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.

Shakespearean Experience with the Chipmunks

One thing I love with Ramadan is its short work timings. Last month I was able to meet the CHIPMUNKS! They are my friends - the couple, Adrian and Ems are my kumare and kumpare and former colleagues too while me and ate Maribel is still working in the same company. Oh we miss you here, Karen.

It started when Ems gave a comment on one of my post in FB to have coffee since its Ramadan, after two days we ended up together. It supposedly a "girls' night" but since Adrian dropped us in the mall, we asked him to join with us in the dinner.

Its our first time in Shakespeare & Company. I eyed this place everytime I passed by, I really love the ambiance, oh their furniture and frames, the Victorian theme!

 I really love Victorian and "modern-vintage" theme. I am hoping I can get  at least one good piece of these chairs at least in affordable price...hayss kung mura lang at madaling ipa-cargo nakapaguwi na talaga ako!

Lovely and comfy chairs

 Look who's at the mirror?

I really love the place. 

Even we're not in the same office, it doesn't mean na wala na kaming pagkwekentuhan or maguusapan. Hindi matatapos na kwentuhan.

And since its our first time in Shakespeare, we are not familiar to what they serve. Its good thing that most of their crews are Filipino and super accommodating talaga nila and nakasmile, nakikipagkwentuhan pa, mas masarap balikan ang isang place kapag alam mo na welcome ka talaga; even their manager approach us.

Menu book

According to the crew in charge for us, all of their servings are for sharing. We decided to order variety of choices at least 1 each. Before our order they gave us complimentary "shakespearean" bread and butter. Tinapay pa lang nila masarap na and sympre mas masarap kasi complimentary, libre!

And here are what we ordered.

 Their seafood Caesar salad looks dry but believe me its not. You can really feel the crunchiness of their veggies. Perfect for our taste buds!

 They have their authentic taste of pizza, the crust is very different from others and look the cheese and the toppings, healthy na healthy.

 One of their best seller, chicken with gravy and mashed potato. Don't miss to order this when you visit them and aside they have a big serving of this.

It only looks that it has a small serving in the photo but its enough for 4 persons. You can taste talaga na ang ginagamit nila even sa sauce nila is fresh tomatoes or so whatever man na ginamit nila. 

Guys, I'm really encouraging you to give them a try, super kakaiba talaga ang lasa ng food nila, I mean these food na inorder namin cos yan pa lang ang natry ko sa mga menu nila.

They have also fresh fruit drinks na masarap and refreshing talaga.

The price of their food is affordable since their serving is for sharing, mejo mukha lang nakakatakot yung place kasi nga maganda which is some of us kapag maganda ang place naiintimidate kaagad and iniisip mahal pero if we will not try paano natin malalaman. 

We deserve a good place, good food and good service after working so hard.

And the supposedly not included to be with us in the plan, paid our bill. Oh my! Thank you Adrian! We had so much fun, and super thank you kasi treat na nga kami special hatid pa sa bahay. Thank you Adrian and Ems!

There will be a Shakespeare and Co. in The Pear Qatar soon! According to their crew iba nga lang daw ang menu nila doon but definitely the theme of the place is the same or mas maganda pa. And she added that all Shakespeare and Co. restaurants even in UAE ang nagdesign ng place is Filipino! O di ba nakakaproud, iba talaga ang Pinoy, artistic!

And one more thing, if you know someone who wants to be a part of their team, they can go to American Prime agency in Manila, you can search their complete address and phone number on their website.

 The Happy Chipmunk, The Happy Me

Shakespeare & Co.

Dar Al Salam Mall, Abu Hamour Doha

Telephone Number: 66768812

Opening hours: 8:30 AM to 11:30 PM