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Restaurant award winners

The inside story of the winners of the Oman Today Restaurant Awards 2006

Three more reasons
Shangri-La’s Barr al Jissa Resort and Spa

Best Service

As the host of this year’s Oman Today Restaurant Awards, sponsored by African and Eastern, Shangri-La’s Barr al Jissa Resort and Spa had the perfect opportunity to showcase its service skills, which it did expertly. The whoop of joy resounding from the staff at the news of their victory was indication enough that all at Shangri-La were over the moon with their success.

Hakan Oezel, director of food and beverages at this fine hotel, corroborated this further by adding that everyone was extremely proud of their tremendous, combined efforts to provide the highest quality service possible. He added: “At Shangri-La, nothing is ever good enough. We aim to give the customers the sort of service that makes them say ‘Wow.’�In addition, Hakan explained that if the customers left remembering their excellent experience, then the resort had done a good job. Although extremely happy with their accolade, he assures that the bar will be raised once again for next year’s awards and that Shangri-La will be sure to play a big part once again. Watch this space.

Samba wins Best Buffet

Although the Samba is essentially a South American eatery, the international buffet it sports offers a plethora of different cuisines to please any palate. From Argentinean steaks to Japanese sushi and fiery Indian curries, customers from every corner of the globe are catered for.

Chef de Cuisine at Samba, Mark Woolf believes that the open buffet concept, where food is cooked in front of customers, offers the added element of theatre to the dining experience and thus helped secure their triumph. “Customers can see exactly what they have ordered being prepared before their eyes.�Not only does Samba entertain, but its huge selection of cuisines ensures that visitors are “delighted rather than simply pleased.�Everyone in Samba is ecstatic over the win, especially since the Shangri-La Resort and Spa has been open for less than 12 months. Chef Mark is confident that 2007 will be even more fruitful for Samba.

Al Tanoor wins Best Middle Eastern

In the category representing local gastronomy, Al Tanoor has proved itself to be the cream of the crop. Providing a multitude of culinary delights deriving from right here in the sultanate as well as from other Middle Eastern countries, Tanoor specialises in mezze, freshly baked Arabic breads and traditional sweets. The local cuisine, coupled with the atmosphere reflecting that of a traditional souq, adorned with Arabic tents and authentic pottery, has proved to be a winning combination.

Such strokes of culinary genius are seen throughout the Shangri-La, stretching from exotic Moroccan feasts at Shahrazad to nouvelle cuisine at the Bait al Bahr. You must try all of them.

It is said that Moroccans living abroad become weepy simply at the mention of tajine. If it is true, they'd probably wail through a dinner at Shahrazad. The stars twinkling above might be electronic pinpoints, but everything else is sheer Moroccan romance. And the tajine is rich enough to evoke the history of its original creators, the Berbers, a pre-Arab nomadic tribe in the Maghreb.

You will find the same flair in their dried lime and fennel seed crusted yellowfin tuna, on asil sidr and glazed carrots and pearl barley risotto. Each vertical cut of tuna came without a strong fishy taste, and on a bed of risotto that seemed to be frothing at the edges.

You will not be able to resist the guava glazed beef fillet with red onion and date chutney, potatoes, nutmeg, spinach and beef sauce. Such stunners ensure that the Shangri-La is at the top of its form, and ready for the next awards.

Michelin stars do help
The Chedi wins Best Ambience and Best International

The Chedi is so supremely sure of itself and what it serves, that its one and only restaurant is called, simply, The Restaurant. There is no other. Driving into the hotel is like getting into a travel brochure �that's how picture perfect and stunning it is.

York Brandes, general manager, said that he was overjoyed to receive the awards and that the unique design and setting of The Chedi contributed to the ambience award. As for the accolade for Best International, York believes that The Restaurant won thanks to its sheer range of styles cooked by chefs who actually originate from the regions they represent. It appears that everyone at The Chedi Muscat is now busy celebrating the win, especially since the renowned hotspot has won the prestigious title on three successive occasions. However, York warns that Muscat is a relatively small market with a rising competitive field, so for staff to sit back and get too comfortable would be lethal.

When you’re at The Restaurant, try a fillet of hammour, an absolute stunner. It looked pristine when we tried it, surrounded by much more plate than was necessary, sitting on a bed of potato, with a foundation of lobster. And around it, a thick, deep crimson beetroot sauce with just a hint of sweet. It was absolutely exquisite, perfection itself. The fish almost melted in the mouth, and blended in beautifully with the potato, softened with cream and brought to life with bits of beef bacon. The Chedi is a standard all by itself.

