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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Saturday is the New Friday – The Big Doha Brunch Switch-Up
It’s early days people, but I’m calling it. Saturday lunch is the new Friday brunch. I will warn you that my form on such proclamations is spotty. I am still waiting for “Wednesday is the new Thursday” to become a thing. But this time I may be into something here. As we see numbers at Friday brunch struggle, with its lavish offerings and promises of an afternoon spent in party mode, this one-time Doha mainstay is facing stiff competition from Saturday Lunch. More restaurants are cottoning onto the fact that people perhaps want something a little less opulent and time consuming than a long lunch and are adding a new…
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The Brunch to Beat – Shangtastic at the Shangri-La Doha
I used to be a prolific bruncher but around 18 months ago I gave up on the brunch scene in Doha. It was a combination of factors that pushed me to the brink – other priorities on Fridays, work and finally, the lack of value for money. It was around the time that brunches hit QR440 and frankly they weren’t great value for money – lavish buffets of tired salads and meat, the odd unique item and of course, the bubbles/booze. Some were so big they offered maps to diners, others felt like lining up at school cafeterias. Brunch, I just wasn’t that into you. I know that others started…
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Wonton in a Million – Doha’s new dim sum brunches
There are very few things I love more than cheese. The list goes something like: ABBA Online shopping My family and friends My handsome man (he made me write that) And then, there is dim sum or more specifically, dumplings In Australia we call it yum cha and interestingly (OK maybe not), yum cha, which means drinking tea, is the older version of dim sum. In some parts of southern China, restaurants start serving these little morsels at 5am which would actually suit me fine, being an early riser. Dim sum/yum cha of whatever you call it, consists of bite-sized portions traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small…
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Best of the Brunch – 2016 Edition
In days of old, I used to love brunch. Like thousands of expats in Qatar and the UAE, it was kind of like a sport to me. Four hours of uninterrupted food and drinks in a plush environment surrounded by friends and fellow travellers? Count me in. But my priorities changed – my stamina just wasn’t there anymore and I discovered there were things I would rather do on a Friday (sleep, hang out, watch the crime channel). I’m now an occasional guest star at brunches but had a flurry of invites recently that merited further investigation. To be clear I was invited to each of these venues and did…
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Tapa the World – Brunch Without the Big Buffet
I used to be a prolific bruncher. Fridays would always consist of a jug of margaritas and a lush buffet. Brunch in the Middle East is an art and I was an old master. But something changed, maybe a desire to get healthier or a realization that I would end up spending Friday nights napping. Maybe I just got old. Last week the Oryx Rotana asked me to come our of my Brunch Exile to try their new “Tap Brunch” at their popular Cellar restaurant. I was glad I came our of retirement. This hotel is actually my “local” and to my great detriment I always forget about it and literally drive…
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First Past the Post – Melbourne Cup Brunch in Doha
I love dressing up, in fact my shoe and bag collection demands it. But combine that with brunch (and hats), and you have an irresistible combination. The Melbourne Cup is one such excuse to dress up. And while it’s not until next Tuesday, they are starting celebrations early at the Grand Hyatt Doha with a Melbourne Cup Brunch. There will be prizes for best hat and best outfit and of course the usual lavish award winning brunch offering (check out the cheese….to die for). Essential information: What: Melbourne Cup Brunch Where: The Grill, Grand Hyatt Doha When: Friday 1 November, 12.30 to 4pm How much: QR280 with soft drinks; QR395…
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Living in the Bubble – Restaurant Review
In Australia, brunch is a relatively new concept. We are fairly black and white – it’s breakfast or it’s lunch. The only exception being yum cha (dim sum) which kinda starts at 11am mainly because we all want to bag a table. Although there was a time in the 2000s when “Girl’s Brunches” were all the rage. I blame Sex and the City (for that and the whole cupcake phenomenon). Plus, did Samantha ever finish her fruit platter? Seems she was eating it for six seasons. In the Gulf however, more explicitly the “Expat Gulf”, brunch is taken very, very seriously. It is, in fact, an art form to be…
