Top 10 restaurants in Doha

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 restaurants to find out whether its cuisine is still world class.

The Cellar

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 Lebanese restaurant 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 best 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, this American 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, in Qatar Ruby Wu’sspecialities 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.

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The Rules For Eating With Your Hands In India, Africa And The Middle East

Eating with hands:

Watching a black and white James Bond 007 movie, the child asked “Why the hell he is running so mad”? “To reach a phone cabin”, explained his mom. “Oh Bond does not have a mobile?”, whispered the child. These questions definitely come to innocent minds that are brought up in iPhone age. But what the world would be like before cutlery?

During the summer, Oprah Winfrey happened to be in India and had a traditional dinner with an Indian family. She was eating sitting on floor when she inquired if people in India still eat with their hands. Her question and her observation was taken as a harsh criticism on Indian culture but that is still the custom in various sub-continent and Middle east countries and even in Africa too.

Although some take this to be uncivilized or even barbaric as people from West do not know how to eat with hands. But here we explain how things happen in various cultures without being rude to anybody as we talk about customs:

In India

Indians would wash their hands, yes they religiously wash hands and then use their right hands to scoop their food from the utensil where it was served onto a round-sheet like bread called ‘chapati’ or ‘roti’ or ‘naan’. The bread is eaten with curry or meat or veggies or even a mix of two or three with just a smart ease and convenience. Then the person uses his/her fingertips so the food could reach the mouth. People do not bring their plate to mouth nor do they lower their head either too. People keep taking small morsels of food one by one till they are full and the food does not reach their palms nor do the fingers enter their mouths. Their technique is very simple. They use their thumb to give a friendly ‘push’ to their food to inside the mouth. Some feel that using fingers, they can mix the food better producing a better taste. Some feel that using hands helps to connect brain to stomach and that is great for digestion as the use of hands adds a personal feeling to food.

In Africa

African culture also recommends using right hand for food. Fufu is a popular food which is made from a root of a plant like sweet potato that is boiled in water and mashed then given shape like balls. This is served with meat and soup. The person eating food should pick it using thumb and next two fingers to pick and then push it into the mouth. The host would place two water bowls to wash hands, one for before food and other for washing after the food. Some people also lick their fingers as they finish food.

In The Middle East

Eating with hands is almost the same like India and Africa. The traditional way of mixing food is different in all three places. Indians would keep mixing the food even while their mouth is full. Africans would do the other way and Arabs would place a common large plate in center of the table or in the middle even when they sit on floor for eating. Using right hand and washing hand before and after food is common in all three places. Arabs also enjoy hand-to-mouth eating and the etiquette doesn’t differ much from Africa and India than in the Middle East. It’s all the usual to use right hand only or scooping food using fingers and then wash your hands before and after the food.

You too, brace yourselves in USA

Some people have started eating with hands in USA too. There are places like Zak Pelaccio’s which is basically Malaysian-inspired Fatty Crab that encourage eating with hands. If you find someone deterring taking food by hand, you can enlighten him of the pros of taking food by hand to add taste and personal feeling. 

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Malaysian Food Delights

It’s not the most talked about country, but when it comes to dining, there is probably no other place with such an incredible – and mouthwatering – array of food choices in the whole region than Malaysia.

Saucy chicken cuts, vegetarian food, a plethora of rice dishes, all sorts of steamed and barbequed fish, and a paradise of noodles.  It is probably because of such an intricate variety – obvious reflection of the country’s diverse ethnic mélange – that most visitors may have a problem choosing what they like best, or what they should try first.

To help you get the best out of your Malaysian food experience, here are 10 of the most authentic, delicious, and readily available dishes you may find on offer at any Malaysian street corner and restaurant. Moreover, they are good to suit all sorts of travel budgets. Be advised, though: you will need to be comfortable around spicy food in order to fully appreciate the best that Malaysian cuisine has to offer. To help you, I have indicated a 1 to 5 point spice grading for each item.

There is definitely much more to be learned about Malaysian food. However, after reading the following 10 suggestions, you will be able to order confidently your favorite delicacies without making the locals queuing behind you go “gila”…

1: Nasi lemak

Spice-o-meter: 3 out of 5

If there is a quintessential Malay staple rice dish, that is nasi lemak. Literally meaning “butter rice,” it is a simple white rice dish spruced up with almonds, dried anchovies, cucumber, boiled eggs, and spicy sambal sauce. You may find it in two different varieties: the simple street version packed in a banana leaf and conceived to be swiftly consumed sitting on a stool at a street stall, or the more “up market” kind served in restaurants on a plate. The difference usually comes with pricing, where a street side nasi lemak may cost you as low as 1 ringgit (around $0.33USD), while the one served on a plate may reach up to 6 ringgit ($2), according to the quantity of side choices that are offered along with the rice. To many, this is the essential dish representing the Malay Muslim majority and is not to be confused with Nasi goreng, or better, the different fried rice variety.

2: Satay

Spice-o-meter: 1 out of 5

This is barbeque, Malaysian style.  Feast on different chicken, lamb, or beef mini skewers perfectly roasted on a fire grill and served together with a sweet-sour crumbled peanut sauce.

The most daring may try the cow intestines, definitely a bit more chewy than the others, but totally enjoyable. You may also try the squid satay, which is generally served at most street stalls lining the Malaysian coastline. The specialty of satay is the mildly spicy peanut sauce served with your skewers.  By skipping the dip, you would not really savor satay’s unique flavor. A perfect companionship for those long-lasting Malaysian sunsets spent sitting at a street stall or relaxing at a beach’s esplanade, preferably with Tiger beer in hand.

