In Qatar, there’s an unlimited selection of restaurants serving Middle Eastern cuisine, many serving the most well-known dishes that we love and know such as hummus, tabbouleh, fattoush, baba ghanoush, labneh, fatayer, falafel, foul and so much more. However, Al Sufra at Marsa Malaz Kempinski The Pearl – Doha is where you can experience the uniqueness of Middle Eastern cuisine in its truest and most traditional form, as if it were served straight from an authentic Middle Eastern home kitchen.
This Levant-inspired restaurant serves a unique blend of traditional recipes and flavours from Lebanon, Cyprus, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. Al Sufra, which means ‘the dining room’ in Arabic, follows the festivals and seasons of the Levant, celebrating the traditions of this ancient cuisine. With a coffee lounge, open terrace and à la carte dining, the restaurant can be visited any time throughout the day. The contemporary gold and turquoise-themed restaurant is a beautifully decorated with stunning paintings celebrating life in the Levant.
Looking at their menu full of the expected and unexpected salads, mezzes, mouajjanat (fatayer), fatteh, grills, rice dishes, desserts and more, our Middle Eastern lunch at Al Sufra began with cold mezzes, which of course included hummus, labneh and an exceptional Jarjeer Salad* (fresh rocca mix with cherry tomatoes, fresh pomegranate and lemon olive oil). Then came the hot mezzes, which included Chicken Liver (sautéed chicken liver with chilli paste, garlic, coriander and pomegranate molasses), Shrimps Mutaffa (garlic and lemon marinated shrimps with olive oil) and of course Kibbeh Round (traditional fried bourghul stuffed with minced meat and nuts).
And now comes the most delectable part of the lunch, taking us back to traditional home-cooked Arabic meals – the Chicken Makloubeh* (cauliflower, aubergine and potatoes with short grain rice) and Idreh Khaliliyeh*(slow cooked lamb with rice and chickpeas served with yoghurt cucumber dip). The chicken and meat was well cooked, soft and juicy, and the rice was richly flavoured, cooked in various spices with vegetables, leaving you reaching for more. We were transformed back to the Levant with these truly exquisite Arabic dishes.
An Arabic meal is incomplete without its much-admired sweets. Our lunch concluded with a warm and scrumptious Kunafa Bel Ashta* (traditional Palestinian crushed wheat served with ashta cream and syrup).
Of course, being that Middle Eastern cuisine is vegetarian friendly, Al Sufra welcomes vegetarians as well.
As dining during COVID-19 is the new norm, Al Sufra welcomes you as you present your Green Ehteraz, then a masked attendant will take you to a fully sanitised table. A sanitiser is also available on every table. All of the restaurant’s staff wear masks and gloves, and sanitise tables before and after guests are seated.
Opening hours:
All day dining: Mon – Sun 12:30 pm – midnight
Breakfast: Mon – Sun 6:30 am – 11 am
Brunch: Fri 12:30 pm – 4 pm
Location: Al Sufra is located on the Ground Floor of Marsa Malaz Kempinski The Pearl – Doha
Contact: 4035 5011, [email protected]
Note: Dishes marked with a * is highly recommended by Marhaba
Author: Ola Diab
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