How does a sandstorm feel like?

Pix credit: nricafe.com/

A lot of sand

Most people in the world has never experienced a sandstorm. Well, maybe in movies.

But all the high pixel resolution, surround sound and 3D effect will never ever replace the experience of a real sandstorm. So, how often do we get sandstorms in Qatar?

Well, maybe a few small ones a year and a biggie once a year. And then, there is the mother of all sandstorm in 1 April 2015, this year. All old-timers in Qatar will tell you this is the worst sandstorm in living memory.

You get local sandstorm all the time because Qatar is low lying, is windy and there is plenty of sand. The wind is blowing all the time and you see tumbleweeds and small swirling sand storm right outside your door or in the next empty lot. These are local 'storms', harmless and usually die down after a few minutes.

The bigger ones typically originate from a desert in a neighbouring country and travel across borders to reach you. Of course you are on low land and do not see it but satellite or airborne photos will show a sandstorm moving across the land; just as any decent Hollywood movie will depict a sandstorm.

Start of a sandstorm

You feel the sandstorm presence by increased wind velocity, the howling of wind and decreasing visibility. If you are home, you are likely to stay home. If you are already outside, you'll notice a decrease a traffic, more cars turning on their hazard lights, decrease in visibility and basically, sand flying everywhere.

Most of us sit out a sandstorm at home or in the office. Most sandstorms die within a few hours and you step out to find sand everywhere, debris from your neighbours dumped on your doorstep, everything looks sandy or brown and your car coated in dust and fine sand.

The once a year biggie or the mother of all sandstorm we had in 1 April can be quite frightening even if you are at home. 

Mother of all sandstorm

This mother of all sandstorm originated in Saudi Arabia and reached Qatar near midnight. You can hear the howling wind through double-glazed windows and feel the rattle throughout the night. You wake up to find a fine layer of sand within your home, look out of the window to see visibility down to almost five meters and almost unable to open the door past the howling wind and 6 inches of sand dumped against the door.

Many of us received messages that schools and a number of offices are closed. Visibility is almost zero on the road, schools are closed and many flights were diverted. The entire Qatar was almost in a shutdown mode.

Social media went into a frenzy and you read news and watch pictures of a massive sandstorm rolling across the land captured off aerial cameras, of houses and basement carparks dumped with a layer of sand, of zero visibility on the roads, of fire alarms going off mistaking sand for smoke, of aircrafts grounded or diverted at the airport, of massive cleaning up of roads, shops and offices.

This sandstorm was so massive that it travelled all the way to India's West coast and dumped sand there. Qatar was lucky that the storm gathered in the late night and there were no reports of major accidents nor casualties caused by the storm. Had the storm started during the day, it is likely to cause major accidents on the road.

Like earthquake, there are apparently after-sandstorm as well. We continue to have sandstorms for a couple of weeks after that massive sandstorm although they were all of a much smaller scale.

Why am I writing this blog a couple of months after 1 April? Well, we had a small sandstorm these couple of days and the sand outside my door reminded me of that massive storm again.

Welcome to the world of sandstorm.

Top 8 activities to do in Qatar

Relax at the hotel

Relax at the beach

What does one do for entertainment in Qatar? 

Ask a different person and each will have a different story to tell you.

I guess what one sees as entertainment is largely dependent on whether you're a swinging single, an aspiring artiste, a family person, a sporting person, a sociable person or a dead bore.

Here's a list of popular social/entertainment activities; not necessary in any particular order.

#1 Visiting a shopping mall

As much as I say this list is not in any particular order, I think shopping safely takes the No 1 spot by any mean of measure.

Going to the mall seems to be Qatar's residents' favorite activity. At last count, there are 4 large malls that seems to take in half of Qatars' residents every weekend. They are Villagio, CityCentre, Landmark and Hyatt Plaza. In the last 1 year, Ikea and Ezdan Mall join the list of malls.

Shopping malls are where everyone goes to do grocery and household shopping, to watch a movie, to eat at a restaurant, to people-watch, to window shop or simply to kill time. Most malls typically has an anchor supermarket and some has cinemas, bowling alleys and ice skating rinks to bring in the crowd.

