Mr. and Mrs. R's Muscat Deli

A new Deli – Mackenzies

2011-06-13T14:10:00.000+04:00

There's a new kid in town. Well, actually, it has been around for a couple of months, but we only just heard about them. Mackenzies Deli is the first serious attempt to bring gourmet products to Muscat residents. Australian Angus Beef, Scottish seafood, like salmon, lobsters and scallops, and prime Scottish Pork, all can be ordered by email from Mackenzies, and delivered to your home.

As the company also supplies the hotels and restaurants with their products, you can be sure that products are fresh and of a high standard. This is what they had to say themselves:

We noted a demand in the market for prime quality products and aim to fill this gap with our current product list and with new international products coming on board every week. The focus is very much on quality. Our main beef product for example is Australian Black Angus or Grain Fed Tenderloin, our salmon has freedom foods accreditation and our Oysters are from Loch Fyne, one of the UK's most recognised suppliers. We have recently begun to offer Highland Spring Water, the best-selling sparkling water brand in the UK along with Ireland's favourite tea, Barry's. We are delighted to see our existing customers coming back again and again and also to see our customer base grow daily.

There is a webshop in the making, but until that is finished, you can contact them for a price list and place your order by phone or email. Prices are, admittedly, not low, but that is to be expected with specialty products.

We do sincerely hope that Mackenzies will be a success, and that they will be able to offer a growing range of fine products. Check out their website here and send them an email to for more information.

Cheese and Wine Club at the Radisson Blu Hotel

2011-04-11T16:51:00.000+04:00

A very good initiative from the Radisson Blu Hotel, a Cheese & Wine Club. The idea is simple: assemble a crowd of wine and cheese lovers, and organise a monthly theme night to showcase the wines of one or two specific producers. Serve cheeses that match the wines, and you're all set to go. As a bonus, the Radisson also promises the occasional guest appearance of a winemaker, who will give inside information on his/her own wines.

We love the idea and hope the evenings will be a big success. The first Cheese & Wine Club evening is tomorrow, April 12th, from 6PM to 9PM. Cost is 15.- OMR per person. Reservations are necessary, contact the Radisson Blu Hotel to secure your place.

Our Opera Mall Wishlist

2011-04-10T18:40:00.000+04:00

Somehow we missed the news that the new Opera Mall will feature a Bice restaurant. This is good news. Although they are a chain, Bice restaurants are renowned for there good quality, upscale Italian cooking. If they get things right here in Muscat, they should be able to compete with the likes of Tuscany and Capri Court.It is to be hoped, of course, that this restaurant is going to be licensed.

Now that the Opera Mall is apparently beginning to shape up, it is a fun exercise to think up a short wish list of venues that we would love to see in this mall.

1. Carluccio's
A chain of restaurants and foodshops, initiated by the Italian-British cook Antonio Carluccio. Simple, but well made Italian food, in a relaxed setting. There are already three Carluccio restaurants in Dubai, where they are a success. Next to the food, we are also looking forward to the foodshop, where you can find a fine selection of products, from olive oils to pasta, and from vongoles to pesto. Definitely something that is still missed in Muscat.

2. Jones the Grocer
More or less the same setup as Carluccio's, but with a bonus: an incredible cheese selection. This Australian concept has expanded to Abu Dhabi, and will soon see its first outlet in Dubai. We've been to the original Abu Dhabi outlet, and it has a great, lively atmosphere. Great for lunch, or just a quick cup of coffee. The food store offers a wide selection of products, including coffee (and coffee machines), jams, and much more. The seperate cheese room is a great experience. You'll be able to buy a variety of high quality cheese, unlike anything else available here in Oman. If Jones would decide to expand to Muscat, we will be regulars.

3. Bistro Vue
If Shannon Bennett still doesn't want to end his Omani adventure after the closure of Vue, we can very much recommend him to re-launch the Vue brand in a bistro setting. He has one already in Australia. Classic French dishes, served with the Bennett flair, but without the pretence (and price tag) of the Vue restaurant, as it was in the Al Bustan Hotel.

4. Oscar's Vine Society
Although we had a fair bit of criticism during our visit to this Dubai wine bar some two years ago, we would still like to see it (or something like it) here in Oman. Basicly, it is just a relaxed place, with a decent selection of wines by the glass and per bottle. Something we don't have here in Oman, and that we would love to see. A possibility for a liqour license is quite obviously a must, but the same goes for Bice as far as we are concerned.

It is probably too good to be true to have any of these here, but we can all dream, can't we?

Restaurant Review - Al Marjan Bistro

2011-03-13T17:05:00.000+04:00

The average Muscat diner didn't really 'get' Vue. Maybe the cooking was too complicated, perhaps the pricing to ambitious. We don't know, but we were sorry to see them leave.

And now there's Al Marjan Bistro. Sitting in Vue's former location bordering Al Bustan's lobby, and set in exactly the same interior, Al Marjan wants to distinguish itself by serving seasonal, classic French dishes, with a refined touch. Ok, we get that.

The menu looks promising, and the wine list has been simplified, with a better choice of value wines. We quite enjoyed our food, although there were some ups and downs. The terrine of duck foie gras was disappointing; its fat content was extremely low, causing the liver to be dry and bitter. Whether or not foie gras is ethical, is open for debate, but you have to make a choice. Either serve foie gras as it is meant to be, or give it a different name on your menu. The second starter, lobster salad with mint tabouleh, fared much better. The lovely fresh tabouleh was a very nice counterpart for the rich lobster.

Of the mains, the braised beef cheeks were most memorable. Ultra-soft, very rich and with a good red wine / cranberry sauce. A classic dish, very well prepared. The other choice, scallops served on fresh herbs, was also enjoyable, but a bit too salty. Dessert (crème brûlée) was very tasty, although –if we're being very picky– it could have been a bit less cold.

All in all, some very good food. That said, we are not convinced that Al Marjan will be a success. First of all, it is very expensive. With starters between 6.500 and 10.000 OMR, and mains ranging from 14.000 to 18.000 OMR, you can be sure that your bill will be a hefty one. We spent over 70 OMR for two, excluding wine. That's a lot. Too much, we like to think, for the type of food that is served. Our other concern is the interior design. It worked well for an upscale restaurant like Vue, but it is lacking the kind of atmosphere that you would expect in a bistro. The fact that only four tables were occupied during our visit didn't help. Just as with the foie gras, it seems like the management of Al Marjan needs to make up its mind. Only then will this restaurant have a chance to survive. Until they do, we don't really 'get' it.

Les Saveurs d'Ici et d'Ailleurs

2011-03-08T14:55:00.000+04:00

We told you about the Saveurs du Terroir evenings in the InterContinental Hotel before. If you are a true lover of food, you will surely have visited one of these evenings.

There was a temporary hold on these evenings after the former Resident Manager, Marc Lambert, left last year. But Didier Gourmaud, his successor, made the wise decision to continue, albeit with a slight change in theme. Under the title Les Saveurs d'Ici et d'Ailleurs Gourmaud will not only serve classic French dishes, but also explore other regions and flavours.

The first evening is planned on March 15th. Contact the InterContinental Hotel for more details and to be added to the mailing list.

Exit Vue, enter Marjan

2011-02-22T08:35:00.000+04:00

The Al Bustan Hotel announced the opening of the French bistro Al Marjan on their Facebook page with this text:

Al Marjan Bistro is open today at Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat. A stylish and distinctive seasonal restaurant, Al Marjan Bistro will bring the quintessentially French passion for great food to Muscat’s dining scene.

So, after they found out that Muscat's dining scene wasn't quite ready for Vue's innovative cuisine, the Al Bustan team decided to revive an old formula. There is still a slight chance that this isn't the end of Shannon Bennett's adventure in Oman, as we heard rumours that a BistroVue may open in the Royal Opera House Complex, once that is finished. Let's wait and see. In the meantime, we'll give Al Marjan a try.

Taste of Dubai – 3-5 March 2011

2011-02-09T14:31:00.000+04:00

Taste of Dubai is coming up again. From 3 to 5 March 2011 you'll be able to taste your way through Dubai's finest restaurants in a relaxed outdoor setting. We enjoyed the last two episodes, and although the organisation was a bit of a mess last year, we still recommend a visit. Have a look at their website for specifics on events per day.

Well underway already, but still worth mentioning is Gourmet Abu Dhabi. More high-brow and serious than Taste of Dubai, but also a chance for some unforgettable experiences. How about a dinner in the company of Katharina Prüm, Joh. Jos. Prüm's winemaker? With a tasting of their fabulous Mosel wines of course. The festival only lasts for another week (until the 15th), and many of the events are already sold out. If you plan a visit, you'd better check the website soon.

Caramel French Bakery

2011-02-06T11:50:00.001+04:00

There is a buzz going around in town. Wherever we go we hear people asking eachother if they tried 'that new bakery' yet. They mean Caramel, the French bakery that recently opened in Ghubra. We knew it was coming, so we were excited to try some of the products once the store finally opened in January.

Caramel offers breads, pastries and a selection of food products such as Valrhona chocolate. The bread we tasted was very good, but we got really excited after trying the pain au chocolat. Puff pastry is not something that any of the other bakeries in Muscat master. But Caramel is different. Made with the proper flour and butter, their puff pastry gives you an instant feel of holiday in France. We loved it. The meringue au citron and hazelnut cake were equally good.

Wonderful products, with great attention to good ingredients and detail; Caramel is a very fine address for Muscat foodies. You might struggle to find the store, as its location is a bit of the beaten track, so have a look at their website before you go.

Oman Food Festival

2011-02-02T11:22:00.000+04:00

A festival dedicated to Omani food, wow. As part of the yearly Muscat Festival, the first Oman Food Festival is held in the Qurum Natural Park from Frebruary 5th. In co-operaration with the Oman Tourism College, the festival will be a showcase of traditional Omani Cuisine. Next to that, a number of the four and five star hotels will present dishes from their international restaurants. The website of Muscat Festival gives precious little information on this event, but you can read a bit more in these articles in the Oman Observer and The Week.

We will, of course, pay a visit to the festival and see if it is as good as it seems. More to follow.

Restaurant Review – Sammak (As Sifah)

2011-01-30T14:48:00.001+04:00

Hello, we're back. It's been a while since our last post, other things are keeping us occupied at the moment. But we plan to post a bit more regularly in the future.

In order to create some goodwill after messing up our favourite beach for a weekend getaway, tourism development company Muriya opened a seafood restaurant on the As Sifah Beach, called Sammak. The restaurant is part of a larger piece of beach development, including a smack of palm trees, watersport facilities, and a playground. Opened late 2010, the restaurant still looks new and fresh. Although Muriya was the developer of it all, Sammak is managed by locals from the village of As Sifah, and the menu is filled with the daily catch of the local fishermen. All good news for local development.

And it must be said, Sammak is a very enjoyable place to spend a lazy Friday afternoon. The food is simple, but good. Our catch of the day (koffer) was fresh as can be, which is exactly what you want in a place like this. Don't expect any culinary surprises, simply enjoy the food and the great surroundings. And while you're there, have a look at the construction work on Jebel Sifah, that's going on close to it.

Any downsides? Sure. Service is clumsy and slow, the menu isn't very clear (there are some choices written on a blackboard, but everybody seems to receive the same grilled fish), and the prices are a bit on the high side for this kind of food (about 7.500 OMR a person for appetisers, main and a soft drink). But still, we left with a positive feeling.

What's more (and probably worse) is that many of the new buildings are already showing signs of decay. The showers are falling apart, and the toilets are a mess. Let's hope that Sammak is just as nice to visit in a year's time as it is now. If it is, we will surely be regulars.

Dubai Deli: Milk & Honey

2010-09-15T11:34:00.009+04:00

A good article in Time Out Dubai this week. They discuss the Deli Supermarket Milk & Honey, located on the Palm Jumeirah.

Now that Gourmet Station has apparently closed its doors (hardly surprising given our lackluster experience), it is good to see another venue for buying delicatessen. We can't tell you yet if it's any good, but we will check it out soon.

In the meantime, check out the full article on the Time Out website.

The Muscat dining scene, what to do to fight boredom?

2010-09-06T14:34:00.005+04:00

It's a bit limited, wouldn't you agree? The Muscat dining scene we mean. There is probably around a handful of high end restaurants, the odd interesting mid-priced place, but mostly unenventful grill houses, chain restaurants and burger joints. Granted, it's easy to find a real good Indian meal for next to nothing, but we would like a bit more variety. More liveliness. It would be good to see more interesting restaurants opening. La Brasserie in Muttrah looked like a very welcome addition, but failed to impress us so far (a review will follow after a next visit). Ubhar (in Bareeq al Shatti) has an interesting concept, but is extremely lonely in its sort.

So why isn't more happening? In our opinion there are a number of reasons. In no particular order, and without having done any scientific study on the subject:

1. Hotel chains
Most fine dining restaurants are located in the four and five star hotels, since they are the proud owners of a liquor license. A logical situation, but also one that prevents adventurous culinary things from happening. Although there is certainly enough talent among the hotel chefs, the restaurant concepts of the hotels do not always allow it to show. Tuscany and Capri Court, to give just two random examples, are good restaurants, but we can't help but think they would be much better if their chefs had to fight for their reputation as independent restaurateurs, instead of working within the safe hotel environment. The InterContinental, to give another example, has a highly talented and motivated crew, but lacks the restaurant to give them a podium.

2. Lack of culinary culture
We know what we're talking about here. Our home country doesn't exactly have the French or Italian gastronomical heritage to fall back on. Just 25 years ago, there wasn't much to do in the restaurants of our cities. Yet, that has rapidly changed. Increased standard of living, education of chefs and more demanding guests are just a number of reasons for the giant leap in quality. The current situation in Oman is very much comparable to that of Northern Europe some 25-30 years ago. So it may just be a question of time. It is good to see that the hospitality academies are trying to educate young Omani chefs, but it will take time before they reach a high level. Meanwhile, the average Omani doesn't seem to have a huge interest in gastronomy, least of all in their own Arabic cuisine. Countries like Syria and Lebanon have a bustling dining scene, where traditional dishes are held in high regard. Either modernised or traditional, the level of cooking is much higher than can be seen here. We are afraid it is lack of interest, and the average Omani would rather eat a Big Mac. A saddening thought.

3. The difficulties of setting up a business
We have a huge respect for anyone who makes the effort to start a new business. Starting something new is always incredibly difficult. And we realise it is nearly impossible to start your own fine dining restaurant in Oman, outside of a hotel, and with liquor license. There is a clear reason why licensed restaurants outside hotels are mostly owned by big companies. Otherwise they couldn't exist. And serving your scallops without a glass of Chablis is just a lot less attractive for your guests. So what do you do if you want to start your restaurant business in Oman? Right, you get hold of a franchise license of a chain that has well proven itself and you go for the easy money. Or you take the well paved road of offering pasta, burgers, kebabs and steaks. Can't go wrong with that one!

