Qatar International Food Festival '13

Yesterday, Doha Diaries went for The Qatar International Food Festival which was held at the MIA Park.  Although a lot of people were complaining (both online and offline) about numerous parking issues, we managed to find comfortable parking spaces for ourselves. As we were hoping, the weather was perfect for good food. There was a light breeze in the air as we walked to the much anticipated food festival. First thought was relief as the place wasn't as crowded as we expected it to be. Lots of space for sitting and walking around. We also spotted the 'Dinner in the Sky' event, and felt even more relieved that we didn't book a table there. A table was being carried off ground by a large odd-looking crane. It looked inconvenient for the foodies back on ground level as we wondered if they felt comfortable enough to be eating good food up there. Here are a couple of things we liked, and not so liked about the event.

Things we liked

- A good, mixed family crowd

- Lots of seating and space for people to walk around

- We loved the Torch Hotel's stall. It had a Mexican theme and we munched away on the Fajitas and Nachos.

-The winner stalls for the night were the dessert stalls. The stall of Sharq Village & Spa had a signature chocolate dish with chocolate dumplings in bread crumbs served with a berry compote. That dish took us to food heaven. Another winner was the Village Restaurant's Deli Stall. Lots of Canopies, mini sandwiches and cupcakes (with yum frosting!).

- Pricing! The food was very well priced and it let us taste all kinds of food comfortably.

Winner of the day! Chocolate Dumplings from the Sharq Stall

Is that a bird? Is that a plane? It's just a weird looking table!

Things we not-so liked

- The pricing of the vouchers seemed a little off. There was a 10 riyal service charge for every voucher booklet you purchased. Since we just reached and did not know about the pricing of the food, we were not sure how much to buy as well. Every time we purchased additional vouchers, we paid an extra 10 riyals.

- We are not sure why they charged us a service fee when the service wasn't quite there. Dustbins were scarce and we had to walk for a while till we spotted a dustbin.

- Parking woes were a many. Even though we got lucky, a lot of people complained about lack of parking space. This has become a standard problem for every event in Doha, maybe it is time someone stepped up and did something about it?

QIFF had a carnival atmosphere and is rightly being called a 'food festival'. Festivals are all about celebrating occasions and being a foodie who is surrounded by great food is reason enough. 

Doha Diaries recommends not leaving the festival without trying out the dessert options!

Go or not go for the festival?

Doha Diaries says a definite 'Go!'

For more details about the festival and schedule, you can visit: http://www.qatartourism.gov.qa/

Nando's

Pic courtesy

Wondering what to do for lunch today? Doha Diaries suggests beginning your weekend with some good food. Doha Diaries is never disappointed with the quality of food and service at Nando’s. Nando’s is the place for all the chicken lovers out there. We ordered their Chicken Espatada with sun dried tomatoes and green peppers with a side of spicy rice and creamy coleslaw. Their signature peri peri sauce gives an unconventional twist to the whole dish. Worry not vegetarians, their veggie burger does not disappoint. The drinks on their menu is unique but goes well with the food. We ordered a Madeira Red which is a pomegranate lemonade mixed with sprite, and a Crimson Cola, a cola drink infused with pomegranate, fresh mint and lemon.  Nando's is located at many convenient locations around Doha, so it is an easy work lunch option as well. Some of the locations are listed below:  

1) Financial Square on C Ring Road 

2) City Center, Level 3, opposite the theatre 

3) Al Sadd

Before we sign off, we leave you with a quote we resonate with.

Isn't it true? Eat some great food and have a great weekend!

Weekend Diaries.

Picture source

This weekend is  packed with so many fun events, we had to pick out the best few. Here are weekend activities lined up for you!


If you have moved to the beats of ‘Temperature’, 'Got 2 Luv U' and 'Get Busy' , you will love what’s in store for you this weekend. Sean Paul hits the city of Doha on Friday.  On March 29^th, Sean Paul will be performing at Intercontinental Doha. Imagine dancing to his tunes by the beach. If you like the sound of that, you'll love the concert!

The best clown in the world is in the city!  “Slava Snowshow” at the Qatar National Convention Center on the 28^th to 31^st promises to be a visual treat. Expect world class performances and as they say ‘you are never too old to enjoy clowns’. ( PS: Youtube videos of their previous shows are mind blowing!)

'Holi hai!’, roughly translates to ‘It’s time to celebrate Holi’, and we couldn’t agree more. For those missing out on the Holi celebrations back in India, fret not as Sealine beach resort brings to you ‘Rang Barse’, an event that hopes to make full justice to the Indian festival of colors. With a carnival theme, it will have various stalls along the beach. Expect a lot of dancing too! Apart from a dance contest with a Bollywood theme, there is going to be a huge dance floor with live DJs spinning latest tracks.  

DD Tip: If you plan on playing with colors, wear comfortable clothing.

W Doha is having some fun events this weekend! DJs from the Ministry of Sound EVO & RST perform at Crystal on Thursday, and they have an Afro Beats night at Wahm on Friday. Interesting genres of music maketh an interesting weekend.

If you plan to take it a little slow this weekend, you can catch 'The Third Man', a movie which was selected by the British Film Institute as 'the best British film of the 20th century'. You wouldn't want to miss out on a classic like that! Doha Film Institute will be screening the movie on Thursday and Friday at the Museum of Islamic Art.  You can get more details here about the screening here: http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/events/dfi-uk-cinema-showcase

Picture source

The foodie in us is psyched and curious about the International Food Festival which is going to be held from 28^th to 31^st March at the Museum of Islamic Art. What intrigued us most was the ‘Dinner in the Sky’ event. It also aims to promote Qatari cuisine this year, something we are looking forward to! We are hoping to gorge on delicious food (of all kinds) while enjoying the (last few) wintry nights here. For more details about the festival and tickets, you can visit their website at http://qifoodfestival.com





Have a delightful, fun-filled weekend!

Keeping it Fit and Fine

Picture Source

Summer is on its way and we are getting our fitness plan in place. If you plan to tone up and are wondering what to do, Doha Diaries recommends a couple of places you can join to get your summer swag on!

Kickfit classes on Thursdays at InterContinental Doha

This 10 am class will help you burn those calories by combining boxing, karate, Muay Thai and Capoiera. With so many techniques, there is no doubt that calories will be burned!

Thursdays at 10:00 am.

Fees: QAR 30 for members and QAR 40 for non-members.

For more information call 44844852 or email them at bayclub@icdoha.com

Spinning on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at InterContinental Doha

Spinning is becoming a very popular form of exercise and it helps a person to really tone up his / her body. If you love using exercise bikes to keep fit, this class is your calling!

Mondays & Wednesdays at 6:15 pm

Fridays at 12:00 pm

Saturdays at 9 am

Fees: QAR 25 for members, QAR 35 for non-members

For more information call 44844852 or email them at bayclub@icdoha.com

Pilates on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Yama Yoga Stidios

An extremely popular form of exercise, Pilates helps you to improve your abdominal strength, flexibility and posture. The Yama Yoga Studio has three locations in Qatar and hopes to encourage a healthy yoga-loving community here.

Tuesdays at 6:00 pm

Thursdays at 10:00 am

Fees: QAR 60

For more information, visit www.yamayogastudios.com

Zumba

We at Doha Diaries love to Zumba! Zumba combines Latin and International music to give you contagious dance moves. Imad Askar holds Zumba classes in the Recreation fitness center Dance Studio of the Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Centre.

Fees: Members: QAR 30 Non Members: QAR 40

Class Schedule: http://imadaskar.zumba.com/class-schedule

Which regime are you going to be following this summer?