Showing posts with label Food and drink. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food and drink. Show all posts

A Gourmet Guide to Doha: The 10 Best Restaurants & Eateries

Despite Qatar being a small country just off the Arabian peninsula, its position in the world both economically and culturally has brought with it a treat of diverse and multicultural cuisines. The country’s capital, Doha, is home to a number of local and international restaurants catering to all tastes. We revisit Doha to find out whether its cuisine is still world class.

The Cellar




(image source: eventsdoha.com)

Opened in 2010, the Cellar has grown in recognition and is now one of the most popular restaurants in Doha. The simple yet elegant décor is matched by its fine selection of Mediterranean tapas. The wine list, as you’d expect, is extensive and thoughtfully complements the flavours of the Spanish dishes. On Tuesdays, the all-you-can-eat tapas with three glasses of wine is a very reasonable treat. Amongst other exquisite dishes, the tapas includes grilled salmon with fennel and orange, oven-baked hammour with chickpea puree, tuna tartar with avocado, and herb crusted mussels.




Ipanema


Ipanema is an exciting Brazilian restaurant whose concept is to offer guests an all-you-can-eat experience. There is a buffet of straight-forward pastas and salads, but the main draw for the crowds is the Brazilian churrascaria, which offers diners over a dozen cuts of grilled Brazilian meat on skewers. Cooked on a traditional oven pit, guests can choose from tender picanha, linguiça, char-grilled chicken or lamb. With a vibrant and lively atmosphere the restaurant comes alive at night, with a live band playing Brazilian songs as you eat.







Layali


Layali is often cited as the best Lebaneserestaurant in Qatar, even winning the Best Middle Eastern Cuisine Award from Time Out Doha magazine in 2012. Encapsulating all the best bits of Arabic cuisine, Layali combines great food, warm hospitality, and relaxing shishas in a setting akin to a Moorish palace. As the midday sun cools off slightly, Layali’s atmosphere transforms into a buzzing hub packed with locals and tourists alike. The food includes salads, cold and hot mezze, charcoal grills and a wide selection of seafood, completed with traditional Lebanese coffee and desserts. As a perfect accompaniment to the great food, there is live tarab music, with the oud taking centre stage. For a true Arabic experience in a city often striving for Western refinement, Layali is the perfect place to relax in style.




Mykonos


Mykonos is an authentic Greek restaurant close to Doha’s waterfront, with some of the best views in the city. Joining the already impressive list of restaurants in the InterContinental Hotel, Mykonos cooks up a selection of traditional Greek dishes in the relaxing Mediterranean-themed interior. The menu includes a range of traditional dishes, from perfectly dressed salads, taramosalata and tzatziki to moussaka. Coming highly recommended are the meat skewers marinated with a creamy and aromatic tzatziki dip. As it is part of a hotel complex the restaurant can serve alcohol, and does so to full effect through its extensive cocktail menu.






Prime Steakhouse
Prime is an essential destination for all steak lovers, and was recently awarded Doha's No.1 Steakhouse by Time Out in 2013.The restaurant’s ethos is to serve big and bold dishes with a consistently fine selection of different cuts of meat cooked to perfection. Customers choose four cuts: tenderloin, rib-eye, T-bone and striploin from USA Prime, Australian Kobe, or Wagyu. The Wagyu steak is one of the finest in theMiddle East, and comes highly recommended. As well as beef steaks, a wider selection of dishes are available, including foie gras, rack of lamb, beef carpaccio and sea bass.






Ric’s Kountry Kitchen
For a truly indulgent experience, visitors to Qatar are recommended to visit Ric’s Kountry Kitchen. A country kitchen would have connotations of a small restaurant with peaceful surroundings; however, thisAmerican diner isn’t what you would expect at all. Located in downtown Doha, Ric’s has been an institution in Doha since it opened in 1997, and as a result, is one of the oldest restaurants in the country. The feel-good menu is a pleasingly gluttonous affair, but unlike the greasy burgers you would expect from a diner, everything, including the burger buns, is homemade. Expect big burgers, traditional pancakes, tender steaks, big breakfasts and of course, Ric’s famous apple pie. Ric’s is popular with both locals and expatriates, thanks to its friendly atmosphere typical of a diner in the States.



Quisine by Guy Savoy



This restaurant, run by the Michelin star chef Guy Savoy, is a culinary delight in the heart of Doha. The minimalist interior of the restaurant is detailed with sophisticated touches such as the ‘wall of flames’, which adds a romantic atmosphere to the cosy space. The food is inspired by a number of international cuisines, presented in a wholly unique style. The artichoke and black truffle soup, layered brioche with mushrooms and truffles is an exquisitely presented and indulgent treat.