And remember �its identity is so sacred to its existence that the restaurant really doesn’t even have a name.

Breakfast for champions
D’Arcy’s Kitchen wins Best Café

Even though D’Arcy’s is open until 10:30 at night, it seems made for breakfast, with the amount of cheer you could muster only on a particularly good morning. It was perhaps this unwavering level of optimism that brought with it the promise of a good day that won it Best Café at the Awards.

The British Isles country cottage style café has never before won the award, but the staff at this homely venue believe that it is thoroughly deserved. Yousf al Yafeei, manager of D’Arcy’s, explains that a great deal of effort and attention is put into catering to the customers�needs and that the staff are always proactive in listening to what improvements need to be made. “We are always searching to find out what the customers want and providing it accordingly,�explains Yousf.

Supervisor Alfi Schokman explained that, except for D’Arcy’s Kitchen, the other top contenders for the award were chain brands, so it was an extra honour to clinch the top spot over these extremely popular hangouts.

Celebrate D’Arcy’s on a lazy weekend morning, and opt for their set breakfasts, or perhaps an omelette stuffed with mushrooms, with baked beans, potatoes and grilled tomatoes for company. Pancakes can save your morning too. They come thickly spread out on a plate, with a dollop of slightly browned pineapple on top. There’s nothing like a little (or lot in this case) maple syrup to drown one’s troubles in, and it certainly worked for us.

Don’t miss the details: the carefully thought-out colour coordinated tones, from the tiled floor to the awnings to the hardcover menu and its little decorations. With beginnings like these, your day just got better �that’s the promise of D’Arcy’s.

Minimalist bliss
China Mood, Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat wins Best Far Eastern

As well as being the frontrunner this year, China Mood managed to secure the title of Best Far Eastern back in 2004, but narrowly missed out in 2005, making do with second place. Supervisor Ronilo de la Cruz enthuses that “All of us at China Mood and the Al Bustan are overjoyed that we won the title this year, although we had a sneaking suspicion that we would be successful. I, for one, have no doubt that we provide the best far eastern fare in Muscat.�He added that he would finally be able to balance out the décor of China Mood with the latest award. “We are going to place the silver plate on the adjacent pillar, facing the 2004 award.�It was an added thrill to be named Best Far Eastern this year as the Al Bustan will be temporarily closing for refurbishment early in the new year, so to leave on a high note was certainly welcome news.

China Mood, of course, is absolute minimalist bliss. It spills out into the lobby with a few tables outside, but walk in and you’ll enter a completely different world. Dark wood panelling partitions the restaurant into a few sections, while a sprinkling of lamps casts a soft glow over the room. The sound of the water fountain in the lobby filters through the open doorway, and with a candle on every table, the atmosphere is quite devastatingly romantic. The furniture mirrors the walls �all rich dark wood, and they’re set quite well against lighter parquet wood flooring. The great thing about China Mood is that it wins you over even before you get to the menu.

China Mood has atmosphere and class you just can’t beat, impeccable, gorgeous interiors and good food. Of course, the food isn’t cheap, but then again, nothing about this place is. Currently under renovation, the Bustan promises to get even better.

Global chain reaction
Pizza Hut wins Best Fast Food

Over the last five years this mammoth international chain has won an impressive four times, missing out only in 2004. “We really couldn’t afford to lose again so this particular win was extremely welcome,�explains Nicodemus Rosario, the assistant marketing manager for Pizza Hut.

Although the change in the voting format and the added pressure of the imminence of mystery judges made Pizza Hut slightly apprehensive, it did not hinder their eventual victory. Nicodemus believes that Pizza Hut’s internal measures to improve customer services helped them keep the competition at bay. He explains that the chain of restaurants already had in-house mystery customers and schemes whereby staff were pitched against the most demanding of diners in roll play scenarios. Due to their practice and training, they were generally confident we could score well in that area. Looking towards the next Oman Today Restaurant Awards, Nicodemus assures that Pizza Hut is �00 per cent confident�that it can secure the prestigious title of Best Fast Food in 2007 and is eager to know what the judges feedback was from this year’s event so as to refocus for the next.

Pizza Hut, under the umbrella of Khimji Ramdas, has seen many changes in their menu in the last year, but this latest addition “takes the cheese�quips Rajiv Ahuja, head of corporate communication at Khimji Ramdas. Two kinds of cheese, both mozzarella and cheddar are used and a special cut on the crust ensures that they ooze out, much like “lava from a volcano,�as they describe it. And this is in addition to their other culinary spreads: a range of pastas that can beat many Italian restaurants and a seafood salad that might be the perfect antidote for too many pizzas.

