The Winning Pic

I was so busy this past few days, actually I have a lot of things and activities to share with you guys but for now let me share how happy I am for what I've received from my favorite hotel here in Doha! Yes I am very vocal how I love to dine with them, my friends and colleagues know that, that I love Oryx Rotana Hotel. Among the hotels I visited, I feel so comfortable and at home with them. I don't know pero may feeling talaga akong ganon, aside from the food they have hospitable staffs that will let you feel that you belong to the place and nothing to feel uncomfortable especially if its your first time to experience hotel dine in.

Remember my last post about QIFF 2015? If you are my friend in FB or follower in my IG account, you probably know what this post all about.

Just to have a souvenir photo and just for fun I posed and took picture on Oryx Instaframe and followed what it said on the instruction. I don't take it seriously, on the first place I know how competitive social media contests are but I jokingly said it my friends that night "namimiss ko na nga ang Choices malay nyo manalo ako" - words are powerful!

I already forgot that said contest, after I uploaded the picture that's it until on Monday when I reached home I opened my IG account and found out that Oryx Rotana posted a comment on my photo. I didn't read it immediately I close my IG again until I was reminded about the instaframe contest, I opened again and found out that I won!

the winning photo!

At first I am hesitant if its the real account of Oryx, I asked my friend who worked in Oryx Rotana to check the authenticity of the comment and the account used. He told me that yes it is Oryx account and to be sure the next day he asked their marketing executive.

I just want to share what happened a week before I win. Almost everyday I'm passing Old Airport Road where you can see a bit of Oryx. I told to myself "kelan ko kaya maiikain si Bjay dito" Bjay is my one and only sibling. Nung nasa Pinas pa sya everytime may mga pinupuntahan ako hotel, pasyalan or even some restaurants, naiisip ko sana I can the same with my family and I remember nung papunta na dito si Bjay I prayed na sana I can able to let him experience din na kumain sa mga fine dining or hotel. But since mejo tght ang budget, nagkasunod-sunod ang mga gastos I forgot it all. God always reminds me to prioritize things that need to be prioritize - in short its the "needs" first before the "wants". Last week is a National Siblings Day, though we don't really celebrate it, sabi ko talaga "Lord sana matreat ko yung kapatid ko jan sa Oryx kahit bago sya magbakasyon" but my mind will speak to me "Paano, may pera ka nga pero may mas mahalaga ka pang paggagamitan" 

To continue, I received email from Marketing Department of Oryx on Monday. And yes its confirm, I really won!

The confirmation!

God really do knows our heart's desire kahit gaano mang kasimple or kaliit ito. Minsan naiisip natin why do I need na ipag-pray pa, alam naman ni Lord na gusto ko, bakit kailangan pa na ipagpray ko e alam naman ni Lord na need ko ito? May mga ganong moment tayo na naiisip minsan di ba. God wants us to draw closer to Him, kung lahat ipagkakaloob Nya baka hindi mo na Sya kausapin, baka hindi mo na maalala na tumawag sa Kanya or baka nga even His name di mo na makilala.

Yesterday, I passed by at Oryx Rotana. I felt the same feeling every time I visited them, yung kapag pasok mo pa lang nakasmile na mga staffs at igri-greet ka. I'm not saying this cos I won to their contest as I've said you can ask my friends how I am vocal how I love to be with Oryx Rotana. While I'm waiting for Ms. Gab, their Marketing and Communications Executive I met Ms. Valerie, parang sa mga hotel booking yata sya in charge, she's very approaching. I guess one of the secret for a hospitality business like hotels to succeed is for them to hired approachable and accommodating staffs. From the word "hospitality" staffs must be "hospitable". I had been to few hotels here in Doha but not of them have hospitable staffs.

Glory to God for this answered prayer! 

Thank you so much Oryx Rotana Doha! And guys, if you didn't try yet Oryx Rotana Doha I really recommend them, visit them and try their food and services. I assure you, you will enjoy and make every visit memorable. You can check them here Oryx Rotana Doha. 

Expect a follow up post as my brother and I visit together my favorite CHOICES RESTAURANT and yes it a sumptuous buffet.

See you then!

Qatar International Food Festival 2015

Its their 6th year to hold Qatar International Food Festival this year, yet its only my first time to visit them. Qatar International Food Festival is a fair participated by 5 star hotels, high end restaurants, food chains and even the newly put up food businesses.

 QIFF is divided into several zones.
 Welcome and Stage Zone, where everyone especially families can enjoy different entertainment activities. They have a big screen where kids together with their parents can sit, relax and watch.

L-R : Genie, Sheila, and Me

 

They also have a fireworks display every 7:30 p.m. I personally enjoyed watching it, my friend Genie even record it on video.

 Food Zone features high profile restaurants that offers different cuisines from around the world, so if you haven't try them on their own place like in hotels, you can enjoy some of their dishes in small serving and of course at the low price.

 Here are some of the featured hotels that we checked.

Marriott Hotel offers Mexican food and even the theme of their booth look so Mexican. They also have some props on the corner if you want to have a souvenir photo. I've got mine!

La Cigale Hotel offers Lebanese cuisine.

For burger and fries lovers, Movenpick booth is for you guys

You know how much I love Oryx Rotana though its not their Choices restaurant on the food, still we enjoyed what the Cellar served. They serves best cuisine suited for Asians taste buds.

smile pa rin even mouth is full

 And look what I've got from them, a photo  in their IG frame. You just need to upload your picture to IG tag 3 of your friends, put #oryxrotanaselfie and you can have a chance to win 2 voucher to dine in on their hotel. Kaya if you have yours, don't forget to upload.

