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Saturday, February 4, 2017

RESTAURANT REVIEW-CREPA CREPA @ PEARL QATAR

After a longer than intended hiatus from this space of mine, I was more than eager to return. It only seemed coincidental that as I was scouting for some material that an opportunity presented itself in the form of a invite to a newly opened "Creperie" located in the Pearl Qatar.

Hubby being a major crepe lover and a chance to sneak away for a date night was infact icing on the crepe ( Oops cake) !

Crepa Crepa is tucked away in the charming Qanat Quartier district in the Pearl which now houses several new eateries namely The Breakfast Club, Esmer Chef, Waffles and Coffee.



The restaurant painted a pretty picture with both outdoor and indoor seating facing the cobbled streets and quaint street lamps. Infact it is not too difficult to imagine that we were not in Doha but vacationing at a road-side cafe somewhere in Europe.

                                            

I also thought the interiors were done very thoughtfully which gave the whole place a very cozy feel that could be best described as that you were actually sitting in a friend's dining room than at a restaurant.



Service was perfect although it is fair to mention that they were expecting us. What I specially thought was noteworthy was that the owner, a Qatari national not just introduced himelf but also took out the time by very passionately taking us through the concept and the highlights of the menu. He also explained that Crepa Crepa is an international franchise hailing from Greece and their Qatari venture is their 16th outlet worldwide.

Once we glanced through the extensive menus offering more than 20 varieties each of the savoury and sweet crepes with additional options to also create customized crepes,left us only further undecided. Finally with the help of our server, we managed to narrow down our choices to two appetizers and two mains.

                                  

The Appetizer Bites were basically crepes that were rolled and sliced up served with a dipping sauce. We had chosen the traditional Greek Tasty Spinach and Smoked Salmon. The Tasty Spinach had a filling of spinach,onions and dill that was complimented with a nice tanginess from the feta and served with a mustard sauce. Smoked Salmon also contained a filling of spinach, onions, dill however with a base of creamy Philadelphia cheese and ofcourse smoked salmon which was served with sour cream. Had to rely on the hubby to do the scoring for this round given that I am not a fish-eater. His favourite was the Smoked Salmon which he described to be fresh and clean. We both thought that the Tasty Spinach could be served with a different sauce (probably a sweet chili or a spicier sauce) considering that both Feta and Mustard were tangy in nature.

                             

                                  

For the mains, we had chosen the Mexican and BBQ Texas crepes. Again initially had to rely on the hubby since the Mexican contained beef which I am not a fan of. ( And you think why Am I a food blogger ?) After some gentle coaxing by the hubby, I took a bite and I was completely blown away. That one bite contained flavours of the spicy minced beef, creamy guacamole , crunchy peppers describing which makes me salivate now. I ended up polishing half of this crepe and why only half if you may ask is because I had to give up the other half as part of my "wifely love" which as an afterthought now I think was foolish !

                                 

The second crepe- BBQ Texas was nothing to write home about but delivered in terms of its flavours with smoked turkey, mushrooms, peppers, gouda cheese and BBQ sauce.

What also I must highlight about both these crepes were its perfect crispy thin texture that put some of others that we have had in the past to shame. It goes without saying that all crepes are made to order and at a live cooking station.

                                    

For desserts we had the Cheesecake Selections with strawberry jam and the Extreme Chocolate with an addition of bananas.

The Strawberry Cheesecake was a disappointment and tasted nothing like a cheesecake rather than just a strawberry jam interspersed with some cream cheese.

                                      

Extreme chocolate hit the right spots for a dessert with its rich tastes of white, milk, dark chocolate, banana and nutella. Served with whipped  cream, I thought we should have ordered a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.


For a place that technically serves just one dish, this restaurant does a splendid job in bringing countless varieties to your plate that makes you even forget the intrinsic similarity. If you are looking to spend a relaxed time on a date or with friends and family in a serene ambience with fresh and delicious food, look no further and head to Crepa Crepa.
Crepa Crepa Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
Saturday, March 26, 2016

RESTAURANT REVIEW #6 - AGORA, GRAND HERITAGE DOHA HOTEL AND SPA

It’s not everyday that the parents from both sides come together in Doha and it was only obvious to celebrate the occasion. However inspite of being quite abreast of the foodie scene in the city, I was in a fix when it came to picking a restaurant that would give us a perfect, quiet ambience, be toddler-friendly, had great food and was situated not too far from our home in Al-Sadd.

That’s when I coincidentally came across Agora located in the Grand Heritage Doha Hotel and Spa, Al Waab which came recommended with a few excellent reviews in Zomato.

As soon we arrived at the hotel, I instantly knew that this place would be a winner. The Victorian like exteriors, plush interiors, smiling faces and the serene environment put us all in a great mood right away.

