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DSC_0235yalla-yalla-restaurantWe wanted Indian food today. And we did not want to have it at home!
And we also did not want ‘fast-food’ and we wanted a state-of-the-art cozy place.
So we went to Yalla-Yalla Restaurant in Al Safir Hotel and Towers. But there was a problem!
They do not serve Indian fare.
However, a quick call ensured chef Mohammed Alam prepared ‘home-made’ Punjabi fare for us – made to order literally – except we were not aware what the dishes would be.
So it happened that we came away after having one of the best paneer (cheese) masala, corn and spinach curry, the traditional dal (Lentils) and karahi chicken we have had in a long time!
The excellent service, pleasant staff and an even greater ambience made the visit memorable.
After all, how many times would one go to an Arabic (Lebanese) restaurant and have ‘custom-made’ North Indian Punjabi food?
But some things just happen. As it did in this case!
Also, Al Safir is known for that little extra it does with its guests. And that’s a winner!

Old IS Gold

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Old IS GoldThis old man, who cleans cars at one of Bahrain’s five-star hotels, is the perfect example of the
“one’s never too old to work” adage. Though I have spotted him several times in the parking lot and always declined his offer of cleaning my car, this one I time I was unable to since the vehicle did need thorough washing and dusting. He started as soon as I left the keys in his hand and was still at work when I returned an hour later, giving the finishing touches. I did not get the man’s name but he is fluent in Hindi and Urdu, besides Arabic and English. He said he’s been doing the job for as long as he can remember and would not hang up his chamois as long as he can stand on his own two feet and climb cars. At the end of his marathon effort, he took the same money (around $8) as I would have paid for a 20 minute stop-over at an automated car-cleaning kiosk. But, now, my car has a certain sparkle that it has never seen before.

Desert Dream

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This ramshackle, rotting structure in the Bahrain desert had been planned as a luxury hotel but the “global financial crisis” reportedly put paid to developers’ plans. 20130218_110110It makes me wonder whether the “crisis” was in fact just an excuse by some to shelf plans and make an exit, taking investors’ hard-earned cash with them. But as things stand now, there are several such “edifices” being consumed by the elements, with nothing having moved for the last many years!