Try not to go to a mall after 1 pm on a weekend; it's impossible to find a parking lot. One goes to a mall to relax; not to fight with the next person over parking lots.

#2 Visiting a Hotel

I find it strange but hotels are packed on weekends; both with local residents on staycation and day visitors. There are hardly any tourist and business visitors would likely to have left Qatar on weekends.

Many hotels; especially the 5-star ones offer sport clubs, private beach access, restaurants, spas, boutique shops, hairdressers, swimming pools and many other amenities. Hence, they tend to pack in the Qataris and well-to-do expatriates.

Dress codes are a little loose, so you get to see Bikinis at the pools. Alcohol is served and the weekend brunch and buffets pack the crowds in at US$100 or more per person. Jazz bars, pubs and spas attract alike their niche clients who cannot enjoy them anywhere else in Qatar.

#3 Going to the desert

Going to the desert appeals to certain segment of Qataris and expatriates and you do not fail to see them heading to the desert every weekend especially during the cooler months. They bash the dunes with large 4 wheel drive SUVs, noisy off-road bikes and carts and set up large tents; complete with electrical generators, air-conditioners, water tanks, electric BBQ grills and water mister out in the desert.

#4 Going to the beach

Qatar has some very nice beach complete with clear, unpolluted turquoise sea. You need to drive an hour or so from Doha and some beaches can only be accessed using a 4x4 SUV.

The beaches are packed once the cooler months start with colourful tents lining the popular beaches.

#5 Brunch and dinner buffets

Every restaurant, from the economical to the high-end, is offering some kind of buffet ranging from US$15 to US$150 over the weekends and it never fails to bring in the crowds. Food offering tend not to change nor vary very much but still is adequate for some residents to make it a point to restaurant-hop to add some variety to their weekends.

#6 Parks and playgrounds

Qatar encourages family outings and there are surprisingly a good choice of parks and playgrounds. Some like the Corniche has been around for some time and is popular with families, cyclists, joggers, single men and tourists and is packed even till the late hours.

Newer and larger grounds like the Aspire park, Katara Cultural Centre and the Islamic Museum park come with water features, performance area and even restaurants and never fail to attract families and visitors.

There are also many smaller parks all over Doha city and are always popular especially with families as these parks always tend to have children playgrounds and refreshment kiosks.

#7 Hanging out at a coffee cafe, fruit bar and shisha lounge

There are coffee cafes everywhere and popular in Qatar are Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Coffee Bean, Coffee Culture and a whole host of other similar cafes. Whenever you meet someone for a chat, the appointment is likely to be in a coffee cafe. They open late and are likely to have wifi, sports channels and basic food offering.

I heard about fruit bar when I first came to Qatar. Fruit juice cafes are popular in Qatar and they serve nothing but mixes of fruits; often with exotic cocktail names. I guess the combination of fancy cocktail names and where youngsters can hang out gave rise to the term fruit bar.

Shiha lounge is the other popular outlet for people to hang out especially the expats of Arabic origin. Some Shisha lounge simply serve tea and Shisha, while others are restaurants cum Shisha lounge. The outdoor lounges are particularly popular during the cooler months while the popular indoor lounge seems to pack in the crowd regardless the hour of the day.

#8 Staying at home

You may be surprised but staying at home is popular with a large segment of the population especially during the hot Summer months when temperature goes up to 50C.

You can get everything at home.

Air-conditioning. Satellite TV. 4G internet. Grocery home delivery. Laundry home delivery. Food home delivery. Car wash; home delivered. Why even bother to go out and fight the traffic and crowd?

Who lives in Qatar?

Friday afternoons - Residents of South Asia origin flood the streets on their day off

What is the population breakdown in Qatar?

Most of us know that local Qataris only make up 10-15% of the 2.5 million population. Who are the rest of the residents then?

I'm sure there are many official population census that gives you accurate breakdown. But, what's the street breakdown? In other words, other than official figures, who does one actually sees or meet on the streets, in the offices and in the malls?

