I firmly believe that for any relationship to work, you have to give each other room. Take my kitchen and I for example. Life long companions though we may be, I insist on some space from it at least once a week so when I go back to that sink full of used vessels, I don’t do it too grudgingly. That’s why we ended up having dinner at Vapiano in Bahrain City Centre on Saturday.
The Italian cafe and restaurant has a way of beckoning unsuspecting happy shoppers in by offering a tantalizing view of their kitchen as you walk by. The seating is very casual with long high benches and low benches around tables with bottles of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and potted herbs. There is also a small area with deep red couches that is almost always occupied.
I only wish that the oils and herb station was not fixed in the middle of the table, it’s difficult to maneuver around when you want to share dishes.
The casual atmosphere extends not just to the seating but to the ordering as well – it’s self-service.
Upon arrival, diners are given a Vapiano card which, thanks to the magic of technology, records your bill as you order your pasta or pizza or salad at the different stations. Once they’re ready, you’ll have to pick the dishes up and take it to your table yourself.
We ordered a chicken Alfredo pasta and about ten minutes later a chef called out our order. Served in a pristine white bowl, it tasted as good as it looked The sauce didn’t drown the pasta but instead offered a touch of creamy garlic-y goodness as I bit into the homemade penne pasta or small pieces of tender chicken breast or mushroom.
We also ordered a pizza; capriciossa and were given a buzzer so that we could relax until it told us our pizza was ready because it takes a little longer than the pasta to prepare.
There’s nothing as satisfying as seeing a thin crust pizza appear on your table (courtesy of the husband) with cheese so hot it’s almost bubbling. With great haste I finished the pasta that was on my plate and then…cheese – mmmm! Beef ham – so delicious! Mushrooms – yum! Artichoke – why isn’t there more? Red olives – wait a minute, what are you doing here? Normally, the pizza is topped with black olives which compliment the other flavours very well. These olives however, provided nothing but a sharp pickled sting every time I bit into them. I ended up picking them out of the remaining slices and we felt that the pizza was much better for it.
All in all, it was a good meal even if the pizza was not entirely to my taste.
I find that Vapiano is a great stop after a long afternoon or evening of shopping. It’s like an up-scale food court dining experience (with the self-service and the fact that it isn’t too harsh on the pocket) except – the food is usually very delicious and the ambiance is wonderful.
My rating: 4/5
(I’m hoping to learn how to take better pictures of all the platefuls of deliciousness I see…am open to suggestions!)