The Oriental Pearl - Doha

Oriental Pearl – Beside Salata Park, Al Corniche Street, Al Salata, Doha, Qatar

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

All reviews will be based on the Cuisine and Fare the restaurant/outlet is known for / specialised in.

This review is based on inputs from myself as well as fellow foodies who have accompanied me to this restaurant.

If you are a true Middle Eastern Fare lover who would love to indulge in some classy yet superb dining then Oriental Pearl fits right in.

ALL RATING ARE IN THE SCALE OF 5. A rating of 5 mean Excellent while 1 is Poor.

FOOD: RATING 4.5 OUT OF 5.

Item 1 –Cold Appetisers - Hummus & Hummus Beiruty

Oriental Pearl takes the humble hummus to a classy delicacy. I always believed that hummus needs to have a little texture because after all it is primarily made from Chick Peas and not Tahina. Oriental Pearl seems to know that well because, that tinge of texture reassures the foodie in you that Hummus is indeed a chick pea dish and not your run-of-the-mill corner shop hummus that is creamy with Tahina.

For the newbie to Middle Eastern fare, Hummus is Levantine dip or paste made from cooked & mashed chickpeas that is blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Hummus is a staple diet of the Middle Eastern but then this staple diet has been “revolutionised” to such an extent that the new-age foodie has lost the taste of the real hummus.

Hummus

 Item 2 – Cold Appetisers - Baba Ghanough

Some call it Baba Ghanough, while some regards it as Baba Ghanoush.

Be it a Baba or Gaga, for me it is good old Eggplant mystified by some Arabian magic. This dish from Oriental evokes the sleeping / dormant veggie in me.

But I must say the Baba Ghanough alone is a good fare but the game-changes when you add a dash of that Pomegranate Molasses whilst scooping them with oriental pearl’s freshly baked Arabic bread.

Baba Ghanoush

Item 3 – Cold Appetisers - Labneh Motawameh

Labneh is a Middle Eastern cheese that is made from strained yoghurt. It is usually used as a dip and used in as the cheese for all Middle Eastern / Arabic version of the Pizza (manakish / fatayers).

I am not a very huge fan of Labneh like my Missus but then, I still believe it is best used in baked dishes. Hence the Labneh Motawameh of Oriental Pearl is not my dish of preference but my I have been told by many of them Labneh experts that this Labneh from Oriental Pearl is worth the order!

Item 4 – Hot Appetisers – Moufaratek Patata

This is one of the 2 most unique and worth ordering Hot Appetiser dishes of the Oriental Pearl. Moufartek Patata is diced potato sautéed in Lamb and Onions. It is just wow!!

Moufaratek Patata

 Item 5 – Hot Appetisers – Sawdet Dajaj ma debs remmam

This is the 2nd most unique and worth ordering Hot Appetiser dishes. Chicken livers sautéed with garlic and Pomegranate sauce / paste. I total am not a fan for chicken livers but I found this dish is quite intriguing and yum.

Sawdet Dajaj

Item 6 - Hot Appetisers – Kebbehs and Arayes.

Try the Arayes. I have been told that this is a good dish.

Item 7 – Main Course – Charcoal Grills

I am not going to describe it. Just go have a meal. Order the Mixed Grill and a plate of Lamb chops. YUM!!

Item 8 – Main Course – From the Arabic Oven 

Whatever you order from this section of the Menu will be mostly uncharted gourmet territory of many expats but please do have a go at it. It is worth the Uncharted Exploring of the Taste Buds. This is where the game takes whole new level. Please do note that a single portion of all the items in this section along with 1-2 appetisers can be make two hungry tummies happy.

Item 9 – Main Course – Shawarma 

The art of making a good shawarma lies in the skill of the chef / cook in preparing the meat and then the temperature of the grill at which this shawarma is prepared.

I most places it is the marinate and sauces that make the shawarma a die for but I always believed the real sharwarma just like any good steak lies in the type / cut of meat and the temperature it cooks with a little amount of seasoning that is rendered in the fat of the meet as it hits the heat of the grill.

For more details, just order the plate Shawarma (Chicken) in the Oriental Pearl. The magic here is that rendered fat that just makes take the whole flavour profile of the shawarma to another level.

Chicken Shawarma (Plate)

SERVICE – 4.5 OUT OF 5

Wonderful. They do make you feel at home. I could have given it a 5 star but the reasons of the 4.5 are as follows

·       The waiters disappear after an order / delivering your order. For the follow up you need to get their attention even-though they are just a few meters away. Sometimes it might be that they feel that they need to respect the guest’s privacy but still they can come and ask for updates.

LOCATION – 5 OUT 5

The Corniche. Next to the New Museum. These are the landmarks near it but ORIENTAL PEARL is in itself becoming a Landmark!

PRICING: 2 out of 5 (5 means cheapest while 1 means expensive)

I rate this place 2 (The Credit Card makes an entry)

The Price is a little high. Yes the quality of food is good but then the fact remaining that the ingredients are not exotic nor is the menu. Over all I believe the Ambiance, Location and the fame of this place take the prices to 10%-15% premium but it is not as expensive as one of the high-end / Well Known restaurants in the 4 / 5 Star Hotels.

For example, A plate of Chicken Shawarma is QAR 80, I would have taken a QAR 65-70 with no qualms.

AMBIANCE: 4.5 OUT 5

The place is more than you regular high -end restaurant. It is more of a 4-star Hotel Premises. It is gives the guests a very warm and cosy feel and one does not feel the hustle-bustle of a restaurant.

The best thing is they have a pretty superb Kids Playground at the back. That is a BLISS!!!

DECOR AND SEATING CAPACITY – 4.5 OUT 5

Bring in the Football Team, The Dune Bashing Team & the one big Family. You will still have chairs left to play musical chairs and space left to host a 100m dash.

OVERALL RATING: 4 OUT OF 5

The best thing about the place is that, There is no exotic ingredients like Wagyu, Kobe, Norwegian Salmon, French baby Potatoes etc. that dot the menu and make the guest feel WOW!!

The food that is prepared is from locally available / regular everyday available ingredients that has been cooked with utmost love of the cuisine and joy of making a good meal.

But this same reason also is brings the rating down because the price we pay for this love and joy is on the steeper side.

But the bottom line is, The Oriental Pearl is surely one of the must eat places in Qatar and is worth the money to enjoy a good Middle Eastern fare with a rich ambiance.