This is no April fool’s joke – Mad March is done and dusted and we are running headlong into April and soon the second half of the year. There is a lot to be excited about this month – new concepts and menus as many try to squeeze the last drops out of us before Ramadan.
So here it is – where you should be spending your dining and drinking riyals in Doha this month:
As they say, out of sight and out of mind. I had forgotten about this gem of a restaurant tucked away in a corner of Royal Plaza until they took the recent food festival by storm. For lovers of Japanese food, it has one of few sushi conveyer belts in the city, as well as a menu of favorites including spicy shrimp and innovative maki rolls. Dishes are reasonably priced as well as freshly prepared.
Order: Firecracker roll, Oishi soft shell crab roll and the spicy salmon salad.
One of the few places I will cross town on a weeknight for, this perennial favorite (of bloggers and others alike) has a new menu packed full of surprises. Refreshed and refocused, you can still order crowd favorites like the pomegranate guacamole, but they have upped the ante and in some cases, the spice level (the spicy chicken wings are a messy must-order). Head there this month while you can still enjoy their outside terrace.
Order: chicaquiles con camarones (fried corn tortillas stuffed with prawns and salsa), vegetable burrito and the sticky, spicy/sweet chicken wings.
An old favorite has been given a new direction thanks to a new-ish chef and a revamped menu. You can still expect the quality US and Australian steaks on the menu, but they sit alongside some of the most interesting dishes I have tried in the last few months.
An example of this is their beetroot and foie gras plate – not something I would order on spec – but the strong liver is offset by the slightly sweet beet “veil” as well as a cranberry and peppercorn sauce.
Their new crab and sweet pea pannacotta is also one of the prettiest dishes I have tried this year. Innovative and out of the box, I think the new dishes will give this excellent but unsung restaurant a much needed boost.
Order: The Bourguignon open pie, the Wagyu burger with brie and the fork tender lamb ribs.
4. Carisma at The Warwick Hotel
When an invite to visit this restaurant slid into my inbox, I had to look up the hotel it was housed in. I’m glad I did, the Italian restaurant has a new chef from Northern Italy and he is slowly but surely changing the menu and bringing the flavors of his childhood to the plate.
A simple vegetable soup is elevated by the addition of a soft poached egg meanwhile a silky risotto with bell pepper and parmesan cheese is given a fresh perspective thanks to a taleggio cream. For a quiet, well executed meal, this is worth braving the Al Sadd traffic for.
Order: Agnolotti stuffed with braised veal osso bucco and a mushroom cream sauce and the veal fillet with spinach and green apples.
So there it is folks – stay tuned for more foodie and some travel adventures in coming weeks. If you aren’t following me on instagram – WHY NOT? Head over to @rachelannmorris71 for daily food, food and general foolishness.
Happy eating!
