Doha Food Festival

   I like my food. AGirlInDoha likes her food too.  So last weekend, when the Doha food festival was on, we took ourselves down there to try out the delectable treats.  For those who've been to a "Taste Of"type festival - imagine one of those, but with a lot of the food being offered by the local five star hotels.  On top of that, there seemed to be a few regional restaurants offering different regional cuisines and some cafes and bakeries offering their wares.  Dishes ranged from 5 Rials to 15 Rials or about ($US1.50 - $US4)

    So here's some of our favourite dishes. (apologies for camera quality - was just our phone).

Peshwari Chicken

   This came from one of the local hotels - the Ramada from memory - and had some really good flavours.  I'm not sure what the green substance was that the chicken had been basted in, but I'd have this again in a heartbeat.  Yummo.

Octopus - Movenpick

   Another 5 star hotel - The Movenpick - had this octopus dish.  While mash and lonely piece of roquette weren't much too look at, the octopus was quite possible the most tender piece of octopus I've ever eaten. Mr Octopus - giving up your life for my tastebuds was well worth it.

Grill - Pakistani Style

   Moving away from the Five Star hotel area we ran into some regional cuisine.  One of the big highlights for me was this Pakistani restaurant "Zaok" (?), which was grilling some lamb, beef & chicken on this grill.  Besides being of the best mobile grill contraptions I've ever seen, the lamb chops - at 5 Rials per chop - had been marinated and basted in brilliant zesty herbs and spices on them.  So good that AGirlInDoha and I devoured 4 chops.  The other remarkable thing about this stall (besides the abject lack of process in ordering and receiving your food) was the chef.  The grill was pumping out serious amounts of heat from the charcoal.  I was standing more than  a metre away and roasting in the heat (let alone inhaling the wonderful flavours), but the chef was standing next to the grill (hands seen above), and turning the metals skewers bare handed.  Asbestos fingers or burnt his hands so much that his nerves had stopped working?

    I've mentioned before how multicultural Qatar is.  I bet none of you have been to an Albanian / Lebanese fusion restaurant though - have you?  The photo doesn't do justice to the flavours. Proof good food can get away with simple sides.

    With a lot of the immigrant population being Indian - there should be lots of good Indian food around - and this tandoori chicken definitely fitted in that category.  

Seating - Diplomatic Club

   One of the things that distinguished this event from "Taste Of" type festivals was the seating - each exhibitor brought along their own themed seating areas, some quite elaborate. 

    Why bring a seat when you can bring a marquee, carpets and couches.  True Middle Eastern hospitality.

    So what was the conclusion after our 4 hours spent at the food festival?  We were very happy, very full and felt a lot more at home.