                             

                                  

Being a Sunday night, the place was hardly crowded and we were seated immediately in what almost seemed like a private area of the restaurant.

                      

Agora serves exclusively Turkish cuisine and we were pleasantly surprised when we were handed over I-pad menus instead of the standard books. Infact, my two-year old daughter was the happiest on seeing this, it being a restricted device at home. Nonetheless, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for us since that enabled the rest of us to “almost” enjoy the rest of the evening peacefully.

                                

Moving on to discuss about the protagonist of the evening–the food. We were served with a lemon-mint welcome drink, which was like any other of its kind. Then came the bread basket with the assorted dips. It was not just the variety from the crispy pita breads to the spongy sesame breads that were amazing but their taste and quality paired with the 3 dips –a black olive tapenade, another one that we deduced were made with sun-dried and fresh tomatoes and the third, butter in all its glory and in the perfect consistency.

                                       


We were also given a complimentary amuse bouche which was a chicken kofta with a base of soaked bread that seemed in texture almost like a crumbly cheese served in a tangy tomato and yoghurt sauce. The dish was spectacular but disappeared in one bite and I was almost tempted to ask the server to bring me a second round but restrained myself when I remembered the array of dishes that were on its way.

                          

The first starter that we had placed the order for was the Eggplant-Pepper dish. This dish was a little too sour for our liking and overpowered our palate with the presence of rolled-up vine leaves and tomato sauce.

              

Next was the Chicken pide, a Turkish pastry.  It can be described to be a crispy pastry casing filled with delicious spiced minced chicken that seemed almost meat like. We thoroughly enjoyed the combination of the crunch of the pastry with the filling inside.

                                          

The portion sizes of the main courses were significant and easily catered to the six adults present.

We had the grilled lamb chops that the husband described to be succulent and perfectly cooked served with mashed potatoes and vegetables.



Sheesh Tawook was good like any other of its counterparts available in the city. The highlight were the accompaniments such as spicy bulgur tasted almost like pulao, carrot salad and grilled vegetables.


Chicken Bayti Kebab was a delightful dish where grilled chicken were dressed up and rolled in a saj bread that kept the chicken extremely juicy and moist and held in the flavours. This was also served in a yoghurt-tomato sauce and French fries.


Home made kofte were basically mutton meatballs served on a moist bread base similar to the amuse bouche, in a tomato sauce. This was served with delicious, plump rice, a carrot salad and French Fries.

     

We also had ordered hummus which was pretty normal and just like any from any other restaurant. The yoghurt accompaniment was also not bad and we particularly liked the addition of black sesame.

                          
    
                                         

After downing all of the above, a dessert in usual scenarios was unthinkable. But once me and the husband saw “Kunafa” on the menu, there definitely was no way that we were leaving without tasting that.

And oh my, weren’t we glad, the dessert was truly the star of the evening ! The crispy Kunafa with its oozing cheese combined with the icecream was just mind-blowing. Utterly sinful in every bite but so worth that a trip to this restaurant just to sample this one dish would be easily justified.

                                     

Me and my family had a great time at the Agora. The only down side that I could nit-pick was that though our server was polite and attentive, she barely knew anything about the food nor could answer our questions when we were placing our order. Also, hardcore foodies like us would have appreciated if the server(s) could have given us a brief of each dish when being served. But on the other hand, the maitre'd did compensate to some extent in this regard.

But having said the above, this surely wouldn’t stop us from visiting the restaurant a second time. We enjoyed the delicious food and the calm ambience. We also were happy to use our Entertainer vouchers and this definitely proved worthwhile considering that the restaurant falls in the expensive bracket. 

            

Restaurant Info:
Agora
Ground Floor
Grand Heritage Doha Hotel and Spa
Al Waab
Doha


Ph:+974-44455555

Verdict:

Criteria
Weightage
Points given
Overall
Food
50%
4.0
2.0
Service
20%
3.5
0.7
Ambience
15%
4.5
0.7
Value for Money
15%
4.0
0.6
4.0


Rating: Excellent JJ

Agora - Grand Heritage Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
Saturday, October 17, 2015

Food Blogger Event - Qatar Living 10th Anniversary Celebrations at The French Olive

When I arrived here first in Doha four years back, inspite of the region being very familiar having lived here for more than 17 years, the country and the married life however were definitely very new to me.

We still had the habituary residence-visa struggle that came with the blood test, fingerprinting, then the driving license classes and tests to go through.

Since the husband also was new to the country and with friends who had done their visa procedures years back, I remember turning to Qatar Living at every stage then. I foraged the forums for latest information be it for immigration office timings or to find out how long do the blood test results take or about other residents such as myself who had to undergo fingerprinting three times over and over again! It surely proved to be a treasure house of information back then, later and now. I have used it while scouting around for deals on second hand cars and also not very long ago, for information while applying for a Schengen visa.

