Sunday 19 / May / 2024
Walk into the restored Sheraton Hotel on a Wednesday night for a meal and you will be far from disappointed. A gourmet’s delight that is sure to satisfy your every seafood craving, Sheraton’s seafood buffet is spread across the hotel lobby and the outdoor lawn that skirts the swimming pool. A refreshing ambience that is only enhanced by the very entertaining live band. Sheraton surely know how to do things in style. We were warmly welcomed by the very cordial and friendly Jeremie, the Director of Marketing for the hotel, who spared no effort in taking us around the entire buffet area (not the easiest of tasks).
Interspersed between the supremely appetising dishes were a plethora of food stations, manned by a host of knowledgeable and friendly chefs.It was evident that Sheraton was diligently trying to evoke memories of a nostalgic past; 20 years ago, Sheraton laid out a lavish seafood spread, artfully titled the “Pacific Express”. Its centrepiece? A faux train, with several compartments, each featuring a different cuisine from a far-flung corner of the world.
On our recent visit, it was hard to know where to sate our burgeoning appetites. Our first stop was the hors d’oeuvres table. We feasted on huge lobsters and Alaskan giant king crabs, swiftly followed by huitres creuses oysters served in their own shells and a mélange of tender and juicy tiger jumbo prawns, an extremely rare find at local hypermarkets.
Truly, the fare on offer was a sight to behold. Complementing these deliciously seafood delicacies were an array of sauces and dips, which added to the panoply of flavours dancing on our palettes. Next we indulged the soup lovers in us, though we found ourselves torn between spicy sea food Tom-Yum Thai-style soup and the broccoli and vegetables soup. In the end, we decided to have both. Simple, really.
The lavishly arranged salad bar featured an eclectic array of hearty, nutritious fare, ranging from smoked pink salmon and seared tuna loin to a delicate nicoise salad and various other cold cuts of fish, all of which were accompanied by some wonderfully fresh herbs and veggies.
For the main courses, the hot tandoori station served whole pomfrets cooked in their own juices with a smattering of spices, resulting in a gloriously delicious and piquantly spiced offering. There was also the Arabian favourite, hamour curry, which went swimmingly well with a side of fragrant, flavourful rice.
We took a brief intermission from the caravanserai of seafood sensations to sample a tender, melt-in-your-mouth offering of slow-cooked beef, as well as a plethora of chicken and mutton dishes on offer for those who preferred more terrestrial fare.
Continuing our tour of the offerings, I was captivated by the tantalising sizzle of fish and chips, that British favourite of crispy, beautiful fish fillets and rustic home fries served with a generous helping of tartar sauce, which brought back memories of a simple time.
The Bangkok Street Food Station featured an appetising assortment of grilled spicy sausages, grilled octopus, bacon roll chipolata, crispy tofu, and fried dim sum, all of which transported our taste buds to Southeast Asia. But we didn’t linger there long as the aroma from the next section drew us back to huge lobsters, prawns, sea bass, and red snapper being grilled-to-order.
Though there was much diversity at Sheraton’s seafood night, nothing seemed out of place or off-theme. The dishes from the Ravioli Station, from pasta with tomato fondue, coriander pesto with walnut sauce, and Parmesan cheese, were beautiful accompaniments to the freshly grilled fish. Rice aficionados, though, would be over the moon on seeing the Seafood Paella Station, a South American celebration of the bounty of the sea.
Besides the glorious spread of food offerings, an ample supply of beverages was present at every station, as thoughtfully selected to complement our meals as the side dishes were.
As we began winding down our culinary journey (try as we might, we simply couldn’t make it to every station), we spotted a towering cheese section, which featured a particularly tasty soft, French goat cheese called Mons that had me dreaming of Paris.
Then, we finally made our way to the dessert station in the lobby. There’s always room for dessert, after all, and the various chocolate delicacies, cakes, passion fruit curd tart and mango chocolate cake, were the perfect finishing touch on a dream meal.
Thinking back on the Sheraton of a decade ago, I still reminisce on what a gastronomically delightful ride we had on the Pacific Express. Those of us who were here then have the fondest memories of that glorious buffet, which was quite a unique offering in those days. The present-day Seafood Night at Sheraton is no less memorable; with an excellent ambience and an abundance of expertly crafted foods from around the world that are presented in a thoughtful and exciting way, Sheraton has succeeded in capturing the magic of the first seafood nights, so many years ago, a feat nearly as impressive as the meal itself.
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Sheraton Oman Hotel, Ruwi
Wednesday Seafood Night, 7pm-11pm
+968 2237 7777
[email protected]
OMR29 (inclusive of soft beverages),
OMR39 (inclusive of house beverages)
