Marhaba is pleased to bring you more news from one of the choicest destinations in town, Msheireb Downtown Doha!
Five-star hotel Mandarin Oriental, Doha has been setting the hospitality world alight since its recent opening. Synonymous around the world as the epitome of luxury, the hotel has been well received after bringing its renowned dining experiences to town.
You may recall that Marhaba recently reviewed the stunning Izu restaurant (in case you missed it, you can read it here). Well, we had been invited back, this time to suss out the latest hotspot at the hotel – Mosaic Restaurant. Given how much we had enjoyed Izu, we were expecting great things from Mosaic.
And in a nutshell, we were not disappointed! As we were escorted to our table, we took note of the wooden, geometric partitions, which create intimate dining spaces, perfect for either groups of family and friends, or a romantic dinner for two. While the interior has been influenced by traditional Qatari architecture, there are some lovely contrasting modern elements. It was all most relaxing and we felt quite at ease as we pondered the menu.
There are nine speciality open kitchens at Mosaic – Japanese sushi and sashimi, Arabic grill, Asian wok, rotisserie, Tandoori oven, Yakitori and charcoal grill, traditional bread oven, dessert station, and a juice/smoothie counter. Feel free to spend some time admiring the chefs’ skills as they whip up their magnificent creations.
Restaurant Manager David explained that dishes are designed for sampling, with diners taken on a culinary journey inspired by the famous Silk Road. Chef Bruno had kindly prepared a five-course tasting menu for us – and we were eager to get started!
Our cheerful server for the night, Ganga, soon brought over a selection of bread, still hot from the oven, with delicious herb butter. Which we were caught stuffing into our mouths when the sushi appeared! Embarrassment aside, we tucked in and delighted in the wonderfully fresh tuna.
For the next course, we moved away from Japan to the delights of Arabia and what on first glance appeared to be the usual cold mezze platter. Let me tell you – don’t judge a cold mezze by its cover! Simply delicious, clean and fresh, and much of it was mopped up with the accompanying warm pitta bread.
Next stop on the Silk Road was Thailand and one of our personal favourites, Tom Yum soup, which was full of flavour and had just the right level of heat. This was swiftly followed by a selection of mini-kebabs from the charcoal grill, with melt-in-the-mouth Wagyu beef, shrimp, asparagus and forest mushrooms, all with just the right amount of sauces and seasoning.
I was staying in Thailand with Kaeng Kung, a luscious curry with huge tiger prawns, pineapple and hints of lemongrass and kaffir lime. Meanwhile, my fellow traveller was off to India and upon arrival was in raptures over the Tandoor smoked masala lamb chops. The knife cut through the meat like butter – David and Chef Bruno were on hand to explain that the chops are marinated for 24 hours to produce the soft and succulent meat, and also allowing maximum flavour.
Chef Bruno thoughtfully gave us some time to relax before bringing us dessert. For me, a decadent pecan and pistachio brownie (gluten-free!) with dark chocolate sauce, and for my roaming friend a berry Pavlova with passion fruit sorbet and lashings of whipped cream. Suffice to say we managed to squeeze them in! What a perfect end to a truly fantastic meal.
Sadly, it was time to pack our bags, but our journey had been a first-class adventure and we had many fond memories to take away with us. We can’t wait to travel along the Silk Road at Mosaic again!
Located on one of the hotel’s top floors, Mosaic Restaurant has impressive views of Barahat Msheireb, Doha Corniche and Al Dafna, with ample seating and an outside terrace. We recommend making a reservation: call 4008 8888, email [email protected]
Opening times: Breakfast Sunday to Thursday 6:30 am – 10:30 am,
Friday and Saturday 6:30 am – 11 am
Lunch noon – 2:30 pm
Dinner 6 pm – 11 pm
Author: Sarah Palmer
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