It’s a brave move to open a hotel like the Mondrian Doha in the kind of environment Qatar is currently experiencing. But the Mondrian is a rare breed of a hotel for Qatar – lavish and design driven, even a little eccentric, it boasts TWO celebrity chef helmed operations and a lot of confidence. The Japanese restaurant Morimoto is one of those restaurants – the latest outpost in the empire of the mercurial Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Well known to foodies for his star turns on the cheesy yet addictive original cooking game show Iron Chef and later Iron Chef America (The Chairman’s hair and quotes deserved their own TV series), his empire stretches from…
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Your November Hit List – Where to Eat and Drink in Doha This Month
Don’t be alarmed but the end of the year is scarily close. And by close I mean it’s next month. In Doha, November means a few things – Thanksgiving, outdoor dining and some new concepts. Here is my monthly look at where you should be eating and drinking this month in Doha. Heads up – it’s a big list! Friday Brunch at NY Steakhouse at Marriott Marquis Doha Friday brunch is a rare event for me nowadays. I’m usually tucked up at home or hiding in plain sight on a Friday. But I recently put on pants and ventured out to try this brunch. And wow, am I glad I…
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Al Fresco – Six Restaurants Where You Can Enjoy the Cooler Weather in Doha
Weather is a preoccupation in Doha. Whether it’s the heat, the humidity or the alleged “rainy season” (on now apparently), it’s the number one topic for discussion at dinner tables, office kitchens and cafes across the city. I also love it how it’s a COMPLETE surprise that come October, things start to cool down. Well, it has actually. Evening temperatures are now hovering in the high 20s. Time to turn down the AC, put the Netflix subscription on hold for a few months and head outside – this is the time of year we live for in Qatar. I mean, I even come out of my summer hibernation for this…
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Five Places in Doha to For an After Work Drink That Also Serve Great Food
Most days at work (yes, I DO have a day job), around 1pm-ish, my office colleague Penny and I have an important and in depth conversation about what we will be eating for dinner that night…or where we will be eating. Often we trade advice and experiences about where to eat after work, when we just can’t bring ourselves to create another kitchen masterpiece. Whether it’s catching up with co-workers, friends or your significant other, an afterwork drink is great to take the edge off. But nothing beats a great meal to go with it. So, I searched the city for some of the best options for after work sustenance.…
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Summer Loving – Nobu’s Seasonal Menu
You would have to be living under a rock to not know that all is not well in the GCC region right now. This isn’t a blog to discuss politics and the bullying antics of neighboring countries against a sovereign nation (oops…see what I did there?). But I can truly say it’s business as usual – supermarket shelves are full, ATMs are dispensing cash…expats and citizens are just getting on with life as best we can. Which brings me to this blog post – for me, this means continuing to eat my way around the city. Last night it was Nobu Doha to try their new Omakase (Chef’s choice) menu. This has become…
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Dine Around Doha – A Perfect Day as Told Though Food
Not every day is wine, roses and free snacks in the food blogging world. Some days it’s a long day at work, then collapsing on the sofa with Netflix and a steaming bowl of… Maggi noodles and cheese (seriously – don’t tell anyone). But some days, every so often, when the Gods shine, are just golden. Those days are few and far between, but when they are…I grab them. These rare days had me thinking, given the current state of Doha’s dining scene, what would be my “perfect’ day as told in food (and the occasional stiff drink)… Breakfast: In a perfect world, it would be breakfast in bed or…
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Seven Underrated Restaurants in Doha You Should be Trying
It should be no surprise to anyone that Qatar’s dining scene is driven by fads. If it’s new, shiny (and has a big brand or well known name attached), we flock to it like moths to a flame. Then…it’s onto the next big thing. Don’t get me wrong, there are a host of new restaurants to look forward to in coming months, including Iron Chef Morimoto at the new Mondrian and (he was in town last week so this may actually be happening soon….finally) and a CUT by Wolfgang Puck at the same hotel. But there are a handful of good restaurants that may have slipped off your dining radar or maybe you just…
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#RachelxMeesh – a Match Made in Cheese Heaven
Let’s be honest – a good sandwich is hard to find in Doha. So many places get it wrong – bad bread, average fillings, no love. We’ve all had those dodgy white bread sandwiches with unidentified meat fillings. and of course – the cheese and mayonnaise abomination. When the team Meesh Cafe at Crown Plaza Doha (one of my favorite cafes and a regular haunt of mine), offered me the chance to create an awesome sandwich involving cheese – I couldn’t say no. The brief was simple – I had free reign to design this sandwich (provided the ingredients were available) and they would help me make it a reality. The design…
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On a Roll – a Look at Nobu Doha’s Second Anniversary Menu
Thursday nights. My Waterloo. Me. The couch. There are very few things that will get me out of my stretchy pants. Even fewer things that will prize the TV remote and Netflix privileges out of my cold, dead hands. Except…an invite from Four Seasons Doha to try the second anniversary Omakase menu at Nobu Doha. That…that will do it. I mean, I even put on makeup! It was a bit of a bittersweet event though – one of the last times I would get to dine with my blogging and culinary partners in crime Sara and Gerald who are leaving me to fend for myself and each leaving Doha for exotic Asian climes. I’m bereft. But also…
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Soy Into You – Review of Zengo’s Friday Brunch
Honestly I haven’t had the best start to 2017. Things haven’t gone to plan, and given that I gave up planning things in late 2016, that should give you an indication of my current mind set. I needed to get out and about, drink a cocktail or three, eat some good food and talk some hard core nonsense. That’s how we ended up at Zengo for brunch last Friday. Part of Richard Sandoval’s global culinary empire, it’s yet another of his Doha outlets following Toro Toro and Isla. I had been to the opening night and found the space stunning, the pan-Asian food interesting and the entire project brimming with potential. A fusion restaurant…