Ruby Wu’s
Inside Doha’s Radisson Blu Hotel, it comes as some surprise to hear that there is a small Chinatown. Creating authentically traditional Chinese cuisine, Ruby Wu’s specialities include steamed chicken and shrimps dumpling (siew mei) and its Szechuan stir-fried prawns and cashew nuts. Located close to some of Doha’s best bars, the restaurant is an ideal stop-off before a night out. Serving traditional Chinese dishes from various regions reimagined for western tastes, the service is attentive and, considering prices in Qatar, it is also really good value for money.



Saffron Lounge

Winning best Indian restaurant of the year for four consecutive years, Saffron is regularly cited as one of the best Indian restaurants in the whole of Qatar. Set up in 2009 by Michelin star Chef Vineet Bhatia, the restaurant cooks up a combination of regional dishes. The interior is clad with hues of red, reflecting the colours seen in the spicy and vibrant dishes. One dish in particular, the finger tandoori lamb chops with corn korma biryani rice and pomegranate and mint raita, comes highly recommended. Afterwards, the tea lounge offers a variety of tea blends, a welcomed palate cleanser after the flavoursome main.


Vine

Vine mixes the tranquility of Arabian hospitality with everything great about international cuisine. The white marbled interior of the elegant restaurant is illuminated through high-arched windows and is an ideal place to relax in the evening. Fresh ingredients are used to create its international buffet, with a huge number of items on the menu. Vine is best known for its Friday Brunch BBQ, which cooks some of the best ribs in town. Combined with the good food, the sweeping views of the Arabian Gulf on the terrace is a perfect way to start your weekend.



You can also find some more options for fine dining in doha deals on the web! Do comment about more options available if I missed any.

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Qatar International Food Festival

From fine dining in the sky to hot-fried churros and freshly prepared shellfish, the sixth annual Qatar International Food Festival, which opened Tuesday, has so far drawn several thousand people to the Museum of Islamic Art Park.
The event, a celebration of both street food and cuisine in Qatar, is spread over several zones, each serving different types of food and hosting various activities.

Interspersed between the two zones, and bordering a large tabled seating area, are booths of several of Qatar’s most prestigious and popular hotels.There are two entertainment zones at opposite ends of the park, encompassing a stage where acrobatic and dance performances take place at intervals, and a kids’ play zone with playground rides and inflatables.
Residents can choose from fresh pasta and sushi prepared by the Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels to fresh seafood by the newly-renovated Sheraton Doha Hotel booth, or an Asian-fusion inspired spread by the Doha Marriott chefs, at discounted rates of between QR10 to QR25 a dish.

Hot spots

Other popular attractions include a large live cooking station and a water zone, where people can dine in inflatable “donuts” or eat while cruising in a dhow.
For those looking for healthier options, Raw ME, a new juice and smoothie based detox company provides a nutritious palate-cleanser between courses.
Near the kids’ zone, the Sahtak Awalan initiative by the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar also offers several healthy recipes at their food truck, complete with plant beds and an exercise selfie station.


Several internationally certified organic vegetables are also on sale at the Al Safwa Farm station, while bee pollen, a substance dubbed a new “super food,” is available at reduced prices at the Bosaif Cafe’s stall.
Residents can also get traditional Indian lac bangles made at the Royal Tandoor stall, where Mohammed Aslam Maniyar, a popular bangle-maker and Souq Waqif staple is stationed.
Source-http://dohanews.co/from-street-eats-to-gourmet-dishes-qatar-food-fest-courts-diverse-crowd/
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Is this the future of food?



