The
Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) 2018 continues to attract a
large number of residents and visitors with its myriad local, regional
and international dishes, as well as delicacies, sweets and drinks,
offered by more than 170 participants at the Hotel Park.
The 11-day
culinary event, which will run until March 25, hosts several food
stalls, food trucks and coffee stands, including 16 from hotels, nine
embassies in Doha, and Qatar Foundation’s Torba Farmers Market.
Among
the popular and ‘in-demand’ cuisines include those from Thailand, from
the famous sticky rice with mango and Pad Thai (chicken and seafood) to
beef with oyster sauce and chicken with sweet sour sauce.
“This is
100% authentic and delicious Thai food cooked and prepared by Thai
nationals like us,” said an employee of a Thai restaurant participating
at the festival.
Turkish kebabs and shawarma, as well as Indian
biryani, samosa, pani puri and Bombay frankies, are also a big hit among
different nationalities.
Italian cuisine also satisfies visitors’ taste buds with pasta and pizza, served by renowned restaurants and hotels in Doha.
A
number of stalls are serving Chinese food such as sea food fried
noodles, cold noodles and prawn with salt and pepper, among other
dishes.
Meanwhile, American burgers, chicken sandwiches and Mexican food (tacos in particular) are also favourites at the festival.
Some
Asian cuisines such Japanese and those from the Philippines satisfy
Asian nationals’ (mostly Filipinos’) cravings for sushi and sashimi,
turon, kuchinta, puto, and various dishes cooked with chicken and beef.
Festival-goers’
culinary journey will not be complete without trying a wide variety of
sweets like banana and chocolate crepes, cheese cakes, Turkish ice
cream, and Sheraton Doha’s famous Umm Ali, which has its own story to
tell.
QIFF’s Coffee Zone is also attracting a large number of
visitors every day since day one, offering various kinds of hot and cold
drinks – with caffeine and decaffeinated, mild and strong, Arabica and
Brazilian coffee beans, among others.
Two baristas from Black Dose
coffee (a Qatari start up business), Jay Buan and Jovan Lantion, said
they have been very busy in the past week serving hundreds, if not,
thousands of coffee lovers at the festival.
“There is a huge demand
for coffee in the region, especially here in Qatar. Coffee’s aroma is
really appealing to almost all nationalities,” said Buan, who also
worked as a barista in other GCC countries.