Wok Mee Noodle House at the Mövenpick Tower & Suites specialises in Asian food and boasts ‘the best Asian cuisine in Doha’. A bold statement to make, but with a new menu recently launched it’s time to investigate the claim.

The restaurant décor is quite restrained, rather than the vibrant reds and golds one usually expects to be greeted by in an Asian restaurant, instead of varying shades of brown and cream. A long table with bench style seating dominates the venue, but there is additional seating featuring chairs with backs, should you prefer. On each table rests an orchid, a nice touch, and an oval orange light which creates a subdued glow. A large black and white photo of an Oriental boatman and quietly-played Asian music serve as reminders of the Eastern theme without going overboard.

The kitchen, to the side of the restaurant, sports a large front window so diners can watch the chefs at work. A completely open kitchen would be more ideal as the delicious Asian cooking aromas are trapped behind the glass, and visibility is limited at one point during a steaming process. Specials such as Beijing duck and beef teriyaki are chalked up on an outsized blackboard behind the window, but we turned to the new menu for our selection.

The paper menu is attached to a large metal clipboard with an accompanying pencil, and beside each dish is a small box for you to tick your choices. We’ve seen this concept before in other Asian restaurants, making the waiting of tables easier. It can be a little confusing if you haven’t tried it before though, and there isn’t much information about each dish, but the helpful and knowledgeable waiting staff are happy to explain.

It’s an extensive menu, with appetisers ranging from Thai fish cakes to the popular dim sum, and is further divided into noodles, noodle soup bowls, Wok Mee specials and side dishes. With such choices as steamed tiger prawns, seared red snapper and nasai goreng among the specials, there is something to appeal to everyone’s Asian tastes.

I started with a virgin strawberry daiquiri, topped with fresh strawberries and really quite delicious. One thing to point out here is that Mövenpick Tower does not serve alcohol, so only mocktails are available. My dining partner’s virgin mojito was likewise minty and fresh.

The chicken spring roll appetisers that arrived first were crisp, hot and tasty. Served with a wonderful sweet chilli dipping sauce, we devoured them within minutes. The Asian platter up next was filled with roasted duck and fried chicken pieces, accompanied by romali bread, cucumber and hoi sin sauce, but was actually a little disappointing once we began to tuck in – the duck was cold and dry, and the chicken overcooked. The cucumber tasted as if it had been cut fresh some time ago, and although the hoi sin sauce was delicious, we felt we needed extra.

The Thai green curry fared much better – the perfect consistency, with just the right amount of chilli. The chicken was moist and juicy, and the sauces mingled into our side of fried rice with lightly scrambled eggs. My partner ordered the wok fried beef tenderloin, which was tender, but again could have been improved with extra black pepper sauce. The Phad Thai arrived next, and was among the best we’ve ever tasted. The stir fried rice noodles were perfectly flavoursome, the large prawns tender, and each bite released a fusion of fresh spices.

A small selection of desserts is available to order in the more traditional manner (no pencils or ticking boxes required). The chocolate ice cream was rich and creamy, with small flakes of chocolate throughout, and although only one scoop it proved just enough to cleanse the palate. Being more adventurous, my partner ordered the chocolate and pistachio samosa, served with an apple and yoghurt salsa, vanilla ice cream and thick chocolate sauce. The warm filling had an unexpected taste and texture, and while the pastry was slightly greasy, the accompaniments made the dessert pleasant enough.

Hot towels arrive at the end of the meal, as they do before it, to help you freshen up – a nice touch – followed by the bill, which for some of the dishes did seem a little on the expensive side. Is it the best Asian food in Doha? Well, it may be stretching the claim slightly, but for the Phad That alone it’s definitely worth the visit. Just don’t forget your pencil sharpener for filling out your order.

The bill (for two)
1x mocktail QR25
1x virgin mojito QR22
1x spring roll QR48
1x Asian platter QR50
1x beef tenderloin QR88
1x chicken curry QR72
1x Phad Thai QR108
1x egg fried rice QR32
1x large Evian QR27
1x chocolate ice cream QR10
1x chocolate samosa QR28
2x cappuccino QR34
Total (incl charges) QR544