Taken these factors into account, our best hope for new and exciting restaurants are new hotel openings. That looks rather bleak at the moment, thanks to the economic downturn. The hotels in The Wave are delayed until around 2013, and the Four Seasons and other Jebel Sifah hotels will open from 2012 on. We don't know what the current status is on the ambitious plans for the InterContinental hotel, and the Bausher Fort Hotel (see the Omran webpage for this), but we fear those are long term projects as well. Maybe the Royal Opera House and its surrounding area will bring us something new. Let's hope so.

Restaurant Review: Wasabi Sushi

2010-08-25T10:49:00.002+04:00

We told you before about our love for sushi. We were happy, therefore, to find Wasabi Sushi, a relative newcomer in the Muscat dining scene. It's located in the Bareeq al Shatti Mall, and has been open for some two months.

The small, trendy looking restaurant specialises in sushi rolls. Next to that it offers some sashimi, a couple of salads and miso soup. That's all. The choice in sushi rolls is quite big though, and we don't mind a limited menu. In fact, we prefer it to those 'a little bit of everything' menu's such as the one at Japengo.

The food at Wasabi Sushi looks as trendy as the interior. And it's not bad. The tiger roll hoso maki is a tasty roll with tempura prawn as main ingredient. Tuna sashimi is served on ice. A nice touch, although the fish needed a bit of warming up on the plate to let its flavour come out. There are also some less succesful creations. The california roll tastes rather bland and the nigiri's (rice lumps with a piece of fish on top) are made with too much rice, as a cause of which the taste of the fish gets lost.

The quality of the fish is good, but there is hardly a local fish to be found on the menu. Tuna being the exception. Many of the dishes are made with eel (which is nearly extinct and should be avoided altogether), salmon, prawns and surimi (listed on the menu as 'crab'). It would have been so much better to see fish like hammour and kingfish on the list. A missed opportunity in our opinion. A last critical note: for a restaurant that carries wasabi in its name, they supplied us with precious little bits of the stuff. Granted, we like our food a bit spicy, but we can't recall that we ever needed to ask for three extra portions in any other sushi restaurant.

But even if we take all this into account, we're still quite positive about Wasabi Sushi. Overall, the food is quite tasty. Not mindblowing, and it doesn't come close to the quality of Tokyo Taro, but it's a nice place to eat if you fancy a bite in between shopping or on your way to some place. Sushi never comes dead cheap, but with a bill of 27.000 OMR for two, including one drink each, Wasabi Sushi is relatively affordable. The restaurant isn't licensed. We hope it survives, the night we visited there were more waiters around than guests. It deserves better.

A grain of salt...

2010-08-21T18:27:00.004+04:00

We just returned from a long (and we like to think well deserved) holiday. Our usual practise is to bring back as many items as we can, that are difficult to find in Muscat. A few bottles of special wine are always included, but olive oil, (balsamic) vinegar, cheese and sausages are also favourites.

This time we filled our bags with foie gras (we are well aware of the controversial nature of this, but we can't stop eating it), different kinds of dried mushrooms, truffle oil and salt. Salt? Yes, salt. Fleur de Sel to be precise. This is the salt that is gained from salt pans. While the sea water dampens in those pans, a thin crust forms on top. This layer is hand harvested. It has a very fine structure, and is said to be the most delicate of all salts. Sounds snobbish to you? It might be, but we really like the taste of this salt. And because it is notoriously difficult to find here, we thought it would be a good idea to bring back a small stock.

On a short visit to the Qurum Carrefour we noticed a large stack of.... yes you guessed it, fleur de sel. Slightly grumpy, because we could have used valuable baggage space for something else, we loaded some more into our cart. You never know how long stock lasts. So if you want to try this special salt, hurry to Carrefour and buy some. But do us a favour please. Use it where you can taste it, and don't waste it on boiling your potatoes!

Wine Review - Chateau Mont-Redon Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006

2010-05-26T15:00:00.000+04:00

It may well be one of the most traditional wine regions in France: Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Its wines are renowned for their ability to age for decades; they are dark, full and tannic. And they aren't cheap.

If you are looking for a good example of a classic, ageworthy Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel is a great example. OUA just might have some in stock, but don't expect them to come cheap. It may be a better idea to buy some in France and bring them back with you.

A number of Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers make wines that are made in a more fruitforward, accessible style. These have less structure and depth, but their great advantage is that they are more enjoyable when young. A good example of this style is the wine is Château Mont-Redon 2006. It is relatively affordable (13.900 OMR at African & Eastern), yet has a bit more to offer than your usual daily drinker. Dark coloured, with lovely dark cherries and plum, supported by a medium tannic backbone, with spices and licorice on the finish. Don't drink it too cool, as some less enjoyable green flavours come to the front. This is great with a leg of lamb. This is not a wine to age for decades, but if you have a wine fridge (and patience) you could try to save a bottle or two to drink in the coming 5 years.

Château Mont-Redon also produces a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Once we've tasted that wine, we will report back here.

Wine Review: The fine value of Villa Maria

2010-05-05T10:07:00.003+04:00

Winemaking is relatively new to New Zealand. It is therefore quite a remarkable accomplishment that the Sauvignon Blanc wines from this country are ranked among the best in the world.

In their short history of winemaking (New Zealand has only been seriously producing wine since the 1960's), the country wisely avoided the mistake of bigger brother Australia, of producing masses of cheap bulk wine, that harm the overall reputation of the country. New Zealand's moderate climate lends itself perfectly to the production of white wines, but in recent years the country's reds (especially Pinot Noir) have also gained in popularity.

Villa Maria is a family owned winery, that manages a number of vineyards in different regions of the country. They produce a diverse range of wines, and are known for their constant quality. The white wines in the Private Bin range offer very fine value. The Riesling 2008 (6.900 OMR) is supple and fruity, and although it has some residual sugar, doesn't come across as off-dry. It offers a tad more body than German rieslings, but is by no means heavy. We are also fans of the Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, but haven't seen it in stores here. It seems that only the Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc is available (8.900 OMR). While a very good wine, we don't feel it offers enough extra stuffing to choose it over the Private Bin.

These wines are available at African & Eastern. They also carry a Chardonnay Private Bin, a rosé and red, neither of which we have tasted so far.

Our favourite cheap eats

2010-04-11T15:10:00.001+04:00

We have been horribly absent of late, we realise that. To make up for that we'll give you three of our favourite cheap eats. Exclusive dining is fun, but sometimes it is just as satisfying to find restaurants where you find extremely good value for money, or just a good meal at a bargain. None of the following restaurants will win any michelin stars, but they do represent fine value.

Al Ziyara, MSQ
This is a popular hang-out with the Omani and expat youngsters alike, but we go there for the cheap, but tasty Lebanese food. Although neighbouring Kargeen may look better, we feel the mezze at Al Ziyara taste better. We especially like the kibbeh. They also offer very good shisha. A full meal including drinks and shisha shouldn't set you back more than 5 or 6 OMR. And that's much better than Kargeen as well.

Saravanaa Bahvan, Ruwi
Situated on Ruwi Street, this vegetarian Indian restaurant is always busy. And rightfully so. The dosa's are particularly in favour, and may well be the best in town. The extensive menu also offers enough other treats to choose from. For a mere 3 OMR (including drinks) you can expect to leave fully satisfied. The restaurant may have a bit more of a fast food feel than, let's say, Woodlands, but the food certainly isn't any less. Perhaps even better.

Turkish Palace, Al Mawaleh
When we just moved to Oman, this was our regular neighbourhood hangout. We don't live in the area anymore, but we still have good memories of the food in Turkish Palace. Located next to the Markaz Al Bahja mall, this restaurant offers both outside and inside dining. The outside area is bordering a car park, for that truly cosy local experience. The food makes up for the surroundings however. The mezze are all good, but we always made sure to leave a bit of appetite for the grilled kebabs in yoghurt. Feel-good-food. We slightly prefer the food at this restaurant to that of Muscat favourite Turkish House, but there's nothing wrong with that place either. Expect to pay about 5 OMR for food and drinks at Turkish Palace.

We will post some more restaurants in due time. Meanwhile, if you have some favourite cheap places of your own, please let us know. We are always looking forward to trying some new addresses.

Pasta week in Capri Court

2010-02-15T15:29:00.002+04:00

Vincenzo Spinozi, one of Italy's finest pasta makers, is coming to town. From 21 to 27 February he will present a special menu in Shangri La's Capri Court Restaurant. This is what the press release had to say:

"From 21 to 27 February 2010, Capri Court restaurant at Shangri La's Barr al Jissah Resort and Spa will welcome the legendary Italian pasta maker, Vincenzo Spinosi, who will bring a touch of Italian flair as he presents a special à la carte menu of mouth-watering dishes prepared with his signature brand of hand-made egg-based pasta. The 'Prince of Pasta' will be joined by guest chef Mauro Taufer from Hotel Excelcior in Venice."

Spinosi's pasta has quite a reputation throughout the world, and initiatives like these need encouragement, so we will be there to taste the action. The menu is only served during dinner times. For reservations, contact the hotel at 24776565.

Wine review - Pascal Jolivet

2010-02-14T16:25:00.001+04:00

We haven't done a study on the subject, but it wouldn't surprise us if Sauvignon Blanc is the world's most popular grape. You see it all over the world, from New Zealand to Chili, and throughout the whole of Europe. Wines from the Sauvignon Blanc grape comes in many styles, depending on climate, soil and style of wine making.

The source of the grape is France, where its fame started in the Loire region. Wines from Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé are famed for their complexity, and dry yet fruity character.

Pascal Jolivet is an interesting winemaker in this region. He believes in making wines true to the character of the vineyard and climatic conditions. Sound logical, but it is more difficult than you'd think. Jolivet's wines are all aged on stainless steel, so not a single piece of wood in the wines. His wines are characterised by a certain sense of restraint, combined with an impressive array of subtle, but intense flavours.

He produces several ranges of wines, but at our local OUA shop we only ever found the wines simly called Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. They are not cheap, both cost close to 20 OMR. But if you're willing to spend this amount of money on a bottle of wine, you'll be rewarded. The wines are by no means simple. They need a bit of work to be appreciated. The Pouilly Fumé is a bit fuller and extravagant, compared to the Sancerre, which is slightly more elegant and racy. Both have their distinct qualities and are equally good.

The current vintage of these wines would be 2008, but we only saw 2006 and 2007 on the shelves. Normally we wouldn't advice buying wines of older vintages, but in this case it's ok. These wines can deal with some bottle age, it even adds some complexity.

If you want something a bit more special than your everyday quaff, or if you're in need of a last minute Valentine's Day wine, go ahead and buy some of this.

Two serious foodie events coming up

2010-02-02T15:30:00.004+04:00

We were pretty pleased with the Taste of Dubai festival last year, so we're more than happy to recommend this year's edition to you. It will be held from 17 to 20 March 2010 at Dubai Media City. The lay out will be pretty much the same as last year: local restaurants have the opportunity to present small dishes, and there are a number of special events, such as wine tastings and cooking master classes by renowned chefs. For more information and booking of tickets: look here.

Another promising event takes place in Abu Dhabi. From 5 to 19 February the city is the scene of Gourmet Abu Dhabi; two weeks full of culinary delight. The organisers of Gourmet Abu Dhabi did a great job in putting together a tantalising programme. Several michelin-starred chefs are flown in, with 3-starred Alain Passard and Régis Marcon as showstoppers. You can choose to follow masterclasses by the chefs or attend one of the dinners. Some of those are accompanied by wine tastings of prestigious domains, such as Egon Müller, Pio Cesare and Paul Jaboulet Ainé. Their winemakers will be there as well. If you ever needed an excuse to visit Abu Dhabi, this is it. More information can be found here.

Restaurant Review - Vue by Shannon Bennett

2010-01-27T10:06:00.004+04:00

We have been planning a review of Vue by Shannon Bennett for quite some time now, as it is –without a doubt– Muscat’s best restaurant.

Our last visit to the restaurant was the fourth since its opening last year. We must say that our best experience was during an evening that Shannon Bennett himself was present, but chef Josh Lewis does a very good job at keeping up Bennett’s reputation. The level is constantly high, and although we may have one or two things to complain about, these are minor details.

Vue is not cheap. A seven course menu gourmand will set you back 40 OMR. But it has a lot to offer in return. First and foremost, Vue is the only restaurant in Muscat that employs truly knowledgeable staff. Sommelier Brigid Hoskins is a delight for wine lovers and the serving staff is well educated and confident. Those who want to spend less have the choice of a five course dinner (28 OMR) or choosing three courses from the limited menu. The menu changes frequently.

We like the way Vue handles its ingredients: fish is sourced from the Muttrah souq and herbs and (some) vegetables are home-grown. All this shows care and love for produce.

Wines aren’t cheap either, and this is something that troubles us a bit more. While it must be said that Vue puts a big effort into offering a large selection of wines (some of which are especially flown in for the restaurant), prices of those that are commonly available in Oman are also many times higher than in other restaurants around the city. You have to search hard to find a good deal on the wine list. Probably the best option for your wallet is to let Mrs. Hoskins choose wine pairings to your menu. Her choices are impeccable.

On to the food. All dishes are prepared with care and thought out in great detail. We particularly enjoyed the truffle and wild mushroom risotto with tarragon paste. It is rich and generous, but well balanced thanks to the fresh spiciness of the tarragon. A scallop packed in shellfish bisque jelly offers a funny and tasty gimmick, but is in visual spectacle outclassed by a ‘cigar’ filled with foie gras mousse, and with smoky chocolate crust. We saw this trick before, when it was served as dessert (and filled with chocolate instead of liver), but it is still a feast for the eye. It tastes good as well, but the foie gras is a bit light for the smoky chocolate, which tends to overpower slightly. The next two courses are highlights. Kingfish with a cheesy bread crust, on parsley purée, served with red wine reduction is a stunning combination. Where we were critical about Bait al Bahr’s way of handling fish, this dish shows how contrasting flavours can still produce a stunning dish. The cheese crust gave body to the fish, which made it capable of standing up to the red wine reduction. This, in turn, had enough acidity to lift the flavours and the parsley purée added a lovely bitter spicy contrast. A perfect dish? It would have been if the fish hadn’t been slightly overcooked. Not yet dry, but just too far. The main course is stunning is well: breast and leg of pigeon on carrot purée with a selection of baby vegetables. The pigeon is perfectly cooked, the breast tender and juicy, and the leg prepared as confit. They form a lovely, smooth combination of flavours with the carrot purée and baby vegetables. Is everything perfect? Nearly. Several components in different courses could have done with less salt. The stock of the risotto and scallop, as well as the sauce accompanying the pigeon were all too salt. A minor detail.

After a good piece of pont l’évêque cheese follows a lovely dessert with several small treats of which ginger ice cream and camomile mousse make the biggest impression. Original flavours and truly delicious.