Location, location
Mumtaz Mahal wins Best Indian

Perched high above Qurm, Mumtaz Mahal is no stranger to the Oman Today Restaurant Awards. Although narrowly missing out on securing the title in 2005, the Indian eatery specialising in Mughlai cuisine had won it three years straight from 2002 to 2004.

General manager Gautam Moudgill says that he is elated along with the rest of the Mumtaz Mahal team. After last year’s hiatus, returning to win the coveted title once again this year was of great importance to them. Gautum explains that although it was bitterly disappointing to lose the award last year, it is now rightfully back in their hands. He praises the efforts of the staff and states that, “Everyone here has really put in effort to consolidate our position in the best Indian category and that has paid off dividends.�
The restaurant with arguably the best views over Muscat will now look to the future and endeavour to give a repeat performance in 2007. Gautam emphasises that this will be no easy feat as to win the award once again will require dedication and hard work. However, he acknowledges that change and innovation is what the food industry is all about. It is certain that Mumtaz Mahal will strive to offer something different and constantly realign its position as the country’s best Indian restaurant. Although staff at the Mumtaz Mahal are still rejoicing in their deserved triumph, they assure that they refuse to become complacent and will strive to maintain their invariably high standards.
And of course, what Mumtaz Mahal has that no other place can compete with is location, location, location. Stretched out beyond your plate are scenes of Muscat you couldn’t possibly have anywhere else. As the highway below you stretches across Qurm Heights, Mumtaz reaffirms its position at the top of the food chain.

Deliciously theatrical
Tuscany, Grand Hyatt Muscat, wins Best Italian

Tuscany is undeniably fabulous: the whole décor is quite deliciously theatrical, like a mock-Italian mansion, and Muscat’s dining public are obviously glad to be part of it.

Malik al Hinai of the Grand Hyatt said that it was fantastic to have won, although everyone at Tuscany was sure that that they would claim the award. Although there was stiff competition this year, Tuscany was so confident in its lucrative product that nobody was shocked when its name was called out at the Restaurant Awards ceremony.

However, Malik emphasises that Tuscany’s achievement will not breed complacency, but reflects how the restaurant and staff have worked tremendously hard to achieve a standard whereby customers and critics consider the restaurant unsurpassed. “Our extra efforts to raise performance have worked and everyone involved is thrilled by the title.�He considers the award win as a well-needed boost that will spur the restaurant into continuing and fulfiling its role as Oman’s best Italian restaurant well into the future. Although the Grand Hyatt did not win any other awards, he considers this win as more than a consolation, as the Best Italian award for Tuscany was the title that the hotel was most eager to achieve.

Tuscany reaches absolute perfection in the parmesan-drenched grains of the risotto that master chefs Jan and Luca have fine-tuned, and are now serving at the Italian restaurant. Sit under a painted Tuscan sky, surrounded by oil paintings and mock cracked walls, and nibble on the rice. It's like you've never had before, and we recommend it plain and classic or with the fish that the chefs also suggest. Peach risotto sounds like nothing one has tasted, even alarmingly so, but the finished dish is excellent, light flavours in the rich carnaroli rice.

Another must-have is the parma ham pizza with smoked scarmoza cheese, with olives and mushrooms. It is the most mind-numbingly sublime pizza we have ever eaten in our lives.

The night is young
Al Ghazal, InterContinental Muscat, wins Best Pub Food

After a year’s hiatus, the Best Pub Food award returned this year, only to snapped up by the Al Ghazal once again. With an almost clean sweep, Al Ghazal was awarded the title in 2002, 2003 and 2004 as well, adding its latest accolade to the collection. Dominique Richard, director of food and beverages at the InterContinental, expressed his delight at Al Ghazal’s performance and subsequent reward. He explained that without the continued hard work of the staff, the award would not have been possible to win.

While most people don’t come here to eat, don’t miss their Irish stew �traditional meat and vegetables in a big, steaming bowl. This is good, homely food, with chunks of meat, potatoes and carrots. And while they do offer the inevitable fish and chips, try fried calamari instead. They will arrive on a neat little platter, piled up in rings with mayonnaise on the side.

The Al Ghazal is based upon a typical English pub, which offers characteristically British fare as well as bar snacks and a range of beverages. The triumph of its interior design is that it can be both private and packed with life. Dark wood-panelled walls almost black in the subdued lighting, leather sofas, bar stools and a dance floor form the backdrop �don’t miss it.