It’s been a while since I have blogged about my bread and butter (see what I did there?). But this delicious infographic on the Food Republic website had me squarely back in my comfort zone on a Doha winter’s night. Now I am familiar with many of these but a few have me thinking about traveling further afield including Yemen, Venezuela and Lithuania (drool). So many carbs. So much cheese. So little time.
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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…
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Posh Spice – Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor at Melia Doha
At times I can be a very bad food blogger. Recently found myself heavily invested in TV show about a group of wannabe starlets and instafamous chicks who worked in a store owned by a family who were famous for being famous. That’s when I knew I had to end my self imposed exile and leave the house. For reasons of a hibernation nature, I had missed the opening of Indian celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Signature at the Melia Doha. The Melia, a Spanish brand, has recently entered the Doha market and has some interesting outlets including a very good tapas place. Finally convinced to leave the evil attractions of the…
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A Good Manchego is Hard to Find – Review of Chef’s Choice Menu at El Faro
While I am very much a woman of my own mind, sometimes I get overwhelmed and paralysed by indecision. Especially where a buffet is concerned or a menu where everything sounds amazing. I also hate “Menu Envy”…you know when you finally order something then your man/friend/random nearby diner orders something far more interesting. It’s like FOMO….the foodie edition. This is why the rise of tasting menus are so good for someone like me. The newest tasting menu on the block is being offered by El Faro at the Marsa Malasz Kempinski which I believe is one of the best new restaurants in Doha – innovative and interesting food, great service and a…
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Bull Market – Review of Toro Toro
My friend Rachel B and I (aka Les Rachelles) have a new game we play….”Things That Cost Less Than/Same As Our Meal at Toro Toro”. Believe me, it’s a robust list: A flight to Dubai on Qatar Airways A flight to Dubai on FlyDubai plus a night in a four star hotel These Jimmy Choos A night in a Grand Deluxe Room at the Marsa Malasz Kempinski where the restaurant in located in Dinner for one (set tasting menu with matching wines) at Noma in Denmark which has been voted the best restaurant in the world. Now I have been sitting on this review for some time. My fellow bloggers and media have gushed about…
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Up in My Grill – How Much is Too Much for a Sandwich?
I have been known to pay a pretty penny for some good food. And usually, I’m happy to do so (with the exception of a certain South American fusion restaurant in Doha who charged me five bucks for three small bread rolls recently – review coming). But when this story popped up on my Twitter feed today, I did a double take. Peter Gilmore is perhaps the best chef in Australia and his Snow egg has passed into culinary legend. But AUD$22 for a grilled cheese sandwich? Well, that’s another matter. $22 in other terms is QR57 or USD$15 or 10 quid in UK terms. According to Gourmet Traveller it has five Australian cheeses:…
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Stringing Me Along – When String Cheese Goes Gourmet
String cheese as it is known to most of us, is a fairly new revelation to me. Most Australians my age (cough) are unfamilar with the commercial string cheese we see in supermarkets now. When I was a kid, we did have Kraft cheese sticks, which were a different texture entirely. They were processed cheddar cheese, extruded into plastic and sealed with tiny metal rings. In hindsight, those metal rings were a choking hazard. Speaking of hazard, after four hours in the lunch box, these sticks had also turned nuclear, or mushy. Moving to the Middle East I discovered the commercial American string cheese, as well as the local variety…
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Southern Comfort – A Cheese Driven Trip to NSW Southern Highlands
My father taught me to drive in our old brown 1984 Commodore which was without the benefit of power steering. I remember once taking a corner rather sharply while on a practice drive with Dad. He still claims to see the look of horror on a fellow driver’s face as I tried to control the brown rank on the Great Western Highway. My father claims my driving has actually regressed since living overseas, yet he sometimes has no choice. While home recently I took my father on a day trip to Robertson on the South Coast of NSW. Well Dad actually wanted to visit nearby Bowral, but I heard the…
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The Goan Rate – 48 Hours in Goa
Sometimes a gal just has to get out of the city. And at just three hours away from Doha, with its European heritage, spectacular beaches and yes, tasty food Goa is the perfect quickie escape. I gathered up the gang and headed to Goa last weekend, in search of good food, cheap spa treatments and a dust free environment. Goa is one of those destinations that can truly surprise you. It’s kind of India Lite. This was my fourth trip to Goa and unbelievably my 12th to India. They should give me residency or a lifetime supply of dosa anyway. Fresh off a 5am flight and a sprint to Immigration to…
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Just Leave it Brie
*Warning this post contains bad puns about cheese. I am a bit of a conservative when it comes to my cheese. The more unadulterated, the better. The only exception being truffle brie. On a recent supermarket spree, I found two new hybrid cheeses – a truffle Moliterno and a bruschetta brie. For me, the Moliterno was the more successful hybrid. Unlike most truffled cheeses (where the cheese is added at the last minute before sale), the wheels age for about six months before being infused with pure black truffle paste, so that the cheese develops a very particular character and depth. The vein of truffle is part of the cheese, not an…
