HalaBahrain - July 2009

HalaBahrain Magazine | July 2009 1

HalaBahrainHalaBahrain MagazineMagazine

Your Local Bahraini Guide!

July 2009 - Volume 2 - Issue 1

One Year One Year

Anniversary!Anniversary! A year of events!A year of events!

The Great The Great

Samboosa ChaseSamboosa Chase

Finding the best Samboosa

Jeben out there!

Places to Go

Things to Do

Events

Tradition

And much more!


HalaBahrainHalaBahrain MagazineMagazine Lifestyle - Technology -

Entertainment - Events ©

1 Year!1 Year! Dear Readers,

Yes! Out little magazine is now 1 year old! A year of covering

everything that’s going on around our little island, from events,

to parties, to new restaurants, and from the newest classiest

places to hang out, to the traditional places you need to see.

This issue we’ve pushed out a lot of the events we’ve covered

over the past year, and looked at some of the things we’ve

gone through in our year of being published. Considering it’s

the summer time, events are not really as frequent as they are

when it’s cooler, so we’ve put down a few suggestions for

places to travel to! Finally, since a lot of you LOVED Bahrain’s

Top Shawarma review last month, we bring you the review of

another type of food synonymous with local culture; cheese

samboosa!

Again, we would love to hear from you about anything; send us

your emails with thoughts about the magazine, letters, ideas,

and let us know what you’re thinking!

Till next time,

Ammar Al-Aradi

Editor In-Chief [email protected]

The Team

Editor-in-Chief

Ammar Al-Aradi

Creative Director

Fardan Raffi

Public Relations

Amal Fareed

Copyright Information © All Rights reserved. This

publication may not be

reproduced or transmitted in

any form in whole or in part

without the written permission

of the publisher. Liability: While

every care has been taken in

the preparation of this

magazine, the publishers

cannot be held responsible for

the accuracy of the

information herein, or any

consequence arising it.

HalaBahrain is a fully registered

online publication with the

Bahrain Ministry of Information,

under registration number

EQHBH210

HalaBahrain is published

monthly; to view the magazine,

for a free subscription, or to

download a copy, please visit

www.halabahrain.com. For

advertising and all enquiries,

please contact

[email protected]

www.HalaBahrain.com

[email protected]

Editorial


Seef Festival

Location: Seef Mall

Contact: +973 - 17581111

News, Events News, Events

& Happenings& Happenings If you’re considering doing anything outdoors

in the coming 2 months or so, we seriously urge

you to reconsider. The weather isn’t going

to be very friendly, and that’s why most of

the events going on during July are based

Indoors! The malls get busy as people go out to grab a bite, do some shopping, and generally walk

around, but a special this month is the Seef Festival going on from mid-July onwards. With live local-

music performed on weekends, to special games and competitions for the kids, to amazing perform-

ances all around, Seef Mall may actually be a great spot to check out! Al A’ali Mall also holds some-

thing for all you art lovers, with Al Riwaq Gallery screening films by local and regional directors every

Tuesday, and will also have live paintings by different artists under the title “A Beautiful Mess”.

Looking for something more lively? Al Dar Islands is holding it’s Sunset Session on the 10th, with music

and drinks (although we highly recommend staying away from the sun for prolonged periods; ie over

5 minutes). Brazil Lounge is holding it’s Hot Ice Night and playing all your favorite tunes, and finally

Fady Ferraye & Sabrina Terence are coming to Bahrain to perform at Summer Jam in Coral Beach.

For those interested in something a little different, check out some stand-up comedy at Aqua Fuego

for the ‘Funniest Person in Bahrain’, or if you’re feeling a little adventurous, head over to BIC and take

a Hummer for some off-road driving and training!

