Spice Diaries: Rasoi by Vineet
As Bahrain's very first eatery opened by a Michelin-starred chef, Rasoi by Vineet's arrival on the island is one of those momentous events that changes the local culinary landscape for the better. And like all sublime restaurants, this place seems to have sent the island's foodies into a bit of a feeding frenzy; it's constantly fully booked! Rasoi by Vineet, literally meaning 'Vineet's kitchen,' is dedicated to bringing 'evolved indian' cuisine to Bahrain's gastronomically inclined, and man do they do it well.
Despite its large size, the atmosphere sits right between intimate and upmarket. The decor is smart modern with a healthy splash of colour, while patterned materials and artwork give an appropriate sense of the exotic.
The man behind it all, Vineet Bhatia, is our kind of kitchen rebel. Chef Vineet seems to consist of as many complexities as his mouthwatering signature dishes, and is one tough cookie to try and figure out. After accidentally stumbling onto the culinary scene circa 1985, he battled against the indian cultural grain where, for a long time, chefing as a career trajectory came with some lacklustre social tags. But fast forward 30 years and he's defied the odds, having built a stellar restaurant portfolio all around the globe - we're pretty glad this guy didn't choose to become a lawyer or doctor as was expected of him at the time!
But despite his culinary success, Vineet Bhatia exudes a grounded and humble attitude, and this seems to extend to his approach to food too. The menu consists of Vineet's personal take on modern Indian cuisine, a concept he's been able to test and refine over many years of kitchen experimentation. Expect dishes such as Raan Lucknow, a 48-hour marinated lamb dish; Uttapam Lasagne, a rice pancake and aubergines combination accompanied by chutney and a crisp Iddiyappam; toasted sesame ginger cod with spring onion khichdi; fennel pollen ice cream and Goan-style braised lamb shank. All very fancy!
If you haven't checked out Rasoi by Vineet for yourself yet, then you're seriously missing out. Use the link below to make a real-time table reservation directly from your web browser!