A POP-UP cafŽ with a menu created entirely out of Bahraini ingredients has opened its doors at Bahrain Fort.

My Secret CafŽ is the brainchild of husband and wife Omer Rana and May Mahmoud, who are tapping into the new surge in demand for local produce.

Everything the cafe sells is sourced from Bahrain using exclusive produce from a local farm, even down to the honey and fresh cheese.

“This year we’ve seen all this support for local produce and we wanted to take the next step,” Mr Rana told the GDN.

“Although there’s all this great produce, no place we know of uses only locally-sourced material.

“That’s what this cafŽ is. Everything we sell that can be produced in Bahrain is sourced from Bahrain.”

Ms Mahmoud is a qualified chef who trained at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu, the world’s largest hospitality institution.

She has designed the menu herself, using ingredients available in Bahrain.

“May created the menu with Bahraini produce, livestock and seafood in mind,” explained Mr Rana.

“For instance, the first item on the menu is a jalapeno lime fish tortilla.

“The jalapeno and limes are both locally grown, the fish is local and the tortilla is made by flour from local mills.

“That’s the theme throughout the menu.”

The cafe is an extension of the couple’s My Secret brand, which already incorporates the My Secret Bahrain website – an online guide to the country.

Located on the coast at Bahrain Fort, a World Heritage Site, it boasts unique
surroundings.

However, because it is a “pop-up” project – a concept that has proved popular in the West – it is initially expected to continue for just three months.

In that time, budding chefs and farmers are encouraged to come forward – either with new ideas for ingredients or to showcase their own desserts.

“We want farmers and people to come in and tell us what they grow and we’ll try to incorporate it into our menu,” said Mr Rana.

“Everybody in Bahrain seems to make amazing cakes, cupcakes, and all kinds of desserts, so we thought it would be interesting to sell them here.

“We’ll have a set-up, perhaps one weekend, where we’ll encourage anyone who bakes to bring in their stuff and sell it. They won’t be charged.

“We’ll then encourage customers to go online and vote for their favourites.”

The couple are on a mission to prove that Bahrain has a lot to offer and can still compete with the likes of the UAE.

Meanwhile, a series of events is being lined up, starting with a Pecha Kucha night on March 16.

People will be encouraged to speak about their experiences or talents using 20 slides, which are shown for 20 seconds each.

“Anyone can present on the evening, as long as they let us know in advance,” said Ms Mahmoud.

“They just have to e-mail us and let us know what they’ll be presenting and we’ll fill them in on the details.”

Those interested in taking part in the Pecha Kucha event should e-mail may.rana@mysecretbahrain.com. The cafŽ is now open from 10am to 8pm daily.
laala@gdn.com.bh