Upcoming

15 July - 30 September

Hot Ice Night

Location: Brazil Lounge

Timing: 8:30pm - 1:30am

Contact: +973 - 36161650

[email protected]

Sunset Sessions

Location: Al Dar Islands

Timing: 3:00pm-10:00pm

Contact: +973-39991377

+973-36171122

7 July - 21 July

Al Riwaq Gallery (multiple events)

Location: A’ali Mall

Contact: +973-39221671

[email protected]

Summer Jam

Location: Coral Beach Club

Timing: 9:00pm-2:00am

Contact: +973-39857359

[email protected]

30 July

22 July

Funniest Person in Bahrain

Location: Aqua Fuego

Timing: 9:00pm-11:00pm

Contact: +973-17593993

[email protected]

16 July

10 July

4 August

Ultimate Hummer Experience

Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit

Contact: +973-17450000

www.bahraingp.com



Got something to say? Whatever it is, let us know, email us on: Got something to say? Whatever it is, let us know, email us on:

[email protected]. [email protected]. Best letter of the month wins a Best letter of the month wins a

brand new Apple iPod Nano! brand new Apple iPod Nano!

————

FROM: Hamad

SUBJECT: Crazy!

That was totally nuts! Never

in my life did I think I would

see a comparison of the top

Shawarmas in Bahrain! But

you guys did it! Nuts. Loved

it, seriously keep it up, that’s

what the other magazines

seem to be missing out on!

Thanks! We’re glad you liked

our review, so check out this

month for the best place for

cheese samboosa :p

————

FROM: Nardin

SUBJECT: Congrats

Congrats on your magazine

launch!

Err.. We sorta ‘just’ finished a

year.

————

FROM: Rachel

SUBJECT: Lovely

Your Shawarma review was

actually a lot of fun. We

most usually have dinner at

any regular fast-food joint,

but this really brought the

local flavor to it! We’re sure

to try them all out! Thank

you!

Well, we’d advise you not to

try all of them on the same

day though. Our Editor did

just that and doesn’t want to

eat another Shawarma for

the next year or so.

————

FROM: An Angel

SUBJECT: Elham

Enjoyed the coverage of the

Elham festival, lovely pics :)

Well ‘An Angel’, it was a lot

of fun covering the event!

Elham are on a break for the

summer, but will be back

straight after for more

events. Stay tuned!

————

FROM: David L.

SUBJECT: Istanbul

My wife and myself were

looking for a place to take a

quick holiday, and weren’t

really considering Turkey until

we read your travel guide.

We took a weekend off

there and we have to say it

was a really great piece of

advice! Keep up the great

work!

More places to check out

this month! ;)

————

FROM: Dev Dhillon

SUBJECT: Information

Hello I need your help if u

can too thankful to you I

want almaljawi garage full

address and phone number

I didn’t realize our magazine

also provides an information

directory service. Dude, call

181 and all your problems

will be solved. Well, besides

your grammar...

HalaBahrain MailHalaBahrain Mail Mail

Win me!Win me!


One Year of Events!One Year of Events! Yep, as of this month, HalaBahrain has been

running for a whole year! Instead of covering

the regular events going on this month (well,

there weren’t that many events during June

anyway), we bring you the best of what

we’ve managed to cover over the past

year! Everything from parties and concerts...

Events


Events ...to Racing events at the BIC...


Events ...to sporting events, trips & competitions...



Events ...to everything else!!





Newspaper

Banned!

Thousands of readers going

to buy their daily copy of

Akhbar Al Khaleej were in

for a shock; the actual newspaper wasn’t on shelves,

and rumors started flying about. Did they slip up? Did

they go broke? No, it turns out that an article by one of

their writers caused the authorities to suspend the paper

due to violations of the ‘press law’. Luckily, the Prime

Minister himself stepped in an called for a lift on the

Bahrain Win!

Yes, our team has won

and is now a step closer

towards reaching the

World Cup! The game vs Uz-

bekistan caused the

audience to erupt in cheers

& joy as Mahmood Abdul

Rahman scored the winning goal! All is now set for the next

round against Saudi Arabia in September. Fingers crossed!