Learning the potential future of our food and getting the most out of it
Administration of Active Supplements Across the skin for systemic distribution.
What is it?
There are new supplement sprays which can be applied directly to our skin. These sprays absorb instantly thus by-passing regular digestive system of our body.  This definitely causes slowing down the overall digestive system or absorption of traditional supplements as the body energy is consumed in absorbing the spray through skin directly.
Does it work?
The Performance Nutritionist named Ben Coomber working at research project at Manchester Met University claimed that caffeine if taken directly by skin is ten times more effective than taken orally. That makes it faster to act on body. In case we need the same effect that we need from taking it orally means that we will need just 1/10 part through skin of what we take orally. To take directly through skin definitely need bigger pores in our skin and that can be the only restriction. There are clearly two types of nutrients, those can be absorbed through skin like caffeine and taurine and zinc and even magnesium but there are plenty of those falling in other category too.
Availability of these?
A company named Transdermal Technology in UK has two types of such transdermal sprays. One is meant for pre-workout performance-booster that contains caffeine, guarana and taurine while the other one is for post-workout recovery spray that consists of zinc, niacin  and magnesium. Each of these sprays are for £18 having 40 doses. The dose typically lets you reach peak concentration within your bloodstream taking only 15 minutes where as such supplements taken by mouth tales 60 minutes normally.
Using Lab Meat?
Scientists and researchers are trying to create a type of meat that is artificial and laboratory-manufactured to replace meat products. The meat contains a variety of plant materials which includes amaranth as well as pea protein. These are broken down to make ‘meat patties’. These patties have the taste as well as texture like actual meat. The product has additional benefits giving optimum leanness. It conforms the 2013 UN report that highlights ‘unsustainable’ levels of consuming meat consumption in countries in the West.
Does it give results?
Sports Scientist and Performance Nutritionist named Laurent Bannock says that if we look at the lab-meat through a microscope, it biologically has the same properties as that of real meat. How it differs is that it has less key amino acids that are required for growth of muscles. This way it is a good alternative when compared to real meat. Real meat has impact on environment and we do not need to kill animals. Lab meat needs few additional supplementation. As and when manufactured commercially, lab-meat is recommended for those who have their targets on athletic performance and muscle growth adding leucine for boosting your intake of amino acid.
Where can I get some?
The Lab-meat is not yer commercially available in the UK as yet, but may be a good preposition in near future. The American company named Beyond Meat offers some plant-based meat foods that making real looking beef burgers as well as ‘chicken’ strips. Another German company named Like Meat has products include Bratwurst-style sausages as well as donner kebab ‘meat’.
What is Nutrigenomics?
Nutrigenomics is the process to optimize your diet aligned to your DNA. The theory examines the genetic profile to highlight any potentially challenging genes you may carry –example is PPARA gene, that affects the body fat regulation. The diet therefore, can be adjusted  accordingly for working around or respond the genetic limitations for enhancing body composition as well as the athletic performance. This is not a surprise but already available to those who love going to gyms.
Does it help?
This field is just newly born and in initial stages of research inviting lot of debate among food scientists. A study at University of Toronto carried in 2014 recommends that the people may take benefit from using different dietary guidance than others, depends on their genotype. Theoretically speaking, you need to do hit and trial doing experiments using different diets to see what suites best in individual cases. Please note that scientists are not yet sure of the role that certain genes play. A prominent dietician named Nanci Guest tells that if you want to move ahead of others, you need not wait. The genes sequence remains the same during our life time and genetic assessment too remains valid for the whole of life and you can goon refining your diet as you get more information about the future research too.
How I can get some?
A company known as DNA Fit has self-test swab kits to facilitate doing this even at home and asking them to make assessment. In return DNA Fit provides with feedback and analysis. They also recommend tailored diets as well as training plans that are aligned with specific genes related to weight loss (like FABP2 and GDF5) together with the athletic performance of person including IL-6 and ACTN3. Prices of these kits start from £99 till £249.

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Traditional Qatari Cuisine

Qatar's traditional cuisine has been strongly influenced by migrants from Iran and India, and more recently North Africa. The number of foreigners working in the country has led to modern Qatari eating habits being influenced by food from around the world. Many of the country's traditional dishes are based around seafood especially lobster, crab, tuna, red snapper and shrimp and the many different kinds of dates native to the region. All meat is halal, which is prepared in accordance with Muslim laws.
Many locally grown foods, such as dates, sour apples and fresh almonds are considered delicacies. One of Qatar's most important traditional dishes is machbous which is a stew of richly spiced rice with either seafood, meat or both. Traditionally, it is served in a large communal platter or as buffets. During Ramadan you can find some good Buffet deals in Doha 
Another favourite is lamb or mutton served with yogurt made from cow's or goat's milk.
Other important Qatari specialities include:
  • Hummus, a dip made from chickpeas and tahini, a sesame seed paste
  • Waraq enab, rice stuffed vine leaves
  • Taboulleh, a cracked wheat, or bulgur dish flavoured with parsley and mint
  • Koussa mahshi, or stuffed courgettes
  • Biryani, a spiced rice dish which is mixed with chicken or lamb
  • Motabel, a paste made from lightly cooked aubergine mixed with garlic and tahini
  • Ghuzi, a whole roast lamb on a bed of rice and nuts.
The region also has some delicious traditional desserts, including mehalabiya, a rose water and pistachio pudding, umm ali, a bread pudding with nuts and white raisins, and esh asaraya a cheesecake topped with cream.
Meals
Breakfast is usually a light meal, which is eaten early and includes yogurt, cheese and olives eaten with coffee. A main midday meal is usually heavy, beginning with an appetiser, or mezze, served with flat Arabic bread followed by a stew of lamb or fish with cooked vegetables and salad. Many people do not use cutlery and scoop their food using bread. The evening meal is typically a light snack, except during Ramadan and on special occasions.