3: Char koay teow

Spice-o-meter: 2 out of 5

This kind of fried noodles is typically Malaysian: flat, wide noodles are served together with fried egg, green lettuce, bean sprouts, and seafood.  This constitutes one of the country’s not-to-miss dishes. It comes in a Chinese and Malay version – the former being drier and the latter heavier on prawn and minced seafood. Char koay teow differs in each region, and different cities provide a slightly different mix of the ingredients, with each one adding local flavor. One of the most delicious and famous is definitely Penang island’s, where you can literally find char koay teow anywhere you look for food.

4-Hokkien mee

Spice-o-meter: 4 out of 5

Typical noodle staple dish of the Malaysian Chinese community, hokkien mee is a hot bowl of steamy noodles cooked with prawn, boiled egg, chilies, and spices. To me, this is possibly the best, most representative noodle dish in the country. You can choose white, yellow, or glass noodles, or a mix of the three, to slightly modify the taste and the way your noodles will absorb the spicy broth. Make sure you have a drink and some tissues on you, as hokkien mee can literally “open up” your sinuses! Hokkien mee is recommended for hot nights and monsoon days. Again, Penang has some of the best in the country.

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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.

The Cellar, Oryx Rotana, Umm Ghuwaylina, Doha, Qatar, +974 4402 3333

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.

Ipanema, West Bay City Center, Al Wahda Street, West Bay, Renaissance Doha City Center Hotel, Doha, Qatar, +974 4419 6100

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.

Layali, Salwa Road, Souq Najd, Doha, Qatar, +974 4431 0005

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.

Mykonos, InterContinental Doha, West Bay, Doha, Qatar, +974 4484 4444

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.

Prime Steakhouse, Intercontinental Doha The City, Doha, Qatar, +974 40158888

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.

Ric’s Country Kitchen, Ras Abu Abboud, Doha, Qatar, +974 4443 7846

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.

Quisine by Guy Savoy, Parcel 4, Unit 109, La Croisette, 07, The Pearl, Doha, Qatar, +974 40027245

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.

Ruby Wu’s, at Radisson Blu Hotel, Rawdat Al Khail, Doha, Qatar, +974 4428 1555

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.

Saffron Lounge, Building No 26, Katara, Cultural Village, Near Intercontinental Hotel, Doha, Qatar, +974 4408080

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.

Vine, Doha West Bay Area, Doha, Qatar, +974 44460000

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.

Source:theculturetrip.com/middle-east/qatar/articles/a-gourmet-guide-to-doha-the-10-best-restaurants-eateries/

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International Cuisine in Doha

Food connoisseurs across Doha have always been fans of the award-winning restaurant, Market by Jean-Georges in Doha. 

Boasting of an international menu, with a majority of good indian restaurants in Doha, patrons have the choice to choose from a burger or a pizza to more refined dishes suitable for fine dining such as tuna tartare to exotic sushi. The Market is probably among the few restaurants in Doha, in which you see locals and expats alike; it is always abuzz with people. 

Recently, the Market has seen a contemporary revamp, to reflect the current fast-growing Doha market. The United Design Partnership, a UK-based design company, was commissioned to do the refurbishment. The new design follows the original concept of international cuisine meets Arab local flavours and represents a beautiful m`lange of East and West; geometric and minimal; and organic and ornate all with a modern aesthetic twist. 

While the New Calcutta marble steps and worktops, oak and ribbed timber panelling showcase a refined, rich and rustic side of the restaurant, the bronze metalwork incorporated into the interior, helps reinforce a contemporary but classic feel. 

A meal here is always a wonderful experience. We decided to start off lunch with a Japanese Kani Crab salad. Kani usually refers to imitation crab. The salad comprises thin ribbons of cucumber with kani, seasoned and topped with caviar. This salad is fresh, crunchy and perfect on a hot summer day. Next we indulged in shrimp tempura rolls and soft shell crab roll (maki). This is the ideal sushi for first-timers, the shrimp tempura and soft shell crab hit all the right notes. The crispy, lightly battered shrimp rolled in nori and rice were perfect. 

Next up: a black truffle fontina pizza. As the pizza was brought to the table we could smell the truffle oil that was so inviting. As we took a bite of the pizza the flavour of the cheese and the truffle oil was exquisite: creamy cheese and a sharp truffle flavour. This pizza is definitely a must try. We also ordered for the slow-cooked salmon served on top of a potato pur`e along with a black truffle emulsion. This dish is perfect for two. 

As we wiped our plate clean, our server tried to cajole us into a dessert, saying, ''No meal is complete without dessert''. We gave in to the temptation, ordering the salted caramel ice cream sundae which is a sweet and is probably the best ice cream in doha. We also ordered the Market cheesecake with glazed cherry sorbet. It is sweet and light, topped with sour cherries and a refreshing sorbet on the side that works as a palate cleanser. 

The service is excellent and the servers are well aware of all the dishes on the menu and are happy to help. Be it a business lunch or a leisurely lunch with friends, Market is definitely a must-visit.

Source-http://www.qatar-tribune.com/viewnews.aspx?n=5FC2A92A-1B1A-4859-AD8F-86D33143A4B9&d=20150810

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