News

Bahrain NewsBahrain News


Food

The Great Samboosa Jeben Chase!The Great Samboosa Jeben Chase!

After getting bombarded with emails and messages after our ‘Bahrain’s top Shawarma’ review

last month, we decided to bring you another Bahraini delicacy; the infamous Samboosa Jeben

(that’s cheese samosa). An important part of any Bahraini’s lifestyle, the tradition of ordering it

(along with sweet chapati and an ice cold Pepsi) is nowhere near as popular as it used to be.

Not to fear though! We’re bringing it back by finding out the best places that serve it in

Bahrain! Don’t expect a classy restaurant with seating. Nope, the best places to get this

stuff is right from the old-school classic makers. Last month, we armed ourselves with a 10

dinar budget for the review. This month, we only needed BD5! Read on...


Food Zad RestaurantZad Restaurant

Easily found in the back streets of Umm Al Hassam, Zad Rest.

has been here for a good 20+ years, serving the surrounding

areas of Adliya, Zenj, etc. Starting our Samboosa chase here,

we found the taste not as great as we expected. Don’t get us

wrong, it was pretty good, but it’s not the best compared to

the ones we tested later. Our Assistant Samboosa Tester

(Ahmed Zainal) did point out that it had the most ‘interesting

texture’, however. What does that mean? Dunno, try it and

find out!

Taste: 3 out of 5 (good to satisfy a craving)

Value: 4 out of 5 (300 fils for a dozen)

Location: 4 out of 5 (easily found just off the main Umm Al

Hassam Road, and with ample parking)

Haleem Haleem

If you don’t know this place, you’re not a true Riffai! We had to take

a few up and down turns driving between a heavily populated

housing area to find this place. According to the ‘Head Chef’,

however, back when this place started in the 70’s, there were only 4

houses here, and he listed them by name! There was literally a

queue (of cars) waiting to be served here. Ridiculously tasty.

Taste: 5 out of 5

Value: 3 out of 5 (400fils for a dozen)

Location: 3 out of 5 (got lost trying to find it!)



Food Qasr Al AmeeratQasr Al Ameerat

Located near the Games District in Riffa (near Bukwara),

it’s pretty easy to find Qasr Al Ameerat. Most of the places

we’ve reviewed are pretty old-school, but this place is to-

tally ghetto; the signboard feels like it’s about to fall at any

minute, the inside probably hasn’t been renovated since

the place opened, and even the door looks like it’s about

to fall apart. The fact that it’s still in business, and is pretty

busy, tells you one thing; this is good food. Instead of

focusing on fixing up the outside and renovation, among

other things that make a place look better, the focus has

been kept on the actual food.

The samboosa is really good, and it’s not like they

jacked up the price; still 300 fils a dozen. And if

you’re looking for something a little bit different,

try getting a cheese & corn samboosa instead -

considered as Qasr’s speciality. Great stuff.

Taste: 5 out of 5

Value: 4 out of 5

Location: 4 out of 5 (no issues with parking, and

finding it isn't too tough!)


Food

AbdulQaderAbdulQader

Very, very well known, and smack dab in the alleyways of the

real Manama. The name AbdulQader is synonymous with

Samboosa Jeben, and this was without a doubt the first place

that came to mind when we thought of the review. Last time

we tried A.Qader, however, was years ago. Did it still live up to

it’s reputation?

After squeezing through the narrow alleyways to get there,

and struggling to find a place to stop, we decided it was

going to be pretty impossible, so our Assistant Tester got down,

got the goods, and we got busy. Results? While we wouldn’t

put it at the top of the list today, it still ranks pretty high up. Do

make sure you get there early, we got there at 8:00pm and

ended up just catching the last batch!

Taste: 4 out of 5 (they’ve been doing this for years)

Value: 3 out of 5 (400 fils a dozen)

Location: 1 out of 5 (getting in there and actually

finding a parking spot? Can anyone say, mission

impossible?)