We were glad to see a large selection of digestives, ranging from Cognacs and Whiskies to Vintage Port, all offered by the glass.

The final bill is best paid with your eyes closed. But it doesn’t matter really. Dining at Vue makes us happy. We enjoy the knowledge and enthusiasm of the staff, and have great fun eating food that is clearly prepared with love. On top of that, it is very, very good. A Muscat Must.

Restaurant Review - Bait al Bahr

2010-01-16T14:41:00.005+04:00

We love fish. Given Oman's incredible richness in seafood, it is surprising to see only a small number of specialised seafood restaurants. Sure, there are numerous grill restaurants that will serve you cremated kingfish, but that's not what we mean.

One of the few is Bait al Bahr, on the beach of Shangri La's Barr al Jissah Resort. Our last visit to this restaurant was almost a year ago. Our best recollection of that evening was the platter of fresh seafood; a wonderful collection of raw mussels, clams, oysters etc. on ice. Combined with a fresh white wine, life could hardly be better.

But we also remember disappointing main courses: overcooked tuna and a confusing dish with koffer made that we left with a double feeling. About time for a second visit. It was quite disheartening to see that the menu hadn't changed in a year's time. A restaurant with a limited menu, such as Bait al Bahr, should be able to offer their guests something new every once in a while, don't you think?

We didn't like the look of the catch of the day, which –quite frankly– looked like the catch of a couple of days before, so decided to order some dishes of the menu. Mr. R's prawn cocktail with three types of dressing was refreshing and fine. Mrs. R was less pleased with her starter of grilled scallop on a spicy mango salad. The sweet mango completely swept away the mild sweetness of the scallops, leaving only a salty and smoky grilled flavour. Not bad per se, but a pity of those beautiful scallops. They were –we must add– perfectly grilled.

Mrs. R decided to give the main course of Omani koffer, with harissa and fried parsnip a second chance, while Mr. R chose baked hammour with zatar crust. We can be short here: we disliked both. One of the delights of fish is that it is perfect to create light dishes, delicate and refined. These were heavy and filling. It seems the chef tried to create meat dishes out of fish. You'd wonder why.

The wine we drank with the food was good. A lovely crisp and dry Riesling by the Alsatian top producer Hugel. The high end wines of this producer belong to the best in the world, and while their entry level wines are nowhere near as good, they do provide a good introduction to the wines of the Alsace and offer fair value for money. The wines of Hugel are available through African & Eastern.

Luckily, desserts saved dinner from ending in complete disappointment. Date pudding, with caramel pecan nut ice cream tasted very nice, although the date pudding wasn't technically a pudding but a cake (and tasted more of chocolate than date, oh well, at least it tasted good). Mrs. R was very happy with her vanilla pannacotta, with pink grapefruit jelly and rhubarb granite, which was very refreshing, although perhaps overly sweet.

Service was fast. Too fast. It took the staff less than an hour to serve us three courses, including coffee and tea. A bit of time in between courses wouldn't have hurt at all.

We are still not convinced by Bait al Bahr. As a true seafood restaurant it is disappointing. We would rather spend some extra money and go to The Beach Restaurant or choose one of the fish dishes in Come Prima. But for a fresh seafood platter and a glass of wine this place is perfect. Ideally, we'd enjoy sundown in Bait al Bahr and then continue our dinner somewhere else. A pity the restaurant only opens at 7PM.

New Year's Fizz

2009-12-28T09:45:00.003+04:00

It's the time of the year for Champagne. Although we love the stuff, we hardly ever buy it here. It's just too expensive. We would have loved to give you a comparison between different brands, but buying a couple of bottles to test is something our liqour license budget doesn't allow. Therefore, we are going to give you a couple of links to some interesting articles on the subject. You will be able to find some good suggestions and background here:

Most of the major brands are carried by either OUA or African & Eastern, so have a look around. If you're looking for a reasonable, more or less budget Champagne, we would suggest Lanson Black Label Brut. This brand usually offers good value for money. And if you're feeling decadent, why not go for Billecart-Salmon Rosé. It is our favourite rosé Champagne. Quite pricy though, at 50 OMR.

The best option for your budget is probably to skip Champagne altogether and go for a sparkling alternative. There are plenty around, most of them being much cheaper than 'the real thing'. African & Eastern offers the South-African Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel. Ridiculously cheap at 5.900 OMR, and a very decent glass of sparkling wine at that.

Whatever your choice of drink will be on New Year's Eve, we hope you have a splendid evening. And we wish you a very good 2010 with lots of good food and lovely wine.

Modern tradition - The wines of Quinta do Portal

2009-12-20T15:18:00.005+04:00

We told you before about our love for port wine. Christmas is a classic opportunity to enjoy some port, and the Taylor's LBV 2003 we suggested earlier may be a good one to enjoy after Christmas dinner. If you wish to spend some serious money on a bottle of port, the Taylor's 20 Year Old Tawny is also a very respectable choice (around 50 OMR at African & Eastern).

While the quality of port is widely recognized, the table wines of the Portuguese Douro Valley are less well known. They deserve better. The wines from this region are beautiful and gaining in quality year after year. Typically, red wines from the Douro are ripe and concentrated with dark fresh fruit, and the whites offer plenty of spice, minerality and (tropical) fruit.

There is only one Douro wine producer available in Oman, which is a pity. Nevertheless, this producer, Quinta do Portal, is interesting enough to give some attention here. It is one of a group of wineries who are at the forefront of the quality explosion of Douro wines in recent years.

Anyone who ever visited the Douro region will appreciate the challenges winemakers face here. The vineyards are extremely steep, as a result of which almost all grapes need to be harvested by hand. The grape varieties are all traditional Portuguese, with names you'll hardly find outside Portugal. Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (which is the same as the Spanish Tempranillo) and Touriga Franca are the most popular ones for both port and wine. Yet, there are also many vineyards with old vines, where a mix of many varieties is planted. It is often unknown which varieties are planted there, many of them being obscure and ancient. These traditional grape varieties (and the large amount of old vines) contribute to the unique taste of Douro wines. In the old days the wines could be a bit rustic (especially whites), but thanks to modern vinification techniques they are now fresh and clean, with plenty of potential.

Quinta do Portal produces a large array of both port and table wines. Only a small selection of these is available through OUA. The Quinta do Portal Douro Branco 2007 is a very good example of a good Douro white. It offers lovely spice and licorice notes, as well as ripe pear and some tropical fruit. It will pare nicely with fish dishes, or even some light meat. It is a pity that its red counterpart, Quinta do Portal Douro Tinto 2003, is a couple of years too old. To give this wine the credit it deserves, you should at least be able to try the 2005 (or younger). Both wines are around 10 OMR, which is on the pricy side. At that price, we would recommend to try the white and wait for a newer vintage of the red. Portal also produces a very good rosé wine, but that is sadly not available here.

OUA also offers two ports from Portal: Fine Tawny and Fine Ruby. Both are basic ports, and although they are quite good in their category, we would love to see some of the better ports on the shelves, such as the Reserve Tawny, or the very nice Late Bottled Vintage.

Food alert - Les Saveurs du Terroir

2009-12-13T15:28:00.003+04:00

The guys and girls of Muscat InterContinental are doing a good job in organising interesting theme evenings. Their newest invention is called Saveurs du Terroir. It is aimed at the French (speaking) community, and highlights the regional French cuisine.

There is a Saveurs du Terroir evening every month. The first one was last month, and the second is planned for this coming Tuesday, 15th of December. This month's theme is l'Alsace et sa Choucroute, a three course meal (where sauerkraut is the main attraction of course) costst 25 OMR per person, including a bottle of wine per pair of people.

As far as we're concerned, this is not only interesting for the French, but for everyone who loves the French cuisine.

La Val Alboriño - an update

2009-12-13T14:30:00.002+04:00

We've been horribly absent lately. We were busy and away, and then busy again. Our sincere apologies. The coming days will see a number of posts to catch up.

Remember our post on La Val Alboriño, and how disappointed we were? It had mainly to do with the fact that the wine was too old. When we were dining in Restaurant The Edge in Dubai some weeks ago (something we can recommend to anyone who wants to spend a large amount of money on incredibly good food), we were served the 2007 vintage of this wine. It was exactly as we wished the 2006 would be:

This wine from Bodegas La Val is made to reach ultimate freshness. No wood in this wine. The result is a wine that has lovely citrus flavours, the freshness of green apples and a light, spritzy feel. It had weight, but is light at the same time. It's serious fun, so to say.

So if you happen to be in the OUA store, and you stumble across this wine, please do buy a bottle (or two) as long as it's from a recent vintage such as 2007 or 2008. The price is 10.500 OMR, and when the bottle is good, it's worth it.

Our own restaurant awards: Bad Restaurants with Good Reviews

2009-11-23T13:39:00.003+04:00

It's a favourite game in Mr. & Mrs. R's household: Guess the Review. Especially the very good reviews of bad restaurants in guides like Oman2Day, Time Out and Oman Explorer are great fun.

Now that the Oman2Day Restaurant Award campaign is in full swing again, we thought of our own award: Oman's worst restaurant with a good review in the guides. We will share our Top 3 with you, and here's the honourable #3:

Time Out is very right in saying that it is "not the food that is the star of the evening" at Trader Vic's, but that doesn't stop them from stating the restaurant "continues to delight diners and drinkers" and "you have all the ingredients for a perfect party." Oman Explorer is just as positive: "Dining here isn't cheap, but for a good night out, it's worth it." We disagree. In our opinion Trader Vic is nothing more than a cattle hall where you pay a premium to have good ingredients wasted. Horrible sauces ruin pieces of prime meat, other dishes are uninspiring, overly salt, and have a special quality of being dry while fat. Thank goodness for the cocktails. You need them to forget the food.

While we are hardly keen on paying another visit to Trader Vic, it is still a decent choice compared to our #2:

According to Oman Explorer, this "award-winning restaurant is ideal for a candlelit dinner for two," and serves "delicious Italian food." Oman2Day urges us to "try the calzone", which we did: a disgusting piece of misery. In all fairness they also state the following: "A very popular place at one time, the restaurant is slowly working its way back in favour." We guess this is an understated way of saying the place is run-down and past its prime. Sad interior, food that makes you cry and a 'wine bar' that's unworthy of the name, O Sole Mio is our proud number 2.

Our #1 left us baffled when we read the reviews after our visit. We ended up in Alauddin Restaurant one evening when we were in desperate need of something to eat after shopping at Home Centre. We ordered some Indian dishes and had a good laugh at the naan bread that looked and tasted as if the chef wiped the sweat of his forehead and kneaded it into the bread. Quite untasty. The rest of the dishes weren't much better (pre-chewed saag paneer anyone?), and we weren't surprised that not many people bothered to find a seat in the seriously dated restaurant. But we were clearly wrong, because according to Oman2Day "there is good reason the company has survived so long," and Oman Explorer tells us that we should "arrive with high expectations of a gastronomic good time (...) a Muscat must." It's a good thing we didn't read this beforehand. Oman Explorer is so convinced by the restaurant's qualities that it states that "you'll be hard pushed to find someone who lives in Muscat and hasn't enjoyed food from Alauddin." Here we are, you found us.

Restaurant Review - Cheese Festival at Musandam Café

2009-11-11T11:57:00.003+04:00

We told you before about the Cheese Festival at Muscat InterContinental. It started yesterday, and lasts until the 17th of November. So one week only.

Still full of memories of last year's cheese fest, we made sure to be there the first day. Monsieur Fromagier was happy to see us, and his cheese table looked just as appetising as it did last year. In relation to last year, there was one minor change. The price of the cheese buffet was raised from 10.00 OMR to 15.000 OMR, but it included one free bottle of wine per couple.

The staff of Musandam Café must have listened to our complaints, because this time the complimentary bottle of wine was very decent: a 2005 Barbera d'Asti from Cosseti. A fruity and supple wine.

You can opt to combine the cheese with the regular Musandam buffet. We did not do this, however. We sampled almost every cheese on the table (there were 20+) and enjoyed every bit of it. The fromagier will take very good care of you, once he finds out you are in love with his cheeses. And that will happen. The selection is beautiful. From slightly sweet, soft and creamy goats, to hard mountain cheeses, runny, stinky red bacteria, a mont d'or that could only be eaten with a spoon, and the ripest, most pungent roquefort we've ever seen.

If you are a cheese lover, this event is a must. We will make sure to come back for a second visit this week.

Store Review - Gourmet Station Dubai

2009-11-10T16:54:00.003+04:00

We told you about Gourmet Station in Dubai some time ago. We finally managed to visit the store last week.

According to the website of Gourmet Station we could expect deli heaven. The best olive oils, quality foie gras, a wide array of meat and fish and a stunning collection of only the best cheeses.

Can we say we were just the slightest bit disappointed?

Let's, in all fairness, start with the positive notes. The store looks beautiful, and it is great to see so many quality products lined up. From the olive oil of Nuñez de Prado to the chocolates of Valhrona, everything made our mouth water. There's a good selection of tea and coffee as well.

Now where it goes wrong.

The Gourmet Station website says the following:

"...walk right in to over a 100 cheeses that our artisinal cheesemongers have for you"

Ahem, over 100 cheeses? There were five or six. At most. They were good, we have to agree, but it is hardly what you call a serious selection.

"At the cold cuts counter is a delectable range of smoked sausages."

We would have loved some good sausages. They're among the things we miss the most here. But unfortunately, they were not there. None.

"The meat counter at the Gourmet Station is a veritable meat 'fest' with the choicest of fresh meat displayed for the discerning shopper."

Apart from a notification that wagyu burgers could be ordered from the freezer, there was no fresh meat. Not that we would call meat from the freezer 'fresh'... So much for the meat 'fest'.

"For our customers who demand quality and good sourcing, Gourmet Station has an enviable choice of fish from around the globe (...) Fresh octopus, squids, rock lobsters, mussels, cockles, cray fish, scallops, tiger prawns, and a good selection of oysters also crowd our fresh fish counter."

Sounds great. But again, it wasn't there.

What is the matter here? Does Gourmet Station has so little customers that keeping fresh stock is no longer possible? Whas everything sold out by coincidence? Or is it a classic situation of revving up expectations, without being able to live up to them? We are inclined to think it is the latter.

So, the market for a good deli store is still open. Next time we're in the area we will try this place in Abu Dhabi. They promise us the best cheese room in the Middle East. Let's see if it's true.

Wine Review - Jaboulet Gigondas 'Pierre Aiguille' 2006

2009-11-02T12:16:00.001+04:00

We felt like drinking a solid autumn wine. It must be our internal system, preconditioned to the European seasons. Autumn storms, falling temperatures and pouring rain all call for dark red, serious wines. A bit silly of course, now the lovely Omani winter weather finally seems to come around, but we couldn't help ourselves. We chose a red wine from the southern-rhône in France: Paul Jaboulet Aîné Gigondas 'Pierre Aiguille' 2006 (OUA – 14.900 OMR).

