Bushido Restaurant and Lounge Bahrain ticks every box in terms of décor. Part of the Buddha Bar Group that is famous for its glamorous restaurants and high end contemporary Asian food, Bushido is similarly sensuous, dark, mysterious, and chic. But the beauty of the inspired architecture of Bushido is further heightened by a wonderful landscaped garden and a small moat that surrounds the restaurant, accentuating the mysticism of the space. Crossing the moat creates the sense that you are walking into a different world, one that is indulgently classy and sophisticated. Bushido means ‘way of the warrior’, and this theme runs throughout the feudal Japanese décor that interestingly includes the use of Samurai-armoured motifs.

The upstairs bar area offers a wonderful selection of delectable cocktails and downstairs is the restaurant where the nouveau Japanese menu is served. In addition to the main dining room, Bushido also has a sushi bar, a teppanyaki room and a terrace area. The menu showcased great diversity ranging from sushi and sashimi to robata grills to the main courses, and the variety and choice made for a fantastic sharing and tasting experience.

From the ‘new-style sashimi’ section of the menu, a Japanese sea bream with white wine and truffle soy sauce (BD6.100 – about £10) was delectable. The fish was resoundingly fresh and the acidity was well judged although the use of truffle was difficult to detect.

Sea bream with white wine & truffle

3 pieces of eel (unagi) sashimi (BD5.500 – about £9) was delicious with its soft, delicate flesh and authentic nature, although a touch more sauce would have further heightened their flavour. Maguro yellow fin tuna sushi (BD4.000 – about £6.60 for two pieces) and tuna rolls (BD2.800 – about £4.60 for 3 pieces) were fresh and the rice was nicely done.

Eel sashimi

Tuna sushi and rolls

Grilled scallops with a homemade spicy cod roe fish cream (BD3.900 – £6.35) was the highlight of the night. The tangy, spicy nature of the cream sauce was divine, and it complemented the sweetness of the scallops perfectly to provide a big bang of multiple flavour sensations. I adored this dish for it was satisfying in a way that left you wanting more.

Scallops with fish cream

Robata grilled tiger prawns with yuzu pepper (BD4.800 – about £7.80) were moreish for the natural sweetness of the prawns rang clear. I would have preferred a firmer texture prawn, but they were tasty nonetheless.

Robata grilled tiger prawns

The miso sauce on a miso black cod (BD16.500 – about £27) was true to the spirit of how the sauce should be and was delicious. The cod was well cooked and juicy, but it didn’t quite have the fall-away flakiness that is the hallmark of a perfect miso cod.

Miso black cod

From the teppanyaki selection, we tried the teppanyaki goose liver with teriyaki sauce (BD15.500 – about £25), which was superb from the lusciousness of the fatty liver and the slightly sweet teriyaki sauce. A teppanyaki wagyu beef sirloin with teriyaki sauce (BD33.000 – about £54) was closer to the well-done side of things rather than the requested medium rare. Seeing as the beef was diced, it was easy to overcook, but the beef still maintained its fatty rich flavour.

Teppanyaki goose liver

Wagyu beef sirloin

From the soups, the Japanese style teapot soup (BD2.200 – about £3.60) and the clear soup with seafood and vegetables (BD2.300 – about £3.75) were both tasty. Both provided a clear, clean taste, although the latter was slightly sweeter and more intense in flavour.

Soups

The desserts were good but not as polished as the mains. The ‘liquid centre’ chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream (BD3.900 – about £6.35) was tasty but a little bit eggy, and the ice cream would have worked better on the side rather than perched on top of the hot chocolate where it quickly melted.

Chocolate cake

A trio of crème brulees (BD2.500 – about £4) consisted of vanilla, chocolate and coconut. The textures were creamy and smooth, but the coconut brulee was light on taste. The best of the three was the vanilla.

Trio of crème brulees

A ‘vanillou’ (BD2.700 – about £4.40) consisted of layers of a shortbread base, baked apple and a vanilla mousse. The mousse was really nice and not too sweet, although the shortbread could have been more buttery.

Vanillou

The overall Bushido experience was resoundingly excellent. The cocktails were superb, and although the desserts weren’t as deftly executed as the savoury courses, the food was excellent overall. The service was solid, and as far as Bahrain goes, Bushido could easily be ‘the’ place to dine. It also wins top marks for their sublime décor.

Summary Information
Food rating: 4/5
Service rating: 3.5/5

Prices: About £30 to £100 per head depending on what and how much you order. Excludes taxes, drinks and service.

Website: http://www.bushido.com.bh/