Business lunch is always a straightforward affair – you eat a meal then go spend the rest of the day going about working. It’s not like dinner where you had to dress up and expectedly enjoy courses after courses of meticulously prepared dishes.
Our latest lunch adventure had us driving around the streets of West Bay, to Aleph Doha Residences Curio Collection by Hilton. It was a new hotel and while the surrounding area is a bit ‘challenged’ by constructions and roadworks, we still knew that this is some lunch to look forward to. Considering its proximity to all essential places in the West Bay area, this new hotel actually makes an ideal lunch stop.
IKA South American Business Lunch
The business lunch they offer at IKA South American is a three-course meal – starters, mains and dessert. There are three options for starters – Arepas, Tacos and Dynamite Rolls. Of course, we had to try all three just to be sure we cover the flavours.
Arepas is basically a pancake made from ground maize, a staple in many South American tables. It was thicker and sweeter than the tacos, which were served open, thin and crispy, stuffed with braised brisket and avocado sauce, and comes with three more sauce options on the side. The rolls, meanwhile, are filled with avocado, cucumber and prawns, covered in mildly spicy salsa.
Similar to the starters, there are also three options for the mains – Pollo (chicken), Sabana de Lomo (beef) and Mariscos (seafood). Pollo is deliciously glazed, soft and sweet, and had us doubling on our share (ha!). Sabana de Lomo is tender and goes really well with the chimichurri. But my vote goes to Mariscos, a dish very similar to risotto but less heavy and really, really flavourful.
The business lunch menu only has two options for desserts – Saffron Tres Leches (milk cake served with mango ice cream) and the chocolate brownie, which also comes with ice cream (vanilla) and bits of small chocolate in caramel sauce.
Food and possibilities
The limited business lunch option offered by IKA will probably make you think of other restaurants with a longer menu. Well, it had us thinking of possibilities, actually. What other flavours are we expecting if say, we try their weekend brunch? And what about an à la carte dinner? Such good-tasting food can only come from an excellent kitchen. Executive Chef Edgar Hurtado, the one responsible for all the good food at IKA, is sure to draw a lot of attention from foodies in Doha.
The brief introduction on their website says IKA blends intense Latin flavours with a vibrant atmosphere. Well, vibrant is everywhere in Doha, especially now with everything happening all at the same time. But intense Latin flavours? Not as easy to find.
Good thing we know how to find our way to IKA South American.
The Business Lunch at IKA South American is available Sunday to Thursday, from 12 pm to 3 pm, QAR77 with one soft beverage and QAR99 with one house beverage. Call 3359 3043 to book your table or visit ikadoha.com for more information.
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Author: Lalaine Sumaray Turqueza
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