Gigondas is one of the classic wine appelations in France. The wines are usually robust, spicy and full of dark red fruit. They show similarities to the wines of nearby Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but are less expensive, and therefore good value for money.

OUA stocks several wines from the renowned Rhône producer Paul Jaboulet Aîné, who makes wine all over the region. The house has been around for almost two centuries, and was run as a family business until 2004, when the family decided to sell the business to the Frey's (another famous French wine family, owner of Billecart-Salmon in Champagne and Château La Lagune in Bordeaux). For wine lovers, this take-over was good news, because the spirit seemed to be gone for quite a while, and the wines of Jaboulet hadn't lived up to their reputation since the late 1990's.

The wines of 2006 were the first that were completely made by the new team. Blessed with a very good vintage, the wines make a good impression. The Gigondas 'Pierre Aiguille' is a medium bodied wine, with good fruit (blackcurrant, dark cherries and strawberries), licorice and bay leaf. Its high alcohol level (14,5%) is slightly distracting, but not too much. There is enough stuffing and complexity to make it stand out above the average. It should be capable of ageing for a couple of years, but is also perfectly drinkable now. The price (14.900 OMR) is a bit steep, but compared to other wines locally available, still worth it. It would also be a good choice in a restaurant, as this wine is makes a great combination to strong meat, such as beef tenderloin, or lamb stew.

If you have problems paying this kind of money for a bottle of wine, you could opt for the more affordable Côte du Rhône 'Parallèle 45', which is perfectly acceptable, although a bit on the lean and simple side. Our preference would be to pay a few rials extra. It gives you the sense of autumn, without having to stand the rain. Not so bad, is it?

Restaurant Review - Tuscany

2009-10-19T14:14:00.004+04:00

If you would ask us about the biggest bottleneck for restaurants in Muscat, we would answer: Consistency. There is a select group of potentially very good restaurants, but we've had disappointing experiences in each and every one of them.

Tuscany, the uber-kitsch Italian restaurant of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, is perhaps the place where we've seen the largest fluctuations in the quality of food. After a very lackluster dinner some time ago we decided to avoid the restaurant for a while. But recently we heard reports that the kitchen crew is back in form. Time to check.

One of the funniest things about eating in Tuscany is sitting in the slightly higher area, under the 'authentic Italian' dome. The construction of the dome has the strange acoustic effect that sounds at the exact opposite of the dome are amplified to such an extend that you end up eavesdropping on other tables, whether you want it or not. If you ever plan to discuss some private matters over the course of an intimate dinner, we recommend sitting somewhere else.

But what matters is the food, of course. We began with two impressive starters. Marinated scallops with speck, green asparagus and capsicum cream was very satisfying and delicate. This dish always has a risk of the speck overpowering the scallops, but the balance was perfect here. The dish that really stole our hearts was homemade prosciutto of duck breast, with fava bean mousse and balsamic-marinated radicchio. The duck was lovely on its own, but paired with the bitter-acidic radicchio and soft-creamy fava beans it was lifted to great heights. A wonderful explosion of tastes. This was followed by an equally impressive pasta dish: spaghetti with vongole. When prepared to perfection, simplicity becomes art. It's been a long time since we ate such a simple dish that was so full of flavour. Gorgeous.

None of the main courses could live up entirely to the expectations set by what we had so far. Lamb loin with fennel and rocket lettuce was pleasant, but a bit high in acidity. A nice, creamy scoop of mashed potatoes would have been most welcome. Beef tenderloin, served with a fontina / eggplant pie, was a beautiful piece of meat. Very tender, and full of taste. We loved the fact that the chef was confident enough to let the meat speak for itself, and not spoil it with an overdose of salt. The fontina / eggplant pie, on the other hand, was rather tasteless.

Desserts were disappointing. A limoncello semifreddo was boring, and whatever taste it had was completely overpowered by the strawberries that were served alongside. A dish of chocolate mousse, chocolate cake and strawberries (again) was better, but not very daring.

Tuscany's wine list offers a good selection, although it would be good to see vintages listed on the menu. This is a problem of almost every restaurant's wine list though.

We were happy to see the chef has indeed regained his form. Keep it up and we'll be back. But we may just skip dessert.

Cheese Festival - 10-17 November 2009

2009-10-05T14:19:00.003+04:00

Attention cheeseheads, mark these dates in your agenda: from 10 until 17 November the Muscat InterContinental Hotel will host their annual Cheese Festival.

Although this means another visit to the Musandam Restaurant, we strongly recommend a visit to this event. We went last year, and it was a true cheese feast. A fromagier from France is flown in, together with his beautiful collection of cheeses. Forget about Brie Président and Danish Blue for one night, and enjoy true artisan French cheeses.

See you there.

Restaurant Review - Left Bank

2009-10-03T12:09:00.005+04:00

Never eat in a hip restaurant. It is a lesson that we learned long ago. There seems to be a negative correlation between level of hipness and quality of food.

Left Bank may well be Muscat's hippest hangout. We understand its appeal. It is quite possibly the only place in Muscat that is not part of a hotel, is licensed to sell alcohol, has a nice atmosphere and has a great outside seating area. We like going there for a drink or two, but have always been disappointed by the food. Even to such an extend, that if people wanted to meet there, we'd make sure we had dinner before, just to avoid the frustration of having to put Left Bank's food into our mouths.

But we felt the restaurant deserved another chance. So we revisited last week. We brought some friends along, in order to be able to try as many dishes from the menu as we could. The starters were a mixed bag. A dish of fried salmon with black olive tapenade tasted alright, but overcooked. Feta and pumpkin salad was very basic, but not all bad; the pumpkin was horribly overcooked and the feta tasted more like yoghurt, but the combination did sort of work, in a twisted way. It went downwards with a fried lump of Goat's Cheese (which could have been alright if it wouldn't have been the only thing on the plate) and Falafel of sweet potatoes with mint sauce. Nothing wrong with the mint sauce, but the falafel were a terrible mistake. Mashed into a glue-like substance, moulded into rounds and fried. This had nothing to do with falafel and tasted more or less like, well, snot.

It didn't improve much with the main courses. The House Salad was nothing more than a pile of green leaves. Hard to do anything wrong there, but hardly exciting either. Fish & Chips are alright, but taste like they've been left on the counter a bit too long before serving. A piece of Salmon Steak was served on beautifully cooked, crispy snow peas and green beans. The salmon itself was overcooked. Again. It was accompanied by a butter/chardonnay sauce, that was overly fat as well as extremely sour, due to an excessive amount of lemon juice. All in all, not a very succesfull dish, although it was not nearly as bad as the Chicken breast, stuffed with ricotta, spinach, turkey bacon and sun-dried tomatoes, served with sautéed potatoes and mushroom cream sauce. Sounds like a lovely mediterranean dish, doesn't it? Although you could wonder what a mushroom sauce has to do with it. Unfortunately, it didn't taste half as sunny as it sounded. It was a mess. The chicken breast was dry, the turkey didn't add any flavour but salt, the sun-dried tomatoes were unrecognizable, and mushrooms added an earthy flavour that was highly unpleasant. We could also moan about the spinach not being part of the stuffing (as promised) but served underneath, but we really don't think it would have mattered. This dish summed up all the reasons why we haven't eaten here for such a long time.

Due to an upcoming menu change, there were not many desserts available. But we could get some crème brûlée outside of the menu. It was a bit too stiff, but not too bad.

We tried it. But we are quite sure that we will never dine in Left Bank again. If food makes you angry, it is better not to eat it. Now that the cooler months are coming in, we will go there for a drink though. Nothing wrong with those.

Oktoberfest

2009-09-28T15:16:00.005+04:00

Beer and Bratwurst. And maybe a Pretzel or two to wash things down. All this in the Hyatt (Rooftop Grill) from October 20th to 29th. We'll be there!

Oktoberfest 2009
Celebrate the introduction of the non-stop flights with Oman Air to Munich and Frankfurt this October at Rooftop Grill House. Ten days filled with German delicacies, traditional beverages and a German band, playing the best of Oktoberfest songs all the way from Munich. Get a taste of Germany at Rooftop Grill House first, before heading to Germany!

From the 20th of October to the 29th of October, the Rooftop Grill House is the place to be. An evening will cost you only R.O. 30.000++ per person and will be filled with entertainment from the Oompah band from Munich, traditional German beverages served by waiters dressed in Lederhosen and Dirndls and a Chef Matz-Momme from Grand Hyatt Berlin showcasing his best German cuisine.

Enjoy an all-inclusive night from October 20 to October 29 at the Oktoberfest with the special menu, unlimited German traditional beverages and many other surprises for R.O. 30.000++ only per person.

Wine Review - Taylor's Late Bottled Vintage Port 2003

2009-09-28T12:07:00.005+04:00

We love Port. By far the largest percentage of wines in our cellar is Port, we tend to visit the Portuguese Douro region (where the Port grapes are grown) at least once a year and it's the wine that gives us the most drinking pleasure. Yet, until now we haven't written one word about Port on this blog. How is that possible? Well, frankly there isn't much to write about when it comes to Oman and Port.

It makes us sad to look at the selection of Port wines. OUA stocks the Ports of Cockburn, the producer of the world's best selling port Cockburn Special Reserve. We never liked this Port, but heard they improved the blend, so we will give it another try soon. African & Eastern is even worse. Although they are blessed to have Taylor's Port in their portfolio, they hardly ever seem to have anything in stock. A while ago we found some bottles of Taylor's Late Bottled Vintage 2003, but they had clearly been leaking (perhaps due to heat or poor storage – if you ever see this, don't buy). Some weeks later we saw one good bottle, so bought it.

We understand that Port can be confusing for many people. We can explain the different types here, but that would take some space. Better have a look here if you need some extra information.

Taylor's is one of the world's best producers of Port. Their Vintage Port is highly praised, and the overall quality of the rest of the range isn't bad either. It is a pity therefore that their Late Bottled Vintage (LBV in short – a ruby type Port that is aged in barrel for 4-6 years) is a bit of a letdown. When it comes to LBV, there are two 'religions'. There are those that bottle the Port unfiltered after giving it the minimal time in barrel. This results in a powerful, young Port that is well capable of ageing in bottle. It will throw sediment after some time in bottle. And there are those that believe LBV should be ready for consumption straight after bottling. To reach this, they age the port a bit longer in barrel (usually 5 to 6 years) and filter it before bottling. This is a smoother, more easily accessible type of LBV. It will not improve with bottle age. Taylor uses the latter method. The result is a Port that is often a bit bland, and lacking in character.

That said, the 2003 LBV is not a bad effort. 2003 was a powerhouse vintage. The hot, dry weather led to overconcentrated, jammy wines in many parts of Europe, but didn't do such harm in the Douro, where the vines are used to heat and draught. The wines from 2003 are powerful, full of ripe fruit and with lots of tannins. The 2003 LBV clearly profited from the quality of the vintage. It is fairly structured, with some good dark fruit flavours (cherry, blackberry and blueberry) and a hint of (milk) chocolate. Do drink this slightly cooled (18ºC at most), otherwise the heat from the alcohol will show too much, and it will also display some distracting candied flavours.

Although we would love to see a better display of Port wines in the liqour stores, we don't mind drinking the Taylor's LBV 2003 from time to time. You could do better, but certainly worse as well.

A Moroccan olive oil: Desert Miracle

2009-09-14T14:58:00.003+04:00

A while back, we wrote about the difficulty of finding good olive oil in Muscat (see here). You can imagine it brought a smile to our face when we saw a new offering at our local Al Fair. An extra virgin olive oil from Morocco, called Desert Miracle (3.950 OMR for 500ml). It is produced by Atlas Olive Oils, a company that is situated at the foot of, you guessed it, the Atlas mountain range. The company is serious about quality and produces only extra virgin oils. Desert Miracle has a maximum acidity level of 0.2%. Such quality-mindedness is rare and deserves to be praised. This is what the company has to say about it themselves:

At Atlas Olive Oils we guarantee and commit ourselves to produce only extra virgin grade and never a combination of extra virgin olive oil with virgin oil or refined oil. We refuse to produce for outside parties bringing low quality olives to our crushing mill. We are highly concerned about achieving the highest quality standards: we prefer to produce smaller quantities of high end prestigious olive oils rather than large quantities of medium and cheap olive oils (lampante, refined, or only virgin). In this context, our usually maximum acidity is 0.2° level. We use the cold-press method and add no chemicals and almost no heat assistance.

We test our extra virgin olive oil using the Olive Oil Council accredited methods which allow us to select and retain only the highest rated olive oils coming from our own groves. Integrity is the key to our success and only by strictly respecting what is written on the bottle’s label can we keep up with our centenary tradition and authoritativeness that built our reputation. These are the secrets of an ultra-premium extra virgin olive oil that cannot be substituted.

We admit that we never tasted a (good) olive oil from Morocco before, so were excited to see how it was. We were pleasantly surprised. While oils from southern countries can be heavy and cloying, this has a beautiful light golden colour and it smells of fresh cut grass and green apples. To taste it is soft and rich, nutty and slightly peppery. A very good olive oil. If you're looking for a really fresh oil, it may be better to look for something Italian or French, but we do like this fuller style as well. Lovely with some bread and sea salt, but also great to use as dressing for salads or to enhance the taste of your dish.

Our experience is that good products don't last long on the shelves in Muscat. So you'd better hurry to Al Fair and stock up.

Cool down, drink sherry!

2009-09-13T13:14:00.003+04:00

A duff housewife's drink. Bought in jugs and consumed by the barrel. Cheap, nasty and utterly uncool. Yes, the Spanish region of Jerez (Sherry in English) did a good job in ruining its own image. Just like German Riesling and Port, Sherry flooded the market with cheap, vile plonk. And when the housewifes lost interest (perhaps shifting to cheap sweet rosé wines), the Sherry region had a problem. Nobody wanted their product, even though there were plenty quality-oriented producers, making some very good wines.

It took some time, but Sherry is working on a comeback. Since a number of years it is impossible to visit a trade tasting and not stumble across a stand of the Sherry Promotion Board, where you will be invited to taste the different varieties, and see how well they combine with food. Sherry wants to position itself as a quality product, a serious wine, more than just an aperitive: good company to food. And it's working. More and more we see sommeliers in quality restaurants suggest a glass of sherry with a certain dish. In the consumer market, it proves to be more difficult to get rid of the bad image, but we think it's just a matter of time before people will embrace this special drink once again.

