The dining scene is constantly evolving in this country, as hotels find innovative new ways to keep the hungry hordes sated.
One such development comes courtesy of City Centre Rotana Doha hotel, located right in the beating heart of the capital city’s financial district, Al Dafna.
And so it was that we found ourselves sampling a new sharing concept at Teatro, the hotel’s award-winning restaurant that promises, and delivers, ‘Where Eastern Cooking Meets Western Cuisine’. We were already familiar with the à la carte menu, having been a number of times for the superb Thai curries created by the kitchen, as well as the best Caesar salad in town – fact!
We were greeted and shown to our table by the always-affable front of house team, and anxiously awaited news of our menu for the evening. The maitre d’, who discreetly ignored our drooling, swiftly provided an explanation. Launching that evening was the latest concept Chanchai’s Thursday Table, so named by Chef Chanchai Khumkhrong, who joined City Centre Rotana Doha in June.
Chef Chanchai – who has almost two decades of experience in Asia and the Middle East – wanted to bring a little piece of home to Doha. The idea is that sharing plates of ‘home-cooked’ food, in a more informal way to start the weekend, brings people together.
And best of all is that you don’t need to spend hours perusing a menu – Chef Chanchai has picked some family favourites so that all you need to do is sit back and relax, admire the plush furnishings, gaze out of the window at the Doha skyline, let your worries fall away …
We were brought back to reality as the starters soon arrived – Act 1 – which looked deceptively small but were big on taste and flavour. Vegetable spring rolls, tempura, edamame, sushi maki, and a spicy beef glass noodle salad were set upon with great fervour – absolutely delicious.
We ‘may’ have forgotten about the pending Act 2, such was the quality – and quantity – of Act 1. However, more dishes then appeared (don’t worry, you can go at your own pace at the Thursday Table), and the table was beginning to groan under the weight of chicken fried rice, prawn Pad Thai, black pepper beef noodles, crispy chilli beef, and sweet and sour prawns. Our hesitation was perhaps misread – we were reliably informed that the food was unlimited, just ask for more! Quite the opposite quandary in fact – where on earth was it all going to go??!
But it did indeed all go, and swiftly. With the excellence of these dishes, they weren’t going to hang around for too long! And nothing rounds off a good meal more than a sweet treat. We were stunned by the showpiece, one of the best-presented desserts we have seen for quite some time. Called the ‘mini big show’, nestled on the shaved ice were a selection of Asian fruits, crispy banana with salted caramel sauce, coconut ice cream and lemongrass crème brûlée. Wow! We were definitely sated, and made a mental note to check our diaries for the next free Thursday night …
Chanchai’s Thursday Table adds to the successful line-up of theme nights at Teatro and is sure to become a firm favourite with Doha’s discerning diners. We suggest you book early to ensure you have a table!
Facts: Every Thursday 7 pm – 11 pm, QAR350 per person including selected beverages. Beverage package includes premium spirits along with free-flowing classic cocktails. Book online at rotana.com/rotanahotelandresorts/qatar/doha/citycentrerotanadoha, call 4445 8888.
Author: Sarah Palmer
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