Food Najmat RamsisNajmat Ramsis

Not exclusively a Samboosa shop, Ramses Star actually sells all

sorts of not-so-expensive foods (falafel sandwiches, chicken

rolls, etc), and they’re usually pretty good. Their Samboosa’s,

on the other hand, aren’t so cheap. For 1BD a dozen, you

start wondering why anyone would pay that much; then you

see them; they’re relatively huge! (See image on left for

comparison with regular). They’re not the best tasting out of

the lot, but they’re much better at satisfying a crave than the

regular tiny ones! Worth checking out.

Taste: 3 out of 5

Value: 3 out of 5 (1BD a dozen, even at that size, is still steep)

Location: 3 out of 5 (behind Ahmed Alomran School in Hoora)

Funnily enough, the official name for this place is the

“Busaiteen Refreshment Falafel & Samoosa Company”,

and since we’re pretty convinced that the size of this shop

doesn’t warrant the name ‘company’ or the long title

before it, we’re just going to call it the “Busaiteen Place”.

Easy to find, no issues with parking or stopping, for 300 fils a

dozen, the actual samboosa was reasonably good

although nothing really worth screaming about. Great if

you’re in the area and need to eat!

Taste: 3 out of 5

Value: 4 out of 5

Location: 4 out of 5

Busaiteen PlaceBusaiteen Place


Food AND THE WINNER IS:AND THE WINNER IS:

Qasr Al Ameerat! With a great easy to find location, the best value for money, and some of

the tastiest drops of heaven out there, you really can’t go wrong! Definitely worth dropping

by for their Samboosas, and make sure to get the cheese & corn ones too!

Disclaimer: HalaBahrain does not encourage the excessive consumption of Samboosa, or any other

foods that have been made with a surplus amount of fatty oils. The magazine and it’s editors are not

responsible for any clogged arteries, heart attacks, or any other health issues associated with the

consumption of the said product, neither can they be held responsible for any addictions arising to

Cheese Samboosa or such.


Travel CyprusCyprus Although Bahrain is ‘supposedly’ a sunny island, we sort of miss

out on the whole beach experience here, for two reasons.

First, we don’t really have any beaches (the few we do have

aren’t exactly public), and second of all, trying to sunbathe

during a Bahrain summer will end up turning you into a barbe-

que sausage. Solution? Well, considering the shortage of ‘real’

beaches in the surrounding countries, Cyprus stands out as a

close destination for those looking for sun, sand and sea with-

out having to end up in the hospital for sunburn treatment.

The best holiday beaches are those around Aiya Napa and

Protaras, where you can lie down on the beach and relax, or

take part in all sorts of water-sports, from jetskiing to kite-

surfing, and more.


Travel Beaches, however, aren’t the only thing that

Cyprus has to offer. For explorers, Cyprus is full of

Roman castles and Venetian walls, left behind

from thousands of years of history. It is also

surrounded with stone villages and citrus groves,

green forests and mountains with amazing

views. And with a reputation for great food, stuff

your appetite with everything from their grilled

Halloumi, Dolmades, to slow-baked-lamb (which

all taste great!) Definitely a great way to soak

up the summer sun and enjoy a change of

scenery without having to go too far away!


Travel IcelandIceland Yes, it’s hot, we know. What better place to get away from

the heat than a country with the word ICE in it’s name? But se-

riously, Iceland has a lot more to offer than just ice (which

would be much more easily and economically found by

opening the top door of your fridge). With magnificent water-

falls, glaciers, geysers and volcanoes (dormant ones, don’t

worry), it’s a great change from the regular views of sand and

dust we get to see here. It’s also much greener than you

would think (we were expecting a white country), and during

the summer temp’s range around 0-10 degrees; so if you’re

looking to get away from the heat, where could be better?


Travel


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