Listen up people! It’s December in a couple of days ! You heard me! DECEMBER! When did that happen? I demand a recount (on so many levels). Honestly, it seemed like just yesterday we were sweating through July and praying for less daylight and cooler temperatures. I’ve just realised there is a whole bunch I promised myself I would do but of stuff I just haven’t done this year: Revisiting the ABBA Museum Buying a new car (to be fair I have been saying that since 2012) Discovering a cure for Man Flu Finding a consistent supply of Mochi icecream in my vicinity Making Stretchy Pants acceptable office wear Single handedly eliminating…
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For All Seasons – How the Four Seasons Doha Reinvented Itself into a Foodie Destination
One of the first hotels I visited when I moved here in 2007 was Four Seasons Doha. Then it was home one of the few high end Italian restaurants in town and its bar, The Library, was an expat meeting spot every Thursday. Its all-day dining restaurant (can’t even remember the name now!) was, just that, a a bit of an unmemorable buffet. It has had several incarnations over the years, most recently as a pan-Asian Nusantao which had a long and complicated menu and just didn’t gel. The Four Seasons has always been that kinda old school place, with marble floors and well trained staff. Reliable and frankly not that…
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My Doha Dining Wish List
Dreams do come true. ABBA is reforming (kinda). QDC now opens on a Friday. And someone built a 24 hour free wine fountain. So I have decided to put it all out there and share my Doha Dining Wish List. Feel free to laugh, cry or even add your own in the comments below. Open Table or similar booking service – my recent trip to the US (blog post in the works) was made all that much better by this website and app. I managed to book excellent tables in the most sought after restaurants in DC and Philadelphia with barely a hitch. Imagine cutting out the middle woman and being able to do…
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Win a QR100 Nandos Voucher With Life on the Wedge
I know! I know! I’ve been keeping a low profile lately. I usually take the northern hemisphere summer off because frankly, it’s hot. Thanks for the messages and I am glad to say, transmission is resumed. And what better way to get back into the swing of things this long, hot August than with a giveaway from my dear friends at Nandos Qatar? I recently teamed up with them for Bow Tie Day and as many of your know, I just love this place for its fresh produce and friendly staff. So…over to the giveaway. I have two QR100 Nandos gift cards for use at any of their stores in Qatar for two…
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Six Places You Should Be Eating at in Doha Right Now (Summer Edition)
It was a long, hot Ramadan and while it’s a time I really enjoy, I’m happy to be getting back into the swing of Qatar’s dining scene. I wrote this blog post in April and because of its success, I thought an updated version was due. Call it the “Summer Edition” as all the venues around the city start to unveil new menus, concepts and ideas. Luxury and budget, date night and family style, here is where I think you should be eating at right now: Mainland China I will admit, I was dubious – a Chinese restaurant chain hailing from India in an office block in Doha. But one look inside…
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The Eight Types of Foodies You Will Find in Qatar
I know I sound like a broken record about this, but the Qatar food scene when I arrived in 2007 was dramatically different to the smorgasbord we have today. A handful of hotels with dining options and a smattering of quality standalone places made up the “scene”. Today we are almost spoiled for choice and it seems a new eatery pops up on my Instagram feed every day. Hand in hand with this growth has been the flourishing foodie scene and all that brings with it… Here’s my guide (by no means exhaustive ahem…) of the eight kinds of foodies you will find in Qatar: The Food Blogger: Yes, yes,…
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Elementary Dining – Elements at Four Seasons Doha
Sometimes you need to work on the basics first before you add all the bells and whistles. Elements replaced a personal favorite of mine – Nusantao. Four Seasons has struggled with this location for as long as I have been dining there. It was previously a nondescript all day dining restaurant before being transformed into Nusantao. Which despite a long and confusing menu, still managed to deliver flavor and the only version of Hainan Chicken I was able to find in Doha. What it lacked, was atmosphere. Elements, as seems to be the trend in Doha now, has an elaborate backstory. It’s name is based on the elements – fire, earth,…
- Doha, Food, Food Trends, Happy Hour, Hotels, Promotions, Qatar, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Travel, wine
The Happiest Hours in Doha – UPDATED
*Due to popular demand this post was updated in May 2017. Hic My love of Happy Hours extends back to my university days (sometime in the 1900s) when the Wentworth Bar at Sydney University offered $1 cocktails. They were brown and sticky and frankly lethal, but a great deal. From what I remember. In a city where a good meal can cost upwards of QR500 for two, Happy Hours are the way to have a great night out and still have some change for the car ride home. I must applaud some of the big ticket hotels in this city for embracing this idea – based on the theory that customers…
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Cheese, Truffles and Dumplings – A Round-Up of Foodie Events in Doha
Today I felt the faintest hint of a chill in the air in Doha. Which means it was 27 degrees instead of 35. Still, winter is coming and this is the most active time in Doha for foodie events and happenings. So for my Qatar-based readers, here are three foodie events you should try and make happen in the coming days and weeks. My love of dumplings is well documented and I have even traveled to China and Hong Kong on dumpling expeditions. W Doha’s Spice Market is running a Dim Sum promotion with renowned Chinese chef Allan Huang. For QR250 you get a soup, two starters and six baskets of dumplings…
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That’s Amore – Revisiting Porcini at Ritz Carlton Doha
In a galaxy far, far away, when I first arrived in Doha, believe it or not there were only a handful of five star hotels and dining options were more limited. I used to spend a lot of time at Ritz Carlton Doha. But you know how it is, as new properties opened and Doha’s traffic started to define Carmageddon, I visited less often in recent times. So when I was invited by the hotel to try an old favorite, their Italian restaurant Porcini, it was a bit like catching up with an old friend after so many years and picking up where you left off. That is not to say…