There are many styles of Sherry, but for now we focus on Fino, the type that is most commonly found. Some short background: Sherry is grown in the Spanish region Andalucia, around three towns, of which Jerez de la Frontèra is the best known. Fino Sherry is made from the grape variety Palomino, and brandy is added after the fermentation to reach an alcohol level of approximately 15,5%. It is always bone dry. A Fino can only be a Fino if a curious natural incident takes place: the forming of a layer of yeast cells on top of the ageing wine. This is called Flor del Vino. The layer of Flor protects the wine from oxidation and gives a special aroma to the wine. After a minimal ageing period of three years the wine can be sold.

In order to create constant quality throughout the years, a special ageing method has been developed, called solera (we mentioned this earlier here). The wines are stored in oak casks, that are stacked in pyramid shapes. The bottom layer consists of the oldest wine, and the top of the youngest. If the company wishes to bottle an amount of sherry, they take this from the bottom layer of casks. The amount that is taken out (never more than one third of the cask), is refilled with the content of the second layer, et cetera.

The two most common brands of Fino Sherry available to us are and Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe (OUA) and Lustau Puerto Solera Reserva (African & Eastern). Both are around 7.000 - 7.500 OMR. Tio Pepe is the world's largest sherry brand, and it is admirable that they manage to keep it of constant, high quality year after year. It is light and delicate, with a distinctive scent of almonds, slightly silty with some fresh apples and a racy, dry finish. The Lustau Puerto Solera is a bit fuller in comparison, though still quite delicate. Also showing plenty of typical nuttiness, combined with silty aromas, some cookie dough, straw and green apples. Very well balanced.

Both Sherries are lovely, and are great as aperitive with some green olives or smoked almonds. But you can also enjoy them with seafood or tapas. One thing is for sure. They are very refreshing, and are a great way to cool down until the temperatures finally come down in about a month's time. Drink them chilled, and feel cool.

Restaurant Review - Tokyo Taro

2009-09-07T11:40:00.002+04:00

Muscat is seafood heaven. No doubt about that. Even though there are worrying signs of decreasing numbers of fish in the local waters (due to last year's red tide, and large scale fishing), the quality and quantity is still astonishing. The perfect surroundings for a sushi restaurant. Just leave it to the Japanese to make the best out of our tuna, hammour, kingfish, etc.

Although there are a couple of places that serve sushi (Japengo being the newest addition), Tokyo Taro is Muscat's only truly specialised Japanese restaurant. Its setting is hardly inspiring, inside the run-down Al Falaj Hotel. The interior is basic, but once you step inside, you feel you are in the right place. It is usually filled with Japanese, which we think is a good sign.

Normally, we stick to sushi and sashimi in Tokyo Taro. The quality is unequalled in Oman. Beautiful cuts of fresh fish. Tuna, our favourite, is only available in season. Another good sign. The only thing we don't understand, is why salmon is a regular feature on the sushi menu. It is one of the few non-local items on show, and there have been a few times we weren't sure of its freshness.

You can also order teppanyaki dishes, but we are never really impressed by those. Tokyo Taro excells in raw fish preparations, and that is enough reason to visit the restaurant regularly. It may be Muscat's only Japanese restaurant, but with quality like this, it is all you need.

Restaurant Review - Capri Court

2009-08-31T10:35:00.005+04:00

For some reason we can't explain, a large portion of the better restaurants in the city is Italian styled. In the mid-range category we have Come Prima and Tomato, and there are two good high-end Italian restaurants: Tuscany (of which a review will surely follow one day) and Capri Court. You will not hear us complain. The Italian kitchen is arguably one of the richest in the world, and while often based on relatively simple recipes, well-performed dishes can reach astonishing heights. Freshness, purity and quality of ingredients are crucial. But they can also go dangerously wrong, and this night we experienced both.

Capri Court is situated in Shangri-La's Al Bandar Hotel, and is the hotel's signature restaurant. Chef de Cuisine Mario Prestigiovanni is in charge since 2008 and has surprised us before with some very well-made dishes. It was a relatively cool evening when we visited and some people dared to sit outside, but we chose the cooler, ultra-stylish dining room.

Looking at the menu we felt a sense of disappointment. There were hardly any changes from our last visit, about a year ago. Why is it that restaurants in Muscat have such a hard time in bringing variety to their menus? Laziness? We don't know how else to explain it.

Mr. R opted to start with minestrone, a classic Italian hearty vegetable soup. We once had a superb version in Gordon Ramsay's Verre Restaurant in Dubai, an experience the chefs of Capri Court couldn't top. The soup was ok, but nothing more than that. Mrs. R's tuna carpaccio fared better. The term carpaccio is actually misleading for this dish. You would expect raw tuna, but it was slow roasted instead. More like roast beef. Nevertheless, it was a fine and delicate dish.

Next came a risotto with porcini and truffles. Oh boy, this was good. The risotto perfectly al dente, the truffles aromatic and savoury, and the porcini earthy and flavourful. Stunning.

Our main was a beef tenderloin, again with truffles, as well as with foie gras. A decadent, and rich dish. But one with some serious defects. First, the accompanying sauce was much too salt, nearly ruining the well cooked meat. Second, the truffle, that was so incredibly aromatic in the risotto was hardly noticeable here. And last, the dish lacked a good potato side. It came with a meagre biscuit, where the rich flavours screamed for a lovely, creamy portion of mashed potatoes. All in all rather unsatisfactory.

From the decent, but pricy wine list, we chose a bottle of Le Stanze 2002 from Poliziano. This wine comes from vineyards near the village of Montepulciano in Tuscany. It's a blend of Cabarnet Sauvignon and Merlot. The 2002 vintage was very difficult in most of Europe, and Italy was no exception. The advantage is that wines from this vintage can be enjoyable a few years earlier than wines from better years such as 2001 and 2004. But the tricky part comes when winemakers try to compensate the mediocre quality of their grapes with excessive use of oak. And that is exactly what happened here. The result is a wine that tastes like, you guessed it, oak. It was priced at 64.500 OMR. Far too much, if you ask us.

The list of deserts looked rather obligatory, so we decided to skip those.

In conclusion, an evening of serious ups and downs. We were rather disappointed with the overall experience, as we were much more positive the last time we visited this restaurant. It seems like the kitchen crew needs a fresh dose of inspiration. The potential is there, as the sublime risotto shows. Please give us more like that.

Oman to become member of "Chaîne des Rôtisseurs"

2009-08-30T10:25:00.007+04:00

We were on holiday when this news came out, so many thanks to Friend R. for bringing this to our attention.

The Sultanate of Oman is about to be inaugurated as a member of the worldwide gastronomic association Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. The Chaîne is an "international gastronomic society dedicated to bringing together both professional and non-professional members worldwide, who appreciate and share a mutual interest in cuisine, wine and fine dining."

See this article in The Week of August 25:

The sultanate is soon to become a member of the world famous Chaine des Rôtisseurs, an international gastronomic society with over 25,000 members worldwide.

The inauguration of the Chaine des Rôtisseurs society in Oman will be on November 14. It is dedicated to bringing together professional and non-professional members from around the world who appreciate cuisine and fine dining. “It is an elite society for people involved in gastronomy,” says Dana Sarhan, one of the founding members of the chapter.

Joachim Caula, a master chocolatier and confectionery chef, will be the president of the society in Oman, or the 'Charge de Missions, Bailliage of Oman'. The purpose of bringing the society to Oman is “to spread fine cuisine,” says Caula.

The society holds a number of events including food competitions for young chefs under the age of 27, which can help upcoming chefs with their careers.

It is hoped that the society will highlight the talent of the sultanate's chefs. “Chefs don't really appreciate their work here. Middle Eastern chefs don't have a big domain, but it can change. We can give them a better image”, says Caula.

It is a members-only club and membership is by invitation only.

This may be an important step in bringing the level of gastronomy in the Sultanate to a higher level, something that is very necessary if the country wishes to compete in the international high-end tourism market.

We truly hope the founding of the Omani branch of the society brings a positive impulse towards a more lively gastronomic scene in the country. We will definitely keep a keen and critical eye on the developments. And, of course, we would be honoured to be invited as members.

PX - Sweet, Sticky, Delicious

2009-08-05T11:24:00.004+04:00

We're back from summer break. And although it may be wise to stay away from excess calories for a while (we don't know how you spend your holidays, but you can usually find us in restaurants and local delicatessen shops), we couldn't resist this unusual gem when we saw it.

PX (or Pedro Ximénez in full) isn't a partularly fashionable drink, but we are hooked to it. It was a pleasant surprise, therefore, to find one of the best wines in this category in our local African & Eastern shop.

Pedro Ximénez is a white grape variety, grown in several parts of the world, but home to southern Spain, where it is mostly found in the DO Montilla-Moriles. Although the grape is also used to make dry white wines, it is most famed for its sweet, fortified wines. After harvest, the grapes are dried in the sun for several days, in order to concentrate the sugar. Next, they are pressed, and after a partial fermentation, alcohol is added, leaving the wine with plenty natural sugars and an alcohol level of 15-17%. Finally the wine is transferred to oak casks, where it undergoes oxidative ageing. The longer it ages, the more concentrated the flavour will be. It is not unusual for PX wines to age for 20 years or more. The result is so mouth-filling and intense, that a single glass is enough to leave you satisfied. Thanks to the oxidative nature of the wine, and the high sugar level, it is no problem to keep an open bottle of PX for weeks or even months, so you don't have to feel guilty for not finishing the bottle in one go. But do remember to keep the bottle in the fridge.

One of Montilla-Moriles' most famed producers is Bodegas Toro Albalá. Their Don PX Gran Reserva is highly praised by the international wine press, year after year. This wine is made from one particular vintage (many of the wines in the region are made with the solera system - more on that later), and the current vintage for sale at African & Eastern is 1979.

If you look at the wine, you wonder how it could ever have been made from white grapes. It most resembles the colour of motor oil: dark brown, turning to black and very viscous. The smell of concentrated raisins, combined with the fresness of mint and (dried) citrus is spellbinding. This freshness is important, because it makes sure that the taste isn't overly sweet or cloying. It is - in fact - drinking remarkably easy, with intense tastes of molasses, raisin, chocolate and a refreshing acidic finish. Great stuff.

Over the years, we have tried numerous vintages of this wine. And although the 1979 is a very good example, it isn't as complex as earlier releases, such as 1975, 1972 and 1971. Fortunately, we found one bottle of the 1971 in between the other bottles. No idea if there is more stock, but we recommend checking it out. It will give you a bit more fruit on the palate, with notably figs and prunes, and a slightly better balance.

And the price? It may surprise you that you can find such a great, 30-year old wine for as little as 11.500 OMR per half bottle. As long as these wonderful wines don't hit the marks with the big public, prices will remain ridiculously low. As a result, you can even find a relative bargain here in Oman, where wine shopping normally is a pain in the wallet.

It may take a bit longer before we trained off all those holiday pounds, but we couldn't possibly stop drinking PX. It just tastes too good.

Our favourite coffees

2009-07-01T15:12:00.002+04:00

Time Out Dubai gives some welcome attention to Raw Coffee Company. Of course, we already knew they were very good, but it is difficult to get hold of their coffee in Muscat, unless you are willing to order by mail. So here is a top 5 of our favourite alternatives (all are espresso blends):

Caffé Vergnano - As far as we know, this is only available at the counter of the Caffé Vergnano Coffeeshop in Al Khuwair. It's worth the drive to get a couple of tins though. Lovely dense flavour, strong and dark, but with a smooth edge. We love it. (3.300 OMR for 250gr.)
Marks & Spencer's Fairtrade - We wrote about this coffee before. It doesn't quite match the flavour intensity of Caffé Vergnano, but still a very good cup of coffee, and being fairtrade is a big plus as well. (2.200 OMR for 225gr.)
Waitrose Italian Espresso - Fairly new in Al Fair's range, this coffee is a welcome addition to the scene. It may not reach the heights of our top 2, but being available in more than one outlet counts for something as well. (2.650 OMR for 250gr.)
Illy - It may well be the best coffee of this bunch. Incredibly concentrated, strong, with flavours of dark chocolate and a bitter yet balanced finish. It doesn't make our top 3 for two reasons: 1, it's only available Illy Coffeeshops (we only know one in MSQ) and 2, it's very expensive. (4.500 OMR for 250gr.)
Lavazza - Frankly, we don't like this coffee as much as the others. It is ground quite coarse, what causes it to drip too fast in our machine. The result is a watered down taste. Still decent though, and the fact that it is usually available when we can't find any of the others, is a plus. (Available in different stores, various prices but usually around 2.000 OMR for 250gr.)

Restaurant Review - Come Prima

2009-06-29T16:02:00.006+04:00

It's been years since we had last been to Come Prima, the Italian-styled restaurant of Muscat's Crowne Plaza Hotel. We didn't even live in Oman yet, but were guests in the hotel. We remembered the food being decent, but nothing special. The atmosphere wasn't anything special either. It resembled a dressed-up classroom. At best.

What a surprise when we walked through the doors of the restaurant this week. Come Prima is completely revamped and now boasts a modern, sleek look. Very nice. The friendly staff serves a plate with a tasty variety of breads, accompanied by tapenade and olive oil.

It is impossible not to compare this restaurant with Tomato, the terrace restaurant of the InterContinental Hotel. Both are Italian-styled, and both are (more or less) in the same price range. So let's compare: Tomato is very nicely situated, but Come Prima has outside seating with a beautiful view (both are closed during the hot summer months), Come Prima serves better bread, and has an attractive wine list, something Tomato lacks. And most important: the food at Come Prima is much better.

We start with a carpaccio of bresaola, which is served with rocket salad, and parmesan cheese. It's seasoning is perfect in its simplicity: some good olive oil, lemon juice and fresh pepper. A dish that is true to Italian heritage. Pure and simple food, that gets its flavour from good ingredients. No unnecessary stuff on your plate. Where Tomato's carpaccio is spoiled by a big pile of mushrooms, this only gives you what you need. And that's more than enough. Mrs. R enjoys a dish of seared scallops with porcini and red wine reduction. A nice set of flavours, but a little high on salt. This is probably due to the fact that the scallops were salted before they went into the pan. Not only concentrates this the salty flavour, it also withdraws the juice from the scallops, making them drier than they should be. Still, it is a fine dish.

Mr. R tests one of the pasta dishes (open ravioli, with scampis, squid and tomatoes, served with bisque), and Mrs. R tries the loin of lamb with a crust of basil and pine nuts, served with green asparagus. The ravioli is divine. Lovely, ultrathin sheets of pasta, with a good dose of seafood. The star of the dish is the bisque. Strong, concentrated and packed with flavour. It could easily be too much to handle if there weren't a couple of tomatoes and some leaves of basil to add freshness. Mrs. R's lamb is seared to perfection, and the dish would have been a winner if the asparagus weren't overcooked and if the jus would have had a bit more character.

Although we were pretty stuffed at this point, we couldn't leave without dessert. The Tiramisu is another winner, and bodes better than the Crème Brûlée, which suffers from an overly thick sugar crust. But thenagain, who would actually want to order a French dessert in an Italian restaurant?

