Night Out at Jim's

Jim's Restaurant and Lounge - Adliya 338

The choice of dining tonight (10pm Thursday, January 23) on was Jim’s Restaurant and Lounge that served a variety of cuisines from British to Indian and even steakhouse servings. The exterior of the place seemed cozy and quaint, and so it was as well on the inside. Upon entering the place we were welcomed with an aroma from the kitchen that immediately struck my taste bud and caused my mouth to water. My second intake was the warm, dim light and pleasant music streaming in from the lounge which is separate from the dining area.

The walls were adorned with old paintings and an interesting piece of a wooden airplane propeller. The ceiling also had wooden beams fitted with the dim lights I mentioned earlier, all of this contributing to the coziness of the restaurant especially on a cold winter night in January. You can find all kinds of people in the restaurant. The dining area was half full and you could hear a fun buzz from the bar area with compelling modern music that only asked you to join. We reserved but realized we didn't have to.

When I arrived my companion had already placed orders for us since I was late to our rendezvous. We were served complementary baguette with butter, which tasted like … well what a baguette would taste like in Bahrain at least. But it did make a good starter to our meal.

Chicken Makani

And here comes the exciting part. Main course, the orders placed was Chicken Makani (BD 4.5) a dish of Indian Cuisine. I am delighted to say that the choice was well made, the dish was buttery and flavorful and had a hint of tanginess to it, which made it all the more exciting, the texture of the meat was consistent and the gravy or sauce was not runny but quite thick.

Khumb Khazana

The second dish was also of Indian origins called Khumb Khazana  (BD 4) which is grilled mushrooms stuffed with creamed spinach and cheese. The initial bite of the mushroom brought a surge of rich, creamy and delectable flavor. However, the Khumb Khazana soon proved to be too rich and quickly bored me, this was quickly rectified with a splash of lemon juice which immediately neutralized the richness and again replenished the dish into a delightful treat.

We also ordered plain rice, which was …. Plain, white and steamed (1BD/bowl).

The staff was friendly and honest and the service was quick. The overall experience at Jim’s was indeed satisfying and pleasing. My singular complaint would be the portions of food served; with regards to portion and price ratio the servings could be increased. Another recommendation would be to have different size servings of rice, as the available serving is of an awkward quantity.

Location is great, it's at 338, easy to reach. The drinks were a little too pricy. If its not favorable, then you always have the option of walking over to Silk, which is just across.

Address: Block 338, Road No 3808, Adliya
Cuisine: International / Indian
Contact: +973-17 710 654
Website: http://www.jimsbahrain.com/

Date of Visit: Thursday, January 23 at 10pm

Chicken Makani (BD 4.5)

Khumb Khazana  (BD 4)

Steamed Rice (1BD/bowl)

Jim's received an OFS of 3.6!

Curry Tree, Amwaj Islands: Just alright

Curry Tree - Amwaj

You will find a small and colorful Indian restaurant on the first floor of Amwaj's Lagoon called Curry Tree. When we first entered the little place, it felt odd, and out of place in that capitalistic area, however the prices made up for that. It was around 9pm, and we expected the place, like any other place on a Thursday to be packed. But to our surprise, it was quiet and the staff looked more than pleased to have us. The furniture was interesting, colorful, and the walls were white with prints of pointy edged paramecium looking figures. There was something about the place that gave it the feel of "cheap", and we agreed that it could be the color of the wall and the lighting. There were two groups later on that visited the restaurant, giving it a live feel.

Before our visit, we had a hard time finding information on the restaurant. TimeOut did not have reviews yet, and their Facebook page did not do them justice. Something notable though, as you drove through Amwaj, you would find ad banners all over the place suggesting that Curry Tree was an elegant and expensive place.

The top orange was the Paneer with butter gravy, the one below was the chicken tikka masala, the white sauce on the right was the minty sort of dish that was given with the papadum at first. The plain naan on the left is complementary.

For non-Indian customers such as ourselves, the food tasted wonderful. We ordered two plates of steamed rice, a small bowl of chicken tikka masala, and another bowl of paneer with butter gravy. Paneer has this familiarity with tofu, however, the sauce with it gave it a delightful taste. The chicken tikka masala was boneless, and was only mildly spicy. It was well cooked and was well moist, not dry at all.

Along with our meals, we received complementary plain naans and some sort of papadum with a minty sauce. The price compared to other restaurants at the Lagoon were not bad, but the ambiance probably did not give off the feel that the food deserved that much. Service on the other hand was very friendly.

Address: Shop No. 140, Bldg. No. 2648, Road No. 5720, Amwaj 257, Kingdom of Bahrain

Cuisine: Indian/ Pakistani

Hours: Monday - Sunday 12pm - 12am

Contact: +973-16030662, +973-160 30 660, +973-160 30 661

Email: curry.tree2010@gmail.com

Date of Visit: Thursday January 09, 2014 at 9pm

Steamed Rice: 2 x .700 = BD 1.4

Tikka Masala: BD 3.5

Paneer with Butter Gravy: BD 3.5

Small Arwa Water: BD .3

Curry Tree received an OFS of 3.3!