Brunch is a big deal in Qatar. Every hotel or restaurant has a Friday brunch (Friday is the equivalent of Sunday in the West) and often a Saturday brunch as well. And almost any holiday can be celebrated with a special brunch or two...or twenty. In fact, buffets in general are big here, for any meal and every occasion.
And I have to say, I wholeheartedly approve of the Qatari approach to buffets in general and brunch in particular. You see, in the States, your typical brunch has some sweet and some savory breakfast items, lots of carbohydrates in all sorts of varieties, maybe some salads or pasta or cold buts, a few "stations," perhaps for omelets or waffles or pancakes, some fruit, and usually some sort of signature savory dish like hash or breakfast burritos or, if you're in Charleston, shrimp and grits. Basically, all the brunches I have been to in the states are simply bigger breakfasts later in the day.
Not so in Qatar! At our last brunch (at the golf club that was hosting the Qatar Masters the next weekend), we walked into a room and were greeted by the usual breadbasket...only there were three or four baskets and loaves to slice and lots of pita bread. Then there was, in no particular order, a roast beef carving station, chicken tikka masala and a korma, rice, lots of potato dishes, lamb and vegetable kabobs, a big assortment of sushi and sashimi, an assemble it yourself cold cut sandwich station, a huge array of Arabic mezze dishes including hummus, babaganoush, and labneh, a salad bar that included capers, salmon, and 6 different kinds of olives, 8 kinds of fresh fruit including pineapple and lychees, AND an amazing dessert spread containing, among other items, baklava, bread pudding, fruit and cream tarts, brownies, and lots of sauces. And there was more than all this, even, but I couldn't sample everything there was to eat, so some of it escapes my memory. Everything I did eat, however, was scrumptious! I'd never thought about it before, but don't you want to be able to have crab rolls and hummus and chocolate dipped strawberries at the same meal? You could never make yourself all that for one meal at home, so I love that I can this at every brunch I visit here!
And buffets are more of the same, with no default to any particular cuisine. At our sports day festivities, we had peanut bean sprout salad (E devoured this), biryani rice, petite steaks, mezze dishes, pancakes with sweet sauces, tomato and mozzarella salad, corn on the cob, grilled lamb (J was very much the carnivore this day, eating his weight in steak, chicken, and lamb), hamburger sliders, and veggie kabobs, among other dishes. And so many desserts!! I could get used to this!
We went to a lavish Christmas Eve buffet I couldn't even describe to you, but the principle was the same, in hyperdrive. Oh, you want sushi AND a fish station serving lobster, oysters, crab, shrimp, and prawns next to an ice cream sundae bar? Done! You would like traditional English holiday dishes next to dishes from India, Asia, and Morocco? Done! Even if I had only had one bite of everything, I would have gotten too full too quickly to sample it all. I find this kind of eclectic excess endearing...and delicious!
And I have to say, I wholeheartedly approve of the Qatari approach to buffets in general and brunch in particular. You see, in the States, your typical brunch has some sweet and some savory breakfast items, lots of carbohydrates in all sorts of varieties, maybe some salads or pasta or cold buts, a few "stations," perhaps for omelets or waffles or pancakes, some fruit, and usually some sort of signature savory dish like hash or breakfast burritos or, if you're in Charleston, shrimp and grits. Basically, all the brunches I have been to in the states are simply bigger breakfasts later in the day.
Not so in Qatar! At our last brunch (at the golf club that was hosting the Qatar Masters the next weekend), we walked into a room and were greeted by the usual breadbasket...only there were three or four baskets and loaves to slice and lots of pita bread. Then there was, in no particular order, a roast beef carving station, chicken tikka masala and a korma, rice, lots of potato dishes, lamb and vegetable kabobs, a big assortment of sushi and sashimi, an assemble it yourself cold cut sandwich station, a huge array of Arabic mezze dishes including hummus, babaganoush, and labneh, a salad bar that included capers, salmon, and 6 different kinds of olives, 8 kinds of fresh fruit including pineapple and lychees, AND an amazing dessert spread containing, among other items, baklava, bread pudding, fruit and cream tarts, brownies, and lots of sauces. And there was more than all this, even, but I couldn't sample everything there was to eat, so some of it escapes my memory. Everything I did eat, however, was scrumptious! I'd never thought about it before, but don't you want to be able to have crab rolls and hummus and chocolate dipped strawberries at the same meal? You could never make yourself all that for one meal at home, so I love that I can this at every brunch I visit here!
And buffets are more of the same, with no default to any particular cuisine. At our sports day festivities, we had peanut bean sprout salad (E devoured this), biryani rice, petite steaks, mezze dishes, pancakes with sweet sauces, tomato and mozzarella salad, corn on the cob, grilled lamb (J was very much the carnivore this day, eating his weight in steak, chicken, and lamb), hamburger sliders, and veggie kabobs, among other dishes. And so many desserts!! I could get used to this!
We went to a lavish Christmas Eve buffet I couldn't even describe to you, but the principle was the same, in hyperdrive. Oh, you want sushi AND a fish station serving lobster, oysters, crab, shrimp, and prawns next to an ice cream sundae bar? Done! You would like traditional English holiday dishes next to dishes from India, Asia, and Morocco? Done! Even if I had only had one bite of everything, I would have gotten too full too quickly to sample it all. I find this kind of eclectic excess endearing...and delicious!
Were there any waffles? Sounds delicious!!
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