Coffee is on the house. A very nice gesture, but even without this, we were already won over by the Italian charm of Come Prima.

From the well-sorted wine list, we drank a Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2006, from Chéreau Carré. A fresh and affordable white from the French Loire Valley (18.000 OMR on the wine list). There are many mediocre, acidic wines from this region, but this is a good example. The wine shows some pretty fresh citrus fruit, and is slightly silty and spicy.

It is clear. Come Prima wins hand down from Tomato. And we will be sure to come back in the cooler months. A dinner on the balcony looks very tempting. A good glass of wine, a great view and a true taste of Italy. We can't wait.

Restaurant Review - Musandam Café (Provencal Week)

2009-06-24T13:39:00.005+04:00

Anyone who has ever been to the Provence will remember the beautiful fields, filled with lavender, the aromas of fresh herbs and lovely, old villages, where you can have eat wonderful regional dishes accompanied by vast amounts of cheap, enjoyable wine. A good idea, therefore, to bring a bit of Provencal spirit to Muscat.

This week, the French Embassy and the Muscat InterContinental Hotel organised a Provencal Week, including a Provencal Theme Menu in Musandam Café. Michelin-starred, and Provence-based chef Daniel Hebet was asked to compose a five-course menu (14.000 OMR per person, including one bottle of wine per couple).

It is impossible to feel anything close to a Provencal spirit if you walk into Musandam Café, InterContinental's buffet restaurant. At best, it has the atmosphere of the coffee room of an elderly home. The (complimentary) wine didn't help to get in the mood either. A bottle each of lukewarm white and rosé awaited us. The white, although simple and too old (it was from 2005), was quaffable, but the rosé was a disgrace. It was from 2004, which is about three to four years too old for almost any rosé, and certainly for a simple Vin de Pays d'Oc. Brown in colour, and tasting of rust, this was undrinkable. When asking for a red alternative, we were presented with a J.P. Chenet. Now, we wouldn't expect anything other than simple wine as a complimentary bottle with a menu of this price. And there's nothing wrong with that. But J.P. Chenet!? Surely, they could have done better than that?

It was clear that this evening wouldn't be remembered for its wine, so let's move on to the food. The starter of chickpea soup, infused with lemon oil was a nice surprise. Creamy, yet fresh and light, thanks to the lemon. The second dish, terrine of rabbit with green olive tapenade, pesto and anchovy paste, showed a nice combination. Sadly, it was served too cold, which muted the flavours, and the rabbit could have been more tender. Still, quite nice, and certainly better than the main course: grilled tuna steak, sauteed onions, olive oil mashed potatoes and a light tomato cream. It's not that there's anything plain wrong with the dish, it's just a bit tasteless. The tuna had hardly seen a pan, which we liked, but not all members of our group agreed. Worse, it was short on taste, and therefore easily overpowered by the onions. The fact that Mrs. R found a chunk of the dark, bitter part of the tuna steak on her plate, didn't do any good either. The tomato cream was possibly the best part of the dish. Nice an pure, and a good match with the fish. Cheese consisted of a tasty piece of chevre, accompanied by some sprigs of thyme (rosemary according to the menu) and caramelized garlic. Just like the rabbit, this was served too cold, but very nice otherwise.

Dessert had the best surprise in store: a tasty strawberry, coated with candied sugar, tasted both delicate and lucious. It came together with a well-made crème brûlée.

So, was it a success? Yes and No. InterContinental deserves praise for organising these kinds of events. They bring liveliness to the culinary scene, and that's desperately needed in Muscat. But at the same time, it could be so much better. With just a little bit more care for detail, the overall level of the experience could be much higher. Keep up the good work, but keep improving!

Provencal food in Muscat InterContinental

2009-06-15T15:48:00.004+04:00

From the 17th to the 24th of June the Muscat InterContinental Hotel hosts a Provencal and Côte d'Azur theme week. Next to a painting exhibition, there will be a Provence Culinary Week in the Musandam Café, supervised by the French Michelin-starred chef Daniel Hebet. Hopefully his dishes will make us forget about the hardly uplifiting surroundings of the Musandam Café. We will, of course, pay a visit and report back.

The wines of Musar - a special treat

2009-06-14T10:10:00.004+04:00

We promised you here to give a bit of extra attention to the wines of Château Musar. So here we go.

Château Musar is the best known wine estate from Lebanon, and belongs to the top worldwide. The story of Musar is closely related to both ancient as recent history. Although the estate was founded in the 1930's, Lebanese winemaking goes back much further; there are even references to be found in the old testament of the Bible. The country's wine region is the Bekaa Valley, an area that had much to suffer during the days of the civil war, and where the current situation is quite unstable as well. However difficult the situation, the Hochar family, who owns Château Musar, never stopped producing wine. A miracle in itself. Click here for a very interesting article about the history of Musar and its wines.

The estate's top wine is simply called Château Musar. A red, white and rosé is made. We tested the red and white. These wines are very different from others in the sense that they are typically not fruit-driven, but very structured and built for the long haul. Both are usually only released 7 or 8 years after the harvest, and are capable of ageing much longer.

The Château Musar Blanc 1999 we drank recently (OUA - 12.300 OMR) was very a-typical, golden in colour, with tones of dried citrus, butter, nuts, cookie dough and spices (star aniseed, cloves, bay leave). It will never be a crowd-pleaser, but if you are interested in thinking out of the box, you will certainly find it interesting. Do drink with food though.

The current vintage of Château Musar Rouge is also 1999 (OUA - 18.500 OMR). It is a medium-bodied red, with an earthy, spicy profile, filled with dark fruit and oriental spices. Although, supple, it is by no means easy, and will be able to age graciously. Some time ago we also tasted the 1995 Rouge (not available in stores here) and it was a completely different beast: a very thick, almost agressive nose, with lots of acidic red fruit and prunes. To taste it was a bit nervous, with lots of acidity, redcurrant, and tobacco notes. A difficult wine. Of the two, the 1999 will be easier to win the hearts of people.

Musar also produces a more affordable wine, designated as Cuvée. We tried the Cuvée Rouge 2004. None of Musar's reds are deeply coloured, and neither is this. Although this wine is made from Cabarnet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault (all grapes that are able of producing very concentrated wines), it is more akin to a Pinot Noir in both colour and scent. It has a beautiful nose of red- and blackcurrant and forest floor. It is light-bodied, buth full of flavour. There is plenty of ripe fruit, nice acidity and a peppery tannic finish. At 5.200 OMR (OUA) this is great value.

Knowing that much of the Lebanese culture is about food, it will come as no surprise that all of these wines perform best at the dinner table. But the Cuvée Rouge will also do fine on its own. You might want to try it slightly chilled, to ensure optimal freshness.

The wines of Château Musar are relatively widely available here, both in stores and restaurants. A good excuse to give them a try sometime soon. They deserve your attention.

Balsamic with a twist

2009-06-06T16:18:00.004+04:00

Dates are undoubtly Oman's greatest gastronomic gift. The minute we arrived in Oman, several people made it very clear to us that dates are important to the Omani and that Omani dates are the best. And don't try to start an argument about that. We know now that they were right. Omani dates are lovely, and at this time of year we'll start to see the fresh dates again. They are a treat.

Dates can be found almost anywhere, and there even is a true Date Gourmet Shop in the Oasis at the Sea mall in Shatti, called Bateel. Granted, it is not Omani of origin, but they sell nice stuff nevertheless. They sell dates, of course, but also a range of date-inspired products. One of those is a Date Balsamic Vinegar. There are two versions, a 6-year old and a 10-year old. Both are fine vinegars. Syrupy and sweet, with singing acidity. The 10-year old version is a bit thicker and more complex, but the difference isn't enormous. These are not vinegars that you will use any day of the week. For one, they are simply to thick to use on your average salad. But try a drop with some Parmesan (the real one!) It's a great combination. You can also use it to complete a fine dish. The 6-year old costs 5.000 OMR per bottle (100ml). Not exactly cheap, but good balsamic always comes at a price.

Restaurant Review - The Beach Restaurant

2009-05-26T14:10:00.003+04:00

It is quite possibly Muscat's most beautiful hotel: The Chedi. Understated, luxurious, with an overwhelming sense of serenity and exclusivity. And while it lacks the dramatic setting of the Barr al Jissah Resort and Al Bustan Hotel, the location of The Beach Restaurant -smack on the beach- isn't too fussy either.

This isn't our first visit to The Beach Restaurant, we've been before and liked it better than The Restaurant, the flagship restaurant of the hotel, where we found the level of cooking to be very variable. Our previous visit to The Beach was in January. It was a little disappointing to see that the menu hadn't changed since.

The amuse, a delicate small bisque of scampi, was full of flavour and well-made. A good start. Mrs. R chose a starter of grilled cuttlefish, fresh citrus fruit and coriander, a dish that looked and tasted like it came straight out of a Jamie Oliver book. Nothing wrong with that, but you'd expect a bit more from a restaurant at this level. Mr. R's lobster risotto, with slices of vacuum cooked lobster tail was very nice. The risotto could have done with slightly less cream, but other than that it was a treat. As mains we chose steamed turbot and lobster ravioli, served with preserved lemon and fresh tomatoes and line caught seabass with seared foie gras. The seabass was slightly overcooked, which made it just a tad dry. A pity, because in its essence it was a fine dish. Beautiful, flavourful fish, accompanied by the slightly bitter foie gras and a creamy, fresh sauce that added a touch of acidity. Mrs. R's turbot could also have done with a minute less in the pan. Again a very nice combination. Fresh, with the lobster adding some body to the dish.

Our choice of wine was a bottle of Chateau Musar White Wine 1999 from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon (38.000 OMR from the wine list). A very a-typical white wine, golden in colour, with tones of dried citrus, butter, nuts, cookie dough and spices (star aniseed, cloves, bay leave). We'll pay some more attention to the wines of Musar in a seperate topic, as they surely deserve that.

Nothing from the dessert list made our mouths water, so we decided to skip that.

Pricing is somewhat more friendly than Barr al Jissah's Sultanah. You could do three courses with a glass of house wine for about 35.000 OMR. In terms of quality we felt it wasn't that much below Sultanah. Well made dishes that won't be competing for a Michelin star, but will give you a good deal of pleasure. And an after dinner walk through the Chedi garden is absolutely priceless.

Wine Review - Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay 2006

2009-05-20T14:50:00.004+04:00

Unlike most white wines, some actually can handle a bit of bottle age. The wines of the Australian producer Leeuwin Estate are a good example of this. They made Australian wine history with their Art Series, stunning wines that receive high marks year after year.

The Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay is a somewhat more affordable alternative (11.900 OMR at African & Eastern). Although still a serious sum of money for a bottle of wine, this is definitely worth it. The growing season of 2006 was cool for Australian standards, and this resulted in a very exciting mix of fresh citrus fruit, combined with the lush character of the Chardonnay grape, moderately aged on wood. Tropical fruits, Asian spices (notably cinnamon and aniseed) and a touch of vanilla make this a perfect wine at the dinner table. We combined it with a dish of pan-seared mackarel, served with baked potatoes and a roasted bell-pepper mousse. The wine is serious and rich, and could handle the strong flavours of the dish with ease.

Don't hesitate to buy this wine if you find it. All you need is a good ocassion to open a bottle. The good thing is, it can still do with a bit of time in bottle, so there is no rush whatsoever.

Gourmet in Dubai

2009-05-19T09:32:00.003+04:00

An interesting article in Time Out Dubai this week, featuring a list of gourmet delis in the city. The newly opened Gourmet Station in the Oasis Centre is a definite must to check out. This food market offers a variety of fresh food and fine products, such as balsamic vinegars, and the famous Spanish olive oils of Núñez de Prado. It appears they don't do any mail orders or home delivery outside of Dubai, so we just have to plan another Dubai visit...

And seeing that this is a project of the Landmark group (who also own Centrepoint, E-Max and others), it might just show up in Muscat in due time. We can always hope, can't we?

The Olive Oil Problem

2009-05-17T13:29:00.005+04:00

It seems so simple. You grow olives, press them, and there you have it: olive oil. Utterly delicious in its simplicity.

But there are some complicating factors. First of all: not all olive oil is equal. There is cold pressed oil, warm pressed oil or refined oil, there's extra virgin or regular, and don't forget all kinds of fantasy names, such as 'mild', 'light', 'wok' etc. On the one hand, olive oil is an honest, agricultural product, but on the other hand it is big business, led by multinationals who do their best to market their products as 'authentic' and 'rural'.

The consequences are confusing. Do you really believe your Italian olive oil is made from olives that were grown in Italy? Think again. They are most likely from Spain. Well, then Spanish olive oil must definitely be made from Spanish olives, right? Wrong. Tunesia or Algeria probably. It's all about marketing and commercial interest. And all this is only mildly bad if you consider that there's massive fraud going on with the quality labels.

The key in the production of olive oil is managing the acidity level. The lower the better. Oils with an acidity level below 0,8% are allowed to be called extra virgin. These oils are made from the first, cold pressing of the olive oil, which gives the highest quality. After this pressing, it is possible to get more oil out of the olive by heating the pulp. This gives oil in various quality levels, varying from decent cooking oil, to oil so acidic it is not fit for human consumption.

There are many honest producers, who make very good extra virgin oils, and sell them as such. But there are also plenty companies who aim to make a bit more money, and they have a tendency of blending regular olive oil with extra virgin, in order to have a larger volume with an acidity level (just) under 0,8%. And there are even companies who refine the poorest qualities and sell them as regular olive oil (either blended or on its own). And the difficulty is that it is almost impossible for you, as consumer, to know whether you buy an authentic product or a fake.

There are some helpful guidelines though:

Look for a seal of origin (such as the Italian DOP label). If the oil has such a label, you can be sure that the product is tested and approved by the local authorities, and is from the region is says to be.
See if you can find the acidity level on the label. For instance, if an olive oil has 0,2-0,4% acidity you can be sure it's authentic
Avoid the 'big boys', such as Pons, Bertolli and all buyers' own brands (BOB) unless they have a very clear seal of origin.
Taste the difference. Once you've found an authentic, good quality extra virgin oil, compare it to one of the big brand fakes. You'll taste the difference immediately, and it won't be difficult to understand why we're making such a fuss out of this.

