Perle Magazine - Spring 2018 Perle Magazine - Spring 2018 | Page 125

A
dliya has long picked up popularity
over the wide variety of dining
options it has to offer. Gone are the
days when there were only a select
number of popular places reservations
had to be made for to dine in; now as
people explore block 338, they are open to
experiencing an eclectic mix of restaurants
literally with each passing step. From the
restaurants that have remained a part of
the area’s ever-changing fabric and look,
to the new ones that are forming Adliya’s
culinary identity in present-day Bahrain,
Block 338 has seen a major transformation
and has become the hub of experiencing
Bahrain’s culinary boom. One of the latest
additions to the budding food-district is the
multifaceted 55 Old St, the brainchild of
Maryam Al Khalifa, along with her partners,
who brought to life her dream of opening
an atypical cafe and restaurant in Bahrain.
Identifying as a “café, kitchen, terrace,
and social space”, 55 Old St was inspired
by Maryam’s time spent in London, where
in the multi-cultural area of Shoreditch she
was introduced to different gastronomical
cultures from across the globe. Starting
off as a quest to find the best coffee after
her classes in Le Cordon Bleu - where
she trained as a cuisine and pastry chef
- Maryam found herself surrounded by a
fascinating mix of cuisines. “Its a different
community there than in, say, Central
London. You don’t hear people there
speaking English on the streets, you have
Spanish, Portuguese, and different people
from all over the world.” Delving in their
food, Maryam took particular note of
how the various ways their spices were
used, and how each ingredient cooked
brought to life flavors different than those
back home in Bahrain. Maryam notes that
complementing the food, were the organic
interiors of the restaurants, which created
a modest and inviting ambiance for the
customers. With her culinary background
and surroundings as her muse, Maryam
returned to Bahrain with a quirky restaurant
idea and an ambition to bring it to fruition.
SPRING 2018
Perle
125