle but evocative harmony. The pairing of sea and desert distilled the region's diverse terrains into a single, elegant moment.
After a quick Palate Intermission with flavours of celery, tahini and seaweed, we returned to culinary chapters in our own lives, imagining what kind of dishes we would elevate if tasked with creating what Chef Karim had so effortlessly done.
And before we knew it, our main course 'Trigger', a bold dish of hay-smoked lamb saddle and slow-cooked shoulder with spring vegetables, sweet onion and potato puree, lamb jus and freekah casserole, arrived. The plate came alive with contrast – rich and bright, soft and crisp – as we heard about his search for forgotten flavours.
The penultimate course, The Ascent leaned toward lightness and nostalgia, with a yoghurt and lemon verbena ice cream, paired with apricots from Egypt's St Catherine mountains and a Bahrain-inspired black loomi meringue.
And of course, what Arab meal could be complete without a nod to our 'dated' desert history and The Heart's Oasis did just that – with date, palm sap and siwan salt infused creation, that took date cake, pecan crumble, toffee ice cream and crystal salt, turning them into a majestic crescendo for our culinary adventure.
A Clear End to the evening with tea and cardamom – Loomi Bahraini madeleine and a dark chocolate Lagby bonbon reminded us that the best stories have quiet, reflective and lingering ends, that leave us satisfied yet wanting.
We knew, when we left that evening, that we had just experienced a story both unique and universal, made all the more meaningful because the tales that rose to the table brought us closer not just to each other but to our own deepest selves.