It must be said that the choice of extra virgin olive oils isn't big in Oman, but you can find a couple if you try. Here are some recommendations:

Al Fair used to carry a Waitrose BOB called A drizzle of Umbria that was of decent quality. Nice and grassy, although slightly bland. The price was a huge drawback though, as it was around 11 OMR for a small bottle. They recently replaced this brand with a new Waitrose BOB, which is slightly cheaper. We haven't tried it yet.
Organic House sells a Tuscan extra virgin oil, made by Lucini. It is organic (of course) and costs 8.800 OMR for 500ml. We weren't really enthusiastic about the taste, as it was mainly bitter and hot, but this could have something to do with the fact that it was a 2007 bottling. A fresher bottle may be better.
Not available in Oman (as far as we know), but by far the best olive oils we found in the area, are those of Goccia di Sole, a co-operative from Puglia (Italy) that produces a very good range of extra virgin oils, both organic and non-organic. Although the organic oil is very good as well, our favourite is the non-organic Goccia di Sole DOP Terra di Bari. A truly classy olive oil, grassy and nutty, with a refreshing, slightly bitter bite. We bought this in Dubai, where the producer has a stand close to the entrance of Ikea. Or have a look at the website of the distributor, they may do mail orders. If we're not mistaken, the price was around 6 OMR for a 500ml bottle (but that could just as well been a 750ml bottle).

If you buy any of these, remember: olive oil quickly goes bad due to heat or light. So always store unopened bottles in a dark and cool place.

Restaurant Review - Pavo Real

2009-05-11T13:37:00.003+04:00

The urge for indulgement can just as easily be followed by an irresistable yearning for comfort food. Before we moved to Muscat, we had a favourite take-away pizzeria near to our home. They served a wide range of pizzas and pastas, of which we always chose the same: a calzone piccante for Mrs. R and a pizza quattro formaggi for Mr. R. You knew exactly what you got. No surprises, no need for thinking. Easy. Great.

Every now and then we have this urge for comfort food. After a hard day at work, a weekend in the desert, or at the end of a hot and sweaty day. Pavo Real, in MSQ's shopping centre, is usually our favourite pick for such ocassions. Granted, you have to tolerate the hideous live music, but even that grows on you after a while. The Mexican fare is uncomplicated, and quite tasty.

But we have to be honest here. Pavo Real is not really about food. It's about pitchers of margharita and pints of beer. The fajita burritos and chicken enchiladas are merely meant to trigger your thirst, and they do a good job at that. We usually stick to burritos, enchiladas and fajitas, but the menu also offers steaks, seafood and other dishes. We don't care for those. We want to know what we get. Easy. Great. We don't quite know if the comfort is coming from the food or from the mean margharitas, but it works anyway, and that's what counts.

Wine Review - La Val Albariño 2006

2009-05-09T15:34:00.002+04:00

This will not be a positive review. And while it sometimes feels good to burn a wine down for being plain bad, in this case we regret it. Why? We really hoped that this particular wine would be lovely, because it is of the kind that you don't see much in Oman and has the potential of being great.

All the ingredients were there. The La Val is made from the Albariño grape, which is widely planted in the Spanish Rias Baixas region. Albariño makes some seriously good wines. They are refreshing, fruity and perfect company to fish and hot weather. In Northern Portugal they call the grape Alvarinho, and those are equally good.

This wine from Bodegas La Val is made to reach ultimate freshness. No wood in this wine. The result is a wine that has lovely citrus flavours, the freshness of green apples and a light, spritzy feel. It had weight, but is light at the same time. It's serious fun, so to say.

So, then what's wrong with the wine? Well, it's the age. The bottles that are currently on OUA's shelves, are from 2006, whereas 2007 has long hit the market, and the wines from 2008 are just about to be released. Wines that are made in this style, are not meant to age. If they grow too old the fruit disappears, only to be replaced with (apple) acidity. The spritz is gone as well. The result? A disjointed, tired wine.

This wine should have been in the discount bins a year ago, but we still had to pay the full 10.500 OMR. That's a lot of money for a not-so-good wine. Unfortunately, we see this all too often. Beware when buying white wines, and make sure that you buy only the youngest vintages. That might just save you from a disappointment.

Wine Review - Two Crisp Summer Whites

2009-04-13T15:05:00.004+04:00

Summer is approaching fast. Rising temperatures and soaring humidity leave us in definite need of refreshing, light summer wines.

We never understood why the shelves of Muscat's off-licenses are filled with those big, flabby whites from Australia and California. This climate yearns for fresh wines from Germany, Austria and the Loire! How happy we would be if we could only find a lovely vinho verde from Portugal. We haven't lost hope though, and the following two wines will carry us through the hot summer months, even if we don't find anything else.

Vollrads 'Sommer' Rheingau Riesling Qualitätswein Trocken 2007
The Germans do a good job confusing people with their wine labels, but when you encounter the words qualitätswein trocken on the label you know that you have a dry, base level wine in your hands. Although these are usually fairly simple wines, they can be surprisingly nice to drink. This Sommer wine by Schloss Vollrads is such a wine. It has a light, floral nose, and has a pleasant taste, dry, with fresh fruit, and good minerality. The moderate alcohol level (11,5%) make it a lovely, refreshing wine. The price is decent as well: 6.500 OMR at OUA. True to its name, this is great for summer.

Laurenz und Sophie Singing Grüner Veltliner 2007
This wine comes from the Kremstal in Austria. Grüner Veltliner is a grape that is rarely seen outside of Autria, so it may be a little unknown, but the Austrians work wonders with this grape. It shares some characteristics with Riesling, but is usually a bit more spicy. The aim of wine producer Laurenz Moser and his young daughter Sophie was to produce a wine from Grüner Veltliner that would appeal to a large audience. They wanted to make a fresh and crispy wine, that is singing, so to speak. And well... they succeeded. This wine is lovely. Dry, crisp, with refreshing apple and citrus flavours and a spicy finish. It shows just a little bit more class than Vollrad's Sommer, but is also a bit more expensive: 7.500 OMR, also at OUA.

A word of caution: all too often we see old wines in the stores here. Make sure to buy the latest vintage of these wines (2007 in both cases). These wines are not meant to age, and you'll want the freshest fruit possible.

Enjoy your summer!

Restaurant Review - Sultanah

2009-04-13T13:32:00.003+04:00

Every so often we feel we have to indulge. So we do. And although we have been in Muscat for over a year, we hadn't yet been to one of the restaurants in the ultraluxe Al Husn Hotel. We chose the Sultanah restaurant for our indulgence dinner.

It's hard not to be impressed the minute you walk into the hotel. It breathes the very essence of style and luxery. While overly impressive, it manages to be understated too, in a way. We reserved a table on the terrace of the Sultanah restaurant. From here, the view is spectacular, and that alone is almost worth paying a visit to this restaurant. But luckily, the food is quite good as well, so you don't have the view alone to chew on.

The restaurant carries a rather cheesy cruise line theme. As a part of this, it has a daily menu, called Port of the Day. Our day was Hong Kong. We decided to leave the stir-fried beef dishes for what they were, and focused on the à la carte menu. From the variety of classic, but appealing looking suggestions, we chose starters of seared foie gras with figs, and lobster and dover sole with a riesling foam, sauce of lobster reduction and porcini. Both very good. The lobster impressed a tad more, having a variety of lovely, complentary flavours, both earthy and fresh, whereas the foie gras dish mainly showed a soft, velvety structure, and, while very enjoyable, missed a bite of some sort.

As a main course, we both picked tenderloin of veal, with a white wine cream, porcini sauce and potato / olive oil purée. The structure of the meat had more in common with beef than veal, but was very well prepared: tender and full of flavour. But the deep earthy flavour of porcini was much too strong for the white wine cream. It was there, but was no contender. All in all a very tasty, yet slightly predictable dish.

Beforehand we had some worries that our wine choice, a Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Merlot 2001, would be much too heavy for the delicate veal flavour, and the light white wine sauce. But as the dish proved much darker than expected, the wine matched well. A very nice wine, showing lush red berries, cedar and toasted oak on the nose. Californian merlots can suffer from being overly ripe, with jammy fruit and excessive use of oak, but this was nicely balanced, with some lovely dark fruit balancing the toasty tones of the oak. A very nice wine (it was just over 60.000 OMR on the wine list).

Dessert was forgettable. Mr. R ordered a Chocolate mousse, that while not bad, didn't have anything that stood out.

And the bill? Well, as you'd expect from a restaurant with one of the best views in town, and in one of the most prestigious hotels of Muscat, it wasn't cheap. Expect to pay about 50.000 OMR per person (including a glass of house wine). A glass of champagne (uninspiring but not bad Moët et Chandon Brut Impérial) will set you back a further 15.000 OMR. And if you choose a bottle of wine from the list, you're even further from home. Prices are steep, and the selection isn't very appealing unless you are willing to spend a couple of hundreds on a first growth Bordeaux.

In a sense, Sultanah is very much the standard hotel restaurant. It offers the sense of luxery that guests at this level expect. Dishes are well made, with top-notch ingredients, but don't expect any surprises. It's all a bit... easy. Somehow it feels like the chef could do with a bit of a challenge. But it must be said that the standard of the food belongs to the best of Muscat. And it certainly offers that feeling of indulgence. Just what we were looking for.

Restaurant Review - Jabal Lebnan

2009-04-07T13:14:00.006+04:00

On our way to all time favourite, everyones' darling Kargeen we noticed a posh looking new (or revamped) Lebanese restaurant, named Jabal Lebnan. We promised ourselves to come back soon and try this out. And so we did.

The restaurant has a fresh, and stylish look, quite uncommon for grill restaurants. Despite this, it was terribly quiet on the weekday we visited. Only one other table was occupied. The restaurant's A/C quite obviously hoped for a better turnout as well. It was freezing, and the noise of the A/C installation was almost unbearable.

The menu looked good though, with a wide selection of Lebanese dishes, as well as a couple of obligatory burgers and pastas. We decided to try some different flavours and ordered two starters and two main courses. Before we start about the food, first a couple of words about the service. How is it possible that we had to wait for nearly half an hour before our drinks arrived? And why did the bread and the second starter only show up on the table when the main courses were already served? We sat waiting for the starters for nearly 20 minutes, without anything to drink or to chew on. We can understand if something like this happens on a busy night, but in an almost empty restaurant? Inexcusable.

Now, on to the food: the Fatteh (a mix of spiced yoghurt, chickpeas and toasted pita) was very nice, but suffered from being the only thing on the table. Had we had some bread or the other starter (which turned out to be a disappointment, but we didn't know that yet then), we would have had some variety, but after a couple spoonfuls of fatteh, we grew tired of it. Together with the main courses (Lebanese Ouzi and Shish Taouk) we got a boring version of Arayess Kafta. The mains didn't impress much either. The Lebanese Ouzi was rather tasteless and dry. While the Shish Taouk was well-grilled and tender, it was very much one taste (there didn't seem to be much else than paprika powder and lemon juice in the marinade), which was not enought to remain interesting. Portions were gigantic, so no risk of undereating.

It may be the posh look, or the location (in the Al Noor Building in Madinat Qaboos), but the prices were quite steep for an eatery of this kind. As soon as we finished eating, we paid the nearly 20 Rials that we were due and left the restaurant. Stuffed, half-frozen, and utterly unsatisfied.

If you're looking for good Lebanese food, walk past Jabal Lebnan and go to the coffeeshop / restaurant that sits in the garden opposite of this. Half the price, better quality, and a good shisha to finish off your evening. That's more like it.

An even better coffee: Raw

2009-04-05T14:27:00.002+04:00

We told you about two 'good' coffees here, but found an even better coffee when we visited the Taste of Dubai festival.

Raw Coffee Company is an initiative of Dubai based expats Kim and Grayden Thompson. Quite passionate about coffee themself, they were disappointed with the supply in Dubai, and decided to start their own roastery. Raw Coffee is 100% Dubai-roasted, as well as 100% organic and fair trade. And most important: the coffee is very good. Very well made, with a lovely medium-roast and great full flavour.

Their coffee is available on several locations in Dubai, but not yet in Oman. But you can order through their website and have it delivered to your home. As far as we're concerned, it's well worth it. And if you don't own the right equipment to make yourself a perfect cup of espresso, don't worry, they sell that as well.

Another one on Prunotto

2009-04-01T17:23:00.005+04:00

Apart from the Barolo Bussia, that we talked about here, there are a couple of other wines available from this producer. We decided to check them out, because it's always good to have a variety of wines at hand from a quality producer like Prunotto.

When we were scanning the wine list of Shannon Bennet's Vue Restaurant (more on that later) for wines that we could actually afford, we stumbled across the Prunotto Barolo 2000. This wine is a blend of grapes from different vineyards in the Barolo region in northern Italy. You could say it's the smaller, more approachable and more affordable brother of the Bussia (which is one of the best vineyards in the region). Indeed a very fine wine. Quite soft, but plenty of fruit still and lovely secondary aromas. This is a nice one to check out if the price is better than the 19.500 OMR the Bussia currently goes for.

The other wine we tried was the Nebbiolo d'Alba Occhetti 2003. The Nebbiolo d'Alba designation has less strict rules than Barolo, but the wine is made from the same grape variety (nebbiolo) and comes from the same region. You could say it's an entry level wine, designed to get you acquainted with the wines of Barolo. Unfortunately it wasn't a winner. Quite lean, very acidic and showing hard tannins. It did get a bit better with some air, but still... it's a mere shadow of its bigger brothers. And with a price tag of nearly 12.000 OMR it isn't exactly cheap either. You're better off spending your money on something else. Or saving it for the better bottlings.

All these wines are available at OUA.

Restaurant Review - Tomato

2009-03-30T13:18:00.002+04:00

Some restaurants just hit a soft spot. It doesn't matter that the food misses a beat here and there, there is something that makes you return time after time. Tomato in the Muscat InterContinental hotel is such a restaurant.

This Italian themed restaurant is pleasantly located in the garden of the hotel, and has a casual, yet elegant feel. Its outside location make it especially pleasant in the cooler months. It's closed in the hottest summer months.

Now, why is this a favourite? Certainly not because of the wine list. There isn't any. Unless you count the short selection of mediocre wines as such. Better stick to beer, unless you're a fan of JP Chenet. The menu isn't spectacular either, but lists a good bunch of well-made classics. The carpaccio is an all time favourite, although Mr. R usually orders this without the annoying pile of mushrooms that comes with it. The mushroom risotto is seriously good, and the pizzas are well-made and thin-crusted.

But there are disappointments too. There are hardly any changes in the menu. And if new dishes appear (as they did not too long ago), they are not always a success. All too often dishes are not in line with the pure and honest Italian kitchen. If you stick to your favourites, you're alright, but if you dare to experiment, you might end up with a less than stellar experience. And it's not exactly cheap either. Expect to pay around 20 to 25 OMR per person (including drinks).

Then why do we keep coming back to Tomato? Simple. It's a nice place to be. The atmosphere is friendly, the service good, the view stunning and the food decent. Don't think about it, and enjoy. That kind of place. And that's just what we're looking for every now and then.

Wine Review - Cune Rioja Crianza 2004/2005

2009-03-29T13:03:00.004+04:00

The Rioja is Spain's best known wine region. And while it used to have a reputation of producing very rustic, heavily oaked wines, that more resembled chewing on dead tree bark than drinking a glass of fermented grape juice, it is today (and has always been) a region where beautiful wines are made. Many wineries changed their style to please the palates of an international audience, resulting in more fruity wines, that still kept the unique qualities of Rioja.