The information available was handy without a doubt for new expats not just within the country but for even those who were planning their move to Qatar.

I was only delighted when Rochelle Zonnenberg, Sales and Marketing Manager, Qatar Living showcased about the upcoming food blogger event on the occasion of their 10th anniversary and seized the opportunity to meet fellow bloggers.

In a country where the blogging community is still in my opinion in a nascent stage, events such as these become extremely significant in bringing together and connecting the fellow bloggers.

Qatar Living was celebrating their 10 years and also in addition, was bringing forth a brand new look for their website. Qatar Living has 26 million monthly page views and can be truly considered to be a one-stop information portal about anything in Qatar.

                              
The event was held at The French Olive, a fine dining restaurant located in Al Sadd. The French Olive offers two of the best European cuisines i.e. French and Italian. And oh boy, weren’t we in for a treat! It was only fair to say that both the hosts, Qatar Living and The French Olive made us feel like royalty with the exemplary food, service and special treats.

You can have a look at the menu below customized for the event which was specifically highlighted by the restaurant manager, Cristina that all the dishes were also available on the regular menu. She also explained that they took great pride in sourcing seasonal and the freshest ingredients. If certain ingredients were not fresh, they prefer not serving them at all than serve a frozen or a stale version.
                         
The menu was so extensive that by the end of the evening it appeared that the seams of our waistline could almost not bear the pressure from the lavish spread of food.

To start off the bread basket was phenomenal both on the taste front and the wide variety being offered. We were told breads were baked fresh every morning which is why they have introduced a happy hour starting everyday from 7pm with a buy 1, get one free offer.

                     


Appetizers
Prawns and Couscous
The prawns were cooked to perfection and the combination of the peppery prawns with the couscous was a first for me, but went along really well. This is definitely a healthier yet filling option on the menu.

Tuna Tartare
Although not a fan of fish, tuna tartare seemed quite interesting with absolutely no indication of the raw meat and flavoured so perfectly. The dish was presented nicely with the garnish of a boiled quail egg.

Barley and Mozzarella Salad
Again an interesting combination, would I try this had I come by myself? Probably not, but loved the freshness of the mozzarella and the chewiness of the barley. Again a delightful way to introduce “healthy” ingredients such as the barley into one’s diet and a restaurant menu at that.

My favourite: Prawns and Couscous

                            

Warm starters
Arancini
Had only heard about this fried Italian starter and wasn’t this the best way to get acquainted! We had two options with one being a mushroom option and the other one -four cheese. I especially loved the crispy hot exterior with the gooey mushroom flavor on the inside. Definitely a must-try on the menu!


Duck Fois Gras
Did not try this as do not eat duck nor fois gras.

First Course
Risotto Al Funghi
The dish was too rich and buttery to my liking, but having said must say that the mushroom flavor was intense and quite lovely. Probably this dish could be had by itself and not on such an extensive menu.


Sorrentina
Most definitely enjoyed the tagliatelle pasta with the fresh mozzarella, basil and cherry tomatoes. The symbolic Italian combination that was simple yet so fresh.

Pizza Polpette
Unfortunately did not try as you could see we almost practically full by this course and yet had the Second course and the Dessert to come.

                               

Second Course
Since I do not eat either beef or salmon, they most sweetly changed my dish to a grilled chicken breast with braised vegetables and mashed potatoes. Chicken was cooked perfectly without being dry but this cannot be considered a specialty and could be easily available on any of the town’s restaurants offering continental cuisine. But considering their limited time for preparation and short notice, they did quite a good job.


Dessert
This was undoubtedly the most phenomenal course of the evening with all of the three desserts vying neck to neck for the award of being the tastiest. The dark chocolate cage especially created for this evening around the crème brulee was exceptionally delicious so was the tiramisu and the creamy panacotta with the berries.


One cannot ridicule a person who would visit the restaurant just for the wide selection of desserts and pastries. That would be me ! J 

The French Olive ambience is lovely with beautiful lighting, open spaces and private dining options. On weekends, breakfast is served upto 4pm, perfect for those late risers.

Having said this, I have to admit that I had given a so-so review to the French Olive  earlier couple of months back. But this evening and a delicious breakfast, which I had, post this evening by myself has most definitely changed things for me. The only dish that remains to taste and review again would be the Pizza, which I hope to do very soon in the coming days.

Eggs Benedict Breakfast
Last but not the least, each of the participants received a personalized gift in the form of a cupcake with frosting having the name of the respective blog. This completely blew me away and was the perfect icing on the cake. (Pun intended!)


Thank you Qatar Living and The French Olive for an unforgettable evening!

I was a guest of The French Olive for the dinner and not for the breakfast, but the views expressed here are completely mine and absolutely honest.


The French Olive
Barwa al sadd,  
C-ring road
Tel: 4444-4777
The French Olive Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato