One “fishy” Saturday morning at Al Wakrah Fish Market, located behind Al Wakrah Petrol Station.
Al Wakrah Fish Market
Monthly Archives: March 2012
Dine at Height – Three Sixty Revolving Restaurant, The Torch
We turn 12 this March. Ah…time flies. 12 years ago we tied the knot, and here we are today.
Three sixty restaurant – the first Qatar’s revolving restaurant – at The Torch Doha Hotel is our witness in commemorating our 12.
No children please.
Indicative cost:
Aqua Panna 1L, 30QR
1 Onion Soup, 36QR – recommended
1 Caesar Salad, 60QR – recommended
1 Australian Lamb Fillet, 150QR –
1 Veal Scallopini, 160QR
1 Apple Crumble, 38QR – recommended
1 World Cup 2022 (mixed juice), 32QR
[see the following pictures of the hotel, restaurant and the food]
Souq Land
Souq Land, at Souq Waqif, is just like another Pasar Malam (Ind. means Night Bazaar), but more modern, brand new and clean. Accompanied my kids, thrown myself back to childhood.
See The Peninsula for more detail.
Bumbu Bali Restaurant
Update 5 Nov 2012:
Apparently Bumbu Bali moved to new location. Please call 55715792 for more info.
New location is as attached below:
25.23365°N 51.55744°E
Visited Bumbu Bali (Ind. literally means Balinese spices) restaurant this weekend. This newly opened restaurant adds to a longer list of already established Indonesian restaurants in Doha* (see below).
Bumbu Bali is located at B-Ring Road, on the ground floor of Mannai accommodation building (along with Toyota spare parts store, an optical store and Akbar Travels of India), just one block after Handasa Building and before Teyser Petrol Station, if you are driving from Jaidah Flyover towards Airport Road.
The restaurant itself is not that big, but nicely decorated. On the ground floor are two 4-seat tables, a cashier desk and kitchen, while upstairs are six 6-seater tables, three 3-seater tables, and a toilet/washing facility. The 6-seater tables area is designed with Arabic bedouin style sofa. The only reminder that this is an Indonesian restaurant is its big gold-brown open umbrella just near stair top landing.
Though it bears Bali’s names, two Balinese dining menu out of 10(?) ones were not available, at the time of our visit. We ended up ordered standard Indonesian cuisines: Gado-gado (Indonesian’s vegetables salad served with a peanut sauce dressing), Sate Ayam (chicken skewer), Baso (meatball soup), and Iga Bakar (grilled ribs). All are prized at QR15.
Our orders do not take long to come, less than 10 minutes. Gado-gado come first followed by Baso. Bumbu Bali gado-gado come with looked-fresh vegetables and sweet peanut sauce dressing plus traditional crackers. Peanut sauce tastes good if not too sweet. Portion is sized enough. Baso is to me quite average, but its sambal (chili-based sauce used as condiment) makes it better.
Nothing special with Sate Ayam. Iga Bakar come last. With three ribs cuts, a bowl of Thai rice, slices of cucumer and tomato, and, yes, sambal. This sambal is what differentiate Iga Bakar to Western grilled ribs. Two ribs cuts have enough meat I can enjoy with. Chili-soy sauce seems penetrated well into the meat. Dab the rib into sambal, put it on top of sticky Thai rice, and you’ll understand why I can’t describe this. Again, I feel sweeter taste in this menu, perhaps because I’m East Javanese (used to salty-chili)? I’ll need to mention that arriving restaurant with the right hungry level, taking such a good dinner only to find my last rib cuts were end, that’s really gastronomy contentment interruption (to exaggerate 🙂 ) at max. Two are not enough. The third rib cut is unfortunately bone only 😦
Overall, Bumbu Bali has some prime menu to be proud of. Coupled with excellent and attentive waitress service and fast serving, it iseasily recommended. If Bumbu Bali can just downsize its sweet level, that would be much better!
Bumbu Bali, 25°16’29″N 51°32’14″E (phone: 4432 6080, open 10.30-14.30, 5.30-21.00)
*Other Indonesian restaurants in Doha:
1. Central Restaurant, Umm Ghuwailina, 25°16’46″N 51°32’50″E
2. Minang Restaurant, Al Asmakh St., 25°16’52″N 51°31’55″E
3. Restaurant Jakarta, Ibn Mahmoud St., 25°16’56″N 51°30’53″E
4. Griyo Solo, Al Wakrah, 25°10’16″N 51°35’52″E
Five before Five
Last weekend, I was suddenly sick…suddenly because I was feeling totally okay in the morning of Friday but then soon after Friday prayer I was feeling a bit fever as soon as I slipped underneath blanket :). The fever continued and worse until the next morning. To make it worse I lost my appetite in eating. My wife drove me to one of the Indonesian restaurants in Doha, aiming at improving my calorie intake. But it didn’t help. Thanks anyway my honey.
Thanks God condition’s getting better in the evening (after vitamin intake, proloooooonged sleep and traditional medicine), and feel much, much better on Sunday morning.
I try to recall what may cause me falling this weekend. Was I too exhausted? Was I lack of sleep? I have to admit that I rarely do exercises but I keep tight control in balanced diet, I don’t smoke. I shall take exercise more seriously I guess…yalla Wahyu get sweating!
Perhaps it’s a kind of reminder what The Prophet (pbuh) said about five before five:
“Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free-time before your preoccupation, and your life before your death.” (Hakim)
Windy and dusty…
Qatar experiences strong dust winds over the past three days (may continue until the next two days). Reduced visibility, dusty surfaces, and strong wind as a result, are not unusual for desert country Qatar.
Amidst busy events, we re-consider some planned activities outside for fear it may impact our respiratory health.
Hope the strong dust wind get calmer soon….
CGK-DOH 