If you are a seafood lover whether a crabs or lobster, they have it here in Sheraton booth.

W Hotel offers pizza and other pica-pica treats.

Dinner in the Sky Zone is one of the activity that made QIFF popular. This year its Qatar Airways who sponsored the Dinner in the Sky, serving in a business class style of the 5 star airline.Its expensive but I guess its the experience of eating in height that you're paying.

Live Cooking Zone features celebrity chefs from different country but since I'm not much into cooking shows I'm not familiar to them. They have a big LED screen where you can see the actual scene of what they are doing in front as well as how the food was prepared and cooked.

IG Market Zone give way to small businesses which usually do selling through social medias or exhibits.

 

They really offers a variety of food - you can find a lot of sweets stands, ice cream as well as popcorn booth.
Kung sa Pilipinas ang carpet sa loob lang ng bahay well here hindi cos even sa park na may damo pwede ring gamitin.

 Its a picnic everywhere scenario every time na may QIFF. What I also love about QIFF aside from the food of course is its one way for the family to have bonding and spend quality time with each other, nakakatuwa makita na kahit nakakapagod (sa tingin ko lang), parents don't mind na isama at habul-habulin ang mga anak nila.

After you had a full dinner, there are some that offers tea and coffee but me I love smoothies from Jhonny Rockets!

Don't worry about your calories consumed, since car nor taxi is not permitted to enter inside MIA park you can take a walk and burn again some of the calories that you consume. But before leaving the place, don't forget to take a picture on their #QIFF2015 and when you upload to social media put the same hash tag.

 Hope you enjoyed QIFF 2015 like I do. See next year!

The "isaw" like Food Trip

If there's one kind of food I miss being away from home, that is "isaw" and other street foods.

Isaw is a street food from the Philippines, made from barbecued pig or chicken intestines. The intestines are cleaned, turned inside out, and cleaned again, repeating the process several times. They are then either boiled, then grilled, or immediately grilled on sticks. They are usually dipped in suka/sukang pinakurat (Filipino term for vinegar with onions, peppers, and other spices) then eaten. They are usually sold by vendors on the street corners in afternoons. (from Wikipedia)

Every time I will be coming home in Philippines nakaplano na ang "saw" food trip ko with friends, isama mo pa ang ibang street foods like "balut" "addidas" or chicken feet and "helmet" or chicken head, fish balls, kwek-kwek, etc. Though hindi na lang sila sa kalye makikita ngayon, there are several restaurants na rin that's offering isaw and other street foods on their place kaya kung even ang mga maseselang na tao na ayaw kumain sa tabi ng kalsada they can still enjoy it.
Here in Doha they have different version of isaw, e sympre walang isaw dito kasi wala namang pork dito or kung meron man frozen talaga and you need license pa to avail it and additional factor lahat ng mga food vendor dito need ng health license as a proof na nakapasa yung store/ restaurant or yung food brand mo sa health ministry, pero meron pa rin namang nakakalusot kaya lang illegal yon and definitely hindi pwede itinda publicly.
I heard it several times from my cousins that I should try the "isaw" version in one place in Souq Waqif, and since I'm with them last weekend, we did.
We don't know what exactly the place open so after we roamed around Waqif, we go directly to the place bu its still close. But good thing tables and chairs are not fully occupied yet, we had a chance to take some rest after walking around.

We are informed by the staff that they will open at 4:00 p.m.; we are an hour early so after some rest we walk around again and return after.

Though more seats are occupied on the second time we get back, its good thing we still get a good seat. Near the place were we eat is a bakery. They are selling "pita" bread or what they called here "kobus"; it is a soft, slightly leavened flat bread baked from wheat flour.

 One order consists of 5 pieces big round pita bread which only costs QR1.00. Most of the pita bread now are baked in some automatic machines but in Waqif they are still using the traditional method, if you watched some movies na may mga old Arab settings na isinusuot ang mixture sa isang made of stone na pugon then that's it.
They also have with filling too, usually its filled with greek yogurt or cheese. It only costs QR2.00 per 6 slices.

These breads are good to eat while they are hot, you can feel the difference in taste talaga if it baked in "pugon" or if its done thru modern oven. Kaya kahit di pa namin turn na magorder at least di kami nainip masyado at may pampawi gutom na rin.

And here we are, its our turn to order! Check their menu prices, isn't it so so so affordable?

 

While we are waiting I noticed na padami ng padami ang tao sa sidewalk yun pala they are all waiting for vacant seats, buti na lang talaga maaga kami. I didn't expect na ganon kadami ang kumakain sa restaurant na yon kasi maliit lang sya then sa mejo tagong place sya ng Waqif  - Europeans, Arabs and of course Asians.

So after few minutes of waiting our first set of order is here!

We ordered plate of kebab meat and chicken and plate of kufta. Kebab is skewed in metal kaya reminders kahit anong gutom nyo wag basta basta hawakan ang skewer kasi mainit, pwede nyong gamitin ang kobus or the pita bread na kasama ring iseserve along with your order, may kasama din itong fresh green leaves with lemon, I forgot the name of the leaves pero usually natitikman ko yon sa mga salads, mejo mapait pero masarap. And since we know na baka abitin kami, we order another set. 

For the two sets of kebab and kufta, drinks, humus (made of garbanzos and looks like yogurt that serve as a dip) we only paid QR 112.00.  Busog- lusog na naman kami in very affordable price pa. Imagine each of us paid only QR 14.00.

Until we left Souq Waqif super busog pa rin.

I suggest to you na itry nyo rin, isama ang family or friends and enjoy the taste of Arab authentic food in affordable price.