A very good example of such a modern wine is Cune Rioja Crianza. We've seen both the 2004 and 2005 vintages on the shelf of OUA recently (at about 7.500 OMR) and both are equally good.

This wine aged in oak for 12 months (the legal minimum for Crianza), what resulted in a lovely combination of dark, ripe fruit (cherries and forest fruit), good freshness and a spicy finish. The use of oak is very moderate, adding a nice touch. Go for the 2005 if you're looking for fresh fruit and a slightly tannic finish, and choose the 2004 if you prefer your wine to be more mellow. The extra year in the bottle has softened the tannins, but also caused the fresh fruit to evolve into more secondary tones (spices, earthy notes).

We'd love to see more wines like this on the shelves, instead of the never ending stream of Autralian fruit bombs. There are plenty good, fresh, affordable wines made in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France. Let's get them over here!

Two 'good' coffees

2009-03-25T12:56:00.006+04:00

In the coming time we will discuss all major brands of espresso available. In a country that lives in the misconception that Nescafé has anything to do with coffee, and where people will tell you that Costa or Second Cup offer good quality, we see it as our duty to inform you about what good brands are available and where you can buy them.

In this first edition, two coffees that are a little better than others, only because they are either fairtrade or organic. We compared Marks & Spencer Fairtrade Espresso (obviously available at M&S for 2.200 OMR / 250gr.) to the Organic Espresso of Organic House (in Al Masa Mall, 2.790 OMR / 250gr.). We bought both as ground coffee, but you can also buy your coffee in Organic House as whole beans. If you ask, they'll freshly grind it for you.

Industries like coffee, chocolate and tobacco are notorious for exploitation of farmers. That's why we feel it is always better to buy fairtrade, so at least you know the farmers received an honest price for their product. But still, if it's a bad product, there's no sense in buying. Luckily the Marks & Spencer coffee is very nice. It gives a pleasant, slow drip in our espresso machine, which results in a full, but smooth tasting cup of coffee. It could perhaps do with a bit more punch, but that's splitting hairs.

We don't know if Organic House's coffee is fairtrade as well, but at least it's organic, which the M&S is not. The drip here is also good, but unfortunately the taste is not. It is extremely bitter, on the border of undrinkable. Ouch.

The verdict is clear. We will be buying more Marks & Spencer, and leave Organic House to others with a preference for bitter. Next, we'll review a coffee that's both organic and fairtrade. The question is: will it be any good? Stay tuned.

Buying alert: Prunotto Barolo Bussia 1999

2009-03-22T15:58:00.003+04:00

A great deal at OUA. For some reason, they've discounted their complete stock of Prunotto Barolo Bussia 1999 from roughly 40 OMR to 19.500 OMR! Agreed, that's still a good sum for a bottle of wine, but this one is worth it.

Prunotto is one of the leading producers of Barolo, and Bussia is one of the prime vineyards in the region. At ten years of age, this wine is still a youngster. It will drink nicely if you give it some time in the decanter, but can also age for many more years.

If you decide to buy a bottle and open it sometime soon, consider serving it with dinner. Dark, earthy flavours work best. We paired it with a red wine poached tenderloin steak, with a variety of sautéed mushrooms. A very nice combination.

So, run to your nearest OUA store and buy all you can. But please be so kind to leave a few bottles for us.

A forgettable white wine

2009-03-22T11:49:00.003+04:00

When Mrs. R stumbled across an Italian white wine called Riff, with a pretty drawing of fossils on the label, she was immediately interested. As a geologist and wine lover, she is always on the lookout for winemakers that share her passion for soil. When Mr. R saw that the wine was made by Alois Lageder, who is perhaps Northern Italy's most gifted winemaker, expectations were set high.

It ended in utter disappointment. Frankly, the wine tasted of nothing. It was alcoholic and heavy on the nose, and bland and bitter tasting. A bad bottle? We don't think so; it didn't taste off, just boring.

How can this be? Mr. R decided to do a little research and found the following in a press release: "This top value Pinot Grigio reflects the expertise of acclaimed winegrower Alois Lageder, and the wines he selected from vineyard sources in the "Tre Venezie" (Alto Adige, Trentino and Veneto) (...) The vineyard sources for most of this Pinot Grigio contains a substantial amount of dolomite limestone."

Ah, so this is merely a mass-product from a wide range of vineyards, and the limestone soils (where those lovely fossils can be found) only make up a part of the blend. No wonder. We were fooled. Someone thought of a nice looking label to sell a mass-product. Nothing wrong with that, but not what we were looking for.

For the record: if you're interested, you can buy this Riff Pinot Grigio from Alois Lageder at your local OUA shop. We forgot what the price was. Just as we're trying to forget the rest of it.

Wine Bar Review: Oscar's Vine Society Dubai

2009-03-21T13:58:00.008+04:00

We love buying guides like Oman2Day and Time Out and browsing through their restaurant section. Perhaps you've noticed, but these guides are incredibly positive about almost every restaurant. A review for McDonalds is completely exchangable with one of Tuscany. But still, if these guides claim a restaurant or bar to be their favourite, we tend to believe them. That's why we visited Oscar's Vine Society when we were in Dubai.

This bar, located in the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, has a low key feel to it, with wine barrels transformed into tables. There is a decent selection of wines by the glass, a couple of special wines offered by the bottle and a small menu for dinner. We started with a very good plate of cold cuts, and two glasses of white wine. A lovely, refreshing glass of Schloss Vollrads Riesling Kabinett and a bit more serious full bodied sauvignon blanc from Sancerre by Pascal Jolivet.

So far so good.

Time to order a bottle of red wine. We opted for a bottle of Chasse-Spleen, a magnificent Cru Bourgeois from Moulis in Bordeaux, but sadly it was out of stock. And here the difficulties began. The setup of the wine menu is good, with short descriptions per wine, so you don't need extensive wine knowledge in order to make a choice. But apparently the knowledge of the staff doesn't exceed the write-ups in the menu either. Our request for an equally good bottle of Bordeaux (preferably with a bit of age on it to avoid a tannin overdose) resulted in an utterly comic parade of bottles that were brought too the table. We got there in the end, but it took some effort.

The food didn't fare much better. Mr. R felt heroic and ordered andouillette, which tasted like, well, andouillette. Completely his own fault of course, although it seems a bit risky to place this on a menu with no more than four main course choices. Mrs. R ordered one of her favourites, a classic steak tartar. When made well, this raw meat dish is a delicasy, but Oscar's cook thought it would be a good idea to murder the taste with an overdose of gherkins and capers. An acidic mess. We asked for a new plate, only meat this time, as we didn't trust the cook to go easy on the gherkins. It didn't work. Instead of gherkins and capers, the cook happily sprayed the meat with an abundace of vinegar.

Conclusion: don't burn your palate on a main dish and stick to cold cuts or a cheese plate. Don't expect any real wine knowledge in this wine bar, but enjoy a glass or two from the standard selection. If this is the best wine bar of Dubai (as Time out suggests) we would be very disappointed, but we wouldn't mind spending some time here a next time in Dubai.

But we will also continue our search for a wine bar that we can call our favourite. And we will let Time Out know when we found it.

Wine Review - Feyles Barbaresco Riserva 1997

2009-03-17T15:51:00.005+04:00

A rather hedonistic wine review this time. At 20.600 OMR the Feyles Barbaresco Riserva 1997 is by no means cheap. But as true wine lovers we were very happy to see this wine on the shelves of African & Eastern. Why? Well, it is always fun to try a wine with some age on it, and this could just be in its perfect drinking window.

Wines from Barbaresco (a small village near Barolo in the Italian Piedmont area) are made from the Nebbiolo grape. This grape variety shares some characteristics with Pinot Noir, mainly its lack of colour and earthy flavours. Good nebbiolo wines have an impressive ageing capability, and can be very tannic and hard when young. Feyles is a small, but well regarded producer, that makes wines meant to age for a long time. The wines are very classic in character: not fruit driven, but with lots of secondary notes and strong tannins. They are best enjoyed with food.

So how is this particular wine? It looks deep rusty brown/red, and is initially quite funky on the nose. But this blows off quickly. Lots of earthy aromas, porcini, and fresh forest ground, as well as coffee and some forest fruit. This is a dense and concentrated wine. Lovely dried blueberries, some balsamic and currant notes, again earthy, and a long, spicy, tannic finish. On initial taste (without food) it came across as a bit old, but the combination with food really lifted the wine up a great deal. It juvenated it, and made it more complete and complex. Lovely wine: enjoy with a very good meal. And at 12 years of age, this is perfect for drinking now.

So, if you have a special occasion, or if you need a good excuse to finish your monthly liquor budget, head over to African & Eastern and buy this wine. It's a great wine and certainly worth its money.

Review: Taste of Dubai

2009-03-15T15:53:00.004+04:00

As promised, we will give you our impressions of the Tastes of Dubai festival, that was held last weekend.

In short: if you like food and wine, and like to get to know more about restaurants and all kinds of culinary products, this festival is a must-visit for you.

The idea is simple: you gather a number of restaurants and let them offer samples of a starter, main course and dessert. You add a couple of tents where wine tastings, and cooking masterclasses are held, and finally, you give importers and producers of culinary products the chance to promote their goods. Put all this in a relaxed setting, and you have Taste of Dubai.

This was the second edition of the festival. The word had spread fast, because there was a nice crowd on Thursday evening. As a result the wine tastings were all fully booked at the beginning of the evening, and many of the masterclasses faced a full tent. It looks like there is room for growth next year!

And how was the food? Well, there were some very nice dishes, but especially main courses didn't quite live up to the usual standards of e.g. Gordon Ramsay's Verre or Gary Rhodes' Mezzanine. Of course, it isn't easy to cook high level dishes at such a fast pace, in what probably is a less than ideal kitchen, but still... if it is meant as advertising for the restaurant it should be good. Are there other things to moan about? Sure. The organisation could have made it clearer that bars closed at 11.30PM, so we (and many others) could have gotten rid of our coupons before that time. But other than that this festival is a joy to visit, and a very good way to learn of new products and places. Make sure you don't miss it in 2010!

Vinegar: Mas Portell Moscatel

2009-03-14T17:49:00.005+04:00

We don't know why, but for some reason it's incredibly difficult to find good vinegar in Muscat. Sure, there's your apple vinegar (horrible!) and your cheap balsamic (enriched with all kinds of artificial flavouring), but those don't make us particularly happy. We were very pleasantly surprised, therefore, when we stumbled upon a Moscatel Vinegar. At Lulu, nonetheless!

This Spanish vinegar is made from the Moscatel grape, which normally produces very aromatic, full white wines, that can reach phenomonal sweetness levels. The grape works very well for vinegar too. Many producers let their vinegar age for a number of years, to reach a more concentrated and complex flavour. These can get pretty expensive. A cheaper option is to add a bit of concentrated grape juice to the base vinegar. This adds a touch of sweetness and body, and it is exactly what the people of Mas Portell have done. Not as good as an aged vinegar of course, but perfect for daily use.

The Mas Portell Moscatel Vinegar is available at Lulu for 2.090 OMR per bottle (500ml). A very reasonable price for a good product. Now all we can do is hope that Lulu keeps it in stock...

Where to buy: Vanilla

2009-03-09T14:42:00.004+04:00

The sweet and fragrant aroma of vanilla is much loved in kitchens all around the world. And Oman is no exception to that. You'll find a wide variety of vanilla-based products in the local supermarkets, from vanilla sugar to essence. These may be ok products, but your tiramisu or crème brûlée tastes so much better if you use the real thing!

Adding a vanilla pod to your dish gives wonderful flavours to it. We admit, they're not cheap, but very much worth the money. A food-crazy chef friend of us isn't satisfied if it isn't Tahitian vanilla (or was that Haïtian? Well, never mind...), but we'll do with whatever we can lay our hands on. And there's the catch: fresh vanilla pods are nowhere to be found in Muscat. Why is this? Are they so incredibly difficult to come by? Or are modern cooks just lazy? We don't know, but we decided to start a quest for vanilla. And we found it! A couple of months ago Al Fair had a small stock of two brands: Waitrose's and Schwartz Chef's. Both are fine to use, especially since there is nothing else around.

Last time we checked at our local Al Fair, both were already sold out, but do ask for it. You might get lucky.

Wine Review - Dr. L Riesling 2006

2009-03-08T14:25:00.007+04:00

We will try to give you a regular update on interesting wines we tasted, either bought from one of the off-licenses in town or ordered from a restaurant wine list.

The warm Middle-Eastern climate screams for light, crisp, refreshing white wines. Germany is arguably the best producer of this type of wines, and the Riesling grape (which is widely planted throughout Germany) is capable of producing a wide variety of tastes, suiting almost every palate.

While Germany has a history of producing masses of cheap (semi-)sweet wine, many producers have been making great quality wines for decades. Dr. Loosen is one of them. This family-owned business from the Mosel area has been around for over 200 years, and they produce everything from racy, dry whites to supersweet and complex dessert wines. The Dr. L bottling is meant as an entry level wine, and is mainly made for the American market. The grapes for this wine are not sourced from Loosen's own vineyards, but bought in from several growers in the region.

The wine has very nice, clean fruity flavours, and is semi-sweet in character. Some floral aromas complete the profile. Although a nice wine, the sweetness is a bit too pronounced, which makes it rather one-dimensional. It could do with some more mineral freshness. This wine will probably work well with spicy (Thai) food. The alcohol level is 8,5%, so you can easily have a glass or two in the sun without feeling too buzzy.

You can buy this wine at African & Eastern for 6.200 OMR. A good price for a decent wine, but we will continue our search for a German Riesling with a bit more character and freshness. Recommended though, if you like your wines in the style that the Germans call 'lieblich'.

Taste of Dubai

2009-03-04T12:50:00.003+04:00

From 11 to 14 March you'll have the chance to sample the culinary delights of Dubai at the Taste of Dubai Festival 2009. A large number of restaurants will present samples of their menus, and gourmet food producers will give you the option to try their products before you buy. Moreover, a number of workshops and tastings is organised, such as winetastings, a workshop by celebrity chef Gary Rhodes and much more.

It sounds like culinary heaven. Will it really be that good...? Mr. & Mrs. R are going to find out. We will torture ourselves with the long drive from Muscat to Dubai, and report back to you afterwards. What were the absolute highlights and what could be missed. And most important: should you have been there? We'll let you know.

Welcome!

2009-03-04T12:43:00.004+04:00

Welcome to our all new weblog! We will keep you up-to-date on all our experiences in the world of food and drinks, including periodic restaurant and wine reviews, quests for the best products like olive oil, vinegar, etc. etc. If you consider yourself to be a foodie, make sure to check out this page regularly!