This is the story of my longest, most stable relationship. It has lasted more than 20 years and has never been disappointing. It’s about my love affair with Indian food. People know me as the “cheese lady”, and yes that is an apt description, but running parallel to my love of the dairy products is also my love of Indian food. I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney – a melting pot of cultures and cuisines. But it wasn’t until I hit university that I discovered Indian food. This came in the unlikely form of a restaurant on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst called Tandoori Palace. Not only did it…
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Table for One – The 10 Best Places for Solo Dining in Doha
Let’s face it, there is something perversely indulgent about eating alone in a restaurant. I love eating out with AZ, but our schedules don’t always allow for it. And my Squad is also sometimes elusive for the same reason. Also, occasionally I just like a bit of alone time. So, armed with my iPad and some magazines, I regularly take myself out for a meal. It’s usually breakfast or lunch but sometimes I veer into dinner territory. I discovered the innate pleasure of dining alone many, many years ago. I have dined alone all round the world – in Michelin star restaurants in Florence and also in shacks by the…
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A Pizza My Heart – Six Great Home Delivery Restaurants in Doha
Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t eat out every night. My natural state is at home, on the couch, with AZ arguing over my apparently inexplicable love of reality TV. So truth is, I am, in fact, a bit of a homebody. I love to cook, but sometimes, after a long and complicated day or week in the Vineyard of Truth, I am partial to a takeaway. And with Doha’s natural traffic state as being in No Man’s Land between Carmageddon and Carpocalypse at any given time, any restaurant that can delivery tasty, hot and delicious food to me without me hollering my location, is going to be a winner. Both Kababs&Kurries…
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Kurrying Favor at Kababs & Kurries
It takes a fair bit of effort to impress me. When an invite to try this restaurant came through a friend, I was underwhelmed after learning it was located in a fairly minor mall in the suburbs. I should learn not to judge on location and appearance because Kababs & Kurries has been a surprise hit for me. I arrived solo on a recent Saturday afternoon, having battled traffic, heat , dust and my usual hysteria that comes from trying to pack two many errands at disparate ends of the city into a six hour period). What greeted me was a technicolor oasis. The interiors are a little on the garish side,…
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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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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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Get Your Gourmet on at the Qatar International Food Festival 2015
It started very small a few years ago, but the Qatar international Food Festival has grown in stature each year.It’s now one of the best organized and most anticipated events in Doha. It’s back again for 2015 from 24 to 28 March at the Museum of Islamic Art Park again and looks set to be equally as good as last year. you can find out information about the various activities on offer here. But I’m pretty excited about the Dinner in the Sky concept this year which is offering a “Taste of Business Class” from Qatar Airways premium menu. I will be posting updates as they come, but you can keep…
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Rolled Gold – New Ways With An Old Favorite
I consider myself a semi expert on Indian paneer and cheeses. Self appointed of course. I had thought I know the whole gamut of ways to eat it until I visited The Indus in Muscat. Falling into the realm of “high end” Indian food, this restaurant really did live up to its hype. For me, the highlight of an excellent meal was their version of cottage cheese style paneer. I had never come across this treatment of the cheese before. Doodhiya Kalmiya which is cottage cheese rolls stuffed with bell peppers, potatoes and Indian spices. The cottage cheese is rolled flat and wrapped around the stuffing. It’s then cooked on a char grill.…
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Like a Paratha – Adventures in India Part 1
When I tell people how much I like India, their faces often screw up and they hold their stomachs. I may be jinxing myself, but I have never had a dose of Delhi Belly that originated in India. Pakistan is another issue. Visiting there back in 2008, I was so ill I lay on the floor of my hotel bathroom in Karachi wrapped only in a towel in a pool of sweat and started to write my will on hotel stationery. I stopped because I realized all I had was a German car the bank mostly owned and a nice handbag to offer my loved ones. Back to India. I…