Tasting the Middle East

Moroccan mint Tea in a traditional teapot

So I find myself in a city called Doha, in the state of Qatar.

Where the hell is that, you're asking right? Don't worry I didn't know either until I accepted a job here.

If you wanna know, it's the thumb off the ass of Saudi Arabia. Yip, it really looks like a thumb, and pretty much on the ass of Saudi. And I bet you all know Saudi for its glamorous reputation of its distorted view on human rights yeah? Where women get lashes for driving and hands get chopped off for stealing and culture permits no fun or happiness or drunken parties.

Fattoush salad

Doha is nothing like this. Surely they have laws and rules that are tighter than those in the west, and cultural standards, taboos and tolerances that are more strict than most of our parents, but this makes for a 0% crime rate, ridiculous wealth and a superb standard of living. And pretty sober citizens too.

Yes, it's in a desert, and yes, it is dusty. It's hell hot and humid and the growth of the city has exceeded that of the trees and plants making it rather yellowish all over. It is a peninsula surrounded by 800 km of ocean on the one side, and a never ending desert on the other. You're thinking camels right? Think again! Bright lights, modern skyscrapers, Hummers and Bentleys are more like it!

Haloumi and Fig rolls and Moussaka

Doha is about wealth and opulence and luxury. The malls are shiny and filled with designer shops and international brands. Hotels are glamorous and very L.A. Restaurants are modern and cafe's are uber chic.  There is no rubble on the streets, no beggars or homeless and never will the thought of poverty, suffering or an economic crises cross your mind as you rub shoulders with mysterious Abaya-wearing ladies carrying their Chanel bags and purchasing Louis Vuittons while you sip your Starbucks Frappechino in a marble floored mall.

Beautifully presented Humus!

There is a taste to suit any palate and a cuisine for every meal of the week. The mass amount of eastern and western expats flocking here to get their hands on some of the rich wealth pie, has made Doha a hub of culture and cuisine. The high incomes and relaxed lifestyle has created a market for excuisite restaurants, where fabulously bored expat housewives have high tea, Qatari ladies indulge in Belgian pastries over lunch and white robed Arabic men share chocolate fondues at Swiss chocolatiers. Lebanese restaurants with Sheesha, Egyptian places with singers and Persian

Pita and Lebanese mezze

cushions, French bistros, American diners, European Patisseries, Swiss Chocolatiers and Michelin-starred fusion restaurants are just some of the places we dress up for and spend our leisurely time in. Then there are the Turkish Schwarma kiosks, dirty little Indian eateries and tiny Thai street cafes that are unpretentious, cheap and never close and the little eastern workers never sleep or seize to smile. And the food is just perfect for a post-party bite before you hit the bed in your designer dress after a glamorous party!

Arabic sweets at Souq Waqif

Being warned about the infamous Doha Stone that fancies newcomers' waists, I'll resume the culinary treasure hunting at a slower pace. But I cannot wait to eat the east and tell you all about it!

Sahtain!