Celebrate the fact that it’s Monday with a meal out. Craving some Italian? You’ll have a party in your mouth with our pesto and pine nuts discovery. Going vegan? We’ve sorted that, too, with an incredibly tasty soup that’s brand-new. Whichever dish you decide to try, the result is a satisfied stomach and a happy disposition, vegetarian or not.
Pesto ravioli at Eataly
Despite being in a mall, Eataly is one of our favourite spots for some authentic and absolutely delicious Italian. We love that the brand has its own retail store, where it actually buys ingredients to use in all the dishes from. After a recent visit, we’re totally bowled over by the pesto ravioli. Little dough parcels are loaded with pesto, drizzled in olive oil with a generous amount of pine nuts tossed in, all on a bed of mashed potatoes. This is comfort food at its very best and if we can assure you of one thing after devouring this, it’s complete satisfaction.
Doha Festival City (4028 5055).
Samosa chaat at Signature
Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor at Crowne Plaza West Bay is known for its fusion Indian dishes but the samosa chaat (popular Indian street food) here is as tasty as it is authentic. Unlike the regular street food format where the samosa is usually chopped up, the restaurant serves it whole (two big pieces) and it is doused in sweet and spicy sauces with yoghurt, of course. Head over to Signature for a super delicious bite of Bombay.
Crowne Plaza West Bay (4019 9999).
Tomato soup at Al Hubara
Until January 31, the spotlight is on tomatoes at Al Hubara’s new food festival Tomatofare. It’s a galaxy of tomato varieties gathered locally and from all around the world and every dish has some form of tomato in it. Fun fact – there are more than 18 tomato varieties here. But the one that takes the (tomato) cake is the soup. The recipe is from one of the chef’s grandmother and it’s creamy, spicy and wonderfully comforting. Throw in some spicy croutons on top for the ultimate flavour explosion. It’s like La Tomatina, but in your mouth.
Sheraton Grand Doha, West Bay (4484 4444).
Truffle mac ’n’ cheese
STK Doha has just opened its doors to the public and we can’t stress enough on how promising the entire concept is from the venue itself to the food. The steaks are naturally top-notch, but for a small moment, let’s focus on how good the sides are. While the supremely crispy mushroom pot pie is STK’s signature side (and rightly so), we just can’t get over the creamy, cheesy and downright delicious truffle mac ’n’ cheese in the sides menu. The waft of truffle from a distance is incredibly indulgent and by the time the dish arrives to the table, every single sense is thoroughly engaged. Try it and you’ll see what we mean.
The Ritz-Carlton Doha, West Bay Lagoon (4484 8000).
Vegan soup at CUT
CUT’s chef Ben Small is one of Doha’s most creative culinary experts and the recently revamped menu at this popular steakhouse is testament to that. It might sound a little odd that a steakhouse serves incredible vegan soup, but off late, CUT by Wolfgang Puck is reworking its image and positioning as it something that’s more accessible to every foodie in town. The mushroom vegan soup is a big bowl of creamy goodness (the creaminess is from almond milk) and it’s one of those dishes you wish never gets over. It also has a little crunch from raw, picked pieces of onion. It doesn’t matter if you’re vegan or not, this soup is an absolute must-have.
Mondrian Doha, West Bay Lagoon (4045 5999).