Source-http://qatar.angloinfo.com/lifestyle/food-and-drink/qatari-dishes/
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Location: Doha, Qatar

Facts on Filipino Food & Beverage



Food and culture are virtually indistinguishable in the Philippines, where the average person eats five meals daily. Eating is an important time for Filipinos to come together over a table full of food, whether home-cooked or at one of the country's many eateries. Visitors to the Philippines will rarely be at a loss for an eclectic mix of food and beverages, including local dishes that can only be found on the islands.

Cultural Influences

The Philippines; multi-ethnic past makes Filipino cuisine a unique blend of Eastern and Western food, drawing from Spanish, Chinese and Malay recipes. Filipino chefs adopted Spanish ways of cooking during three centuries of Spanish colonization. Perhaps the most important method garnered from traditional Spanish cuisine was making savory marinades to flavor dishes. According to the New York Times, some food experts estimate that about 80 percent of Filipino dishes are derived from Spanish cooking.
Food in the Philippines also relies heavily on ingredients used by the islands and original inhabitants, the Malays, including coconut, hot chilies and mango. Early Chinese colonists introduced pansit noodles and bean curds to the islands, which are still widely served across the Philippines today.

Dietary Staples

Much like their mainland Asian counterparts, Filipinos use rice as a foundation for most dishes. Several different varieties of rice are used in Filipino cooking and often molded into fried cakes and rice noodles, which are widely served in restaurants and roadside stands. Fresh seafood is another staple of Filipino cooking, and both fish and shellfish have long been a mainstay on tables across the nation. Likewise, vegetables are a major part of many recipes, and are generally used more often than meat, which is more expensive. Coconut milk is a natural Filipino ingredient used to cook meat and veggie dishes called guinatan.

Desserts

Meals in the Philippines are capped off with Italian Gelato either using fresh, local produce or modeled after Western treats. There's a large repertoire of coconut desserts, including a thick jam called macapuno, and bibingka, a baked coconut rice pudding topped with duck eggs. Drawing inspiration from their Spanish heritage, Filipinos also frequently serve leche flan for dessert. American-style desserts, such as pies and cake, can also be found at restaurants throughout the Philippines.

Beverages

Drinks in the Philippines are not only a necessary complement to meals, but also help beat the tropical heat. As with their food, Filipinos often incorporate local produce into beverages to create tasty and refreshing concoctions. A few examples include blended mango shakes, coconut juice and pandan leaf iced tea. Filipinos also enjoy the coconut-infused hard liquor known as lambing and gin cocktails mixed with pineapple juice or citrus fruit juice.

Food Custom

The Philippines are teeming with restaurants and food vendors, and it's little wonder since most residents eat five meals each day. Generally, these are small meals by Western standards, including breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Filipinos prefer to eat communally, with many meals served buffet-style. Regardless of socioeconomic status, Filipino families place a high premium on meals, considering them an important time to socialize with friends and family and as a gesture to welcome guests.

Source-http://traveltips.usatoday.com/food-beverage-philippines-16185.html
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Location: Doha, Qatar

Food and Drink in Qatar


Find out about traditional Qatari cuisine and the typical Qatari meals, dishes and ingredients to be found throughout the country...

Food in Qatar reflects Muslim food preferences, and it is rich in African, Indian and Iranian influences, as well as offering modern international favourites.
Traditionally, Qatari people ate lightly in the morning and evening and had their main meal in the middle of the day. This habit is changing with many families having their main meal in the evening. For many people, the Friday midday meal following prayers is the week's main family gathering. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast between dawn and dusk. Elaborate, festive meals are served after nightfall. Eating and drinking in public during daylight hours in Ramadan is prohibited for all, whether fasting or not.
Qatari people are very proud to be hospitable which reflects their Bedouin heritage, and food and drink play an important role in this. People may take offence if visitors turn down food and drinks that are offered. Eating is considered to be an important social and family ritual, and it is customary for people to taste and share a large number of dishes during a meal.
Eating Out
The ever increasing influence of global food choices in recent years has led to many restaurants and fast food franchises opening in Qatar. They are mainly used by foreigners, as eating in public places is not popular with Qataris, especially women. However, they do use the delivery and drive through services offered by many restaurants. American fast food restaurants are very popular with young people with the many international chains being well represented.
There are numerous world class restaurants in Qatar, many of which are located in hotels. There are many Italian, French, Swiss, Greek, British, Indian, Chinese, American and Spanish restaurants to choose from. As well as the wide range of hotel options there are small eating places, though these are not allowed to serve alcohol.
Many places sell snacks with the traditional showarma being very popular. It is lightly spiced grilled lamb or chicken served rolled in a pocket of Arabic bread with salad, pickles, lime juice and tahini. Falafel and sandwiches are other common snack choices.
Milkshakes and cocktail juices are very popular and are readily available in the many juice bars to be found in the country.
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