This is my street estimate of the population breakdown of Qatar:

Indian Subcontinent (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri-Lankans, Nepalese, etc): 35%
Arabic Origin (Syrians, Egyptians, Jordanians, Yemenis, Lebanese, etc): 25%
Filipinos: 20%
First world (Americans, Europeans, Japanese, Koreans, etc): 10%
African origin: 5%
Others: 5%

These percentages are street estimate but I suspect should be close to official figures. These nationalities keep to a very broad band of the services and professions they work in. However, you can make some general assumptions, it is likely that:

Your Bus/Taxi/Limousine driver is likely to be from Bangladesh. 

It's funny but every Taxi driver I meet in Dubai is from Pakistan while every driver I used to meet in Qatar seems to be from Bangladesh. The nationalities has widen so they may come from India, Pakistan or Africa nowadays.

Your supermarket cashier is likely to be from Philippines. 

Every supermarket or shops seems to employ Filipinos for cashiering duties. Even large Hypermarket like Lulu, which is Indian owned, and employs Indians for every other supermarket role seems to only employ Filipinos for their cashiers. Is it because Filipinos are honest or quick on the count?

When you visit a 5-star hotel, the concierge or restaurant manager is likely to be Jordanians or Lebanese. 

In many supervisory, retail or F&B positions where there is a need to be fluent in English and Arabic, the Jordanians and Lebanese come forth with their language skills that allow them to easily mix and converse with their Arabic and English speaking clients directly.

If your child is in an International school, his/her teacher is likely to be from USA or Europe. 

You can bet that when you visit International schools that charge US$20,000 or more a year or Gordan Ramsey's fancy restaurant at the Pearl, the person receiving you is likely to be a white person from USA or Europe.

Qataris? 

Unless you work in the civil service sector or in a Qatari owned company, your chances of working or liaising with a Qatari is extremely small. I can count with one hand the number of times I had to speak to a Qatari on official matters. Even the traffic police or civil service officials whom you meet are not Qataris but Arabs working in Qatar.

Other nationalities are also beginning to make a presence in this country. It is not strange to find Turkish, Greek, Chinese and Korean construction companies participating in large construction projects all over Qatar.

The percentage and roles each nationality play is obviously a generalisation in this article. Of course, each nationality is represented in all jobs and roles and cuts across all sectors and profession and you are likely to come across some or all of them in your work and day to day living in Qatar.

As Qatar marches towards modernistion and World Cup 2022, we'll still continue to see large numbers of foreigners coming into Qatar. How these percentages will play out, we'll find out as it happens.

Medical Care in Qatar

Hamad General Hospital

Can you get good quality medical care in Qatar?

I arrived in Qatar in late 2008 when it was estimated that the total population, Qataris and expatriates, was just touching 1 million. It was recently estimated in late 2013 that the population is now about 2 million.

If the numbers are to be believed, then, Qatar has seen an explosive 1 million population growth in a short five years. This is nothing short of amazing and it is obvious that the public infrastructure and amenities, including healthcare, to support this rapid growth must be creaking under the strain.

Medical care is one of the main concern of new and existing residents to this country. Many expatriates from developed countries coming here would expect a high level of medical care for themselves and family while the sheer numbers of expatriates from developing countries would also surely cause a heavy strain on basic healthcare services.

Health screening for all newcomers to Qatar

Most people coming to work and stay in Qatar are generally healthy. Anyone applying for resident permits in Qatar need to produce clean health certificates from their home country doctors and are subjected to further health screening in Qatar that include blood and urine tests, x-rays and medical examinations in a common in-processing medical centre upon their arrival into Qatar. I know of several cases of would-be residents having their resident permits denied because these health checks picked up existing or new ailments.

These two tier health checks effectively ensure everyone coming in are basically healthy. Residents who received their resident permits can then apply to Hamad Hospital for a public health care card which is issued free to all qualified residents. 

The Hamad health card ensure all residents can receive very low cost health treatment at Hamad hospitals and it's subsidiary clinics and polytechnics. The public healthcare in Qatar is good and very comprehensive and some of the very best doctors in Qatar are found with Hamad Hospital.

Unfortunately, like all public amenities in Qatar, it is simply overwhelmed by demand for it's services. The out-patient clinics and pharmacies are packed, medical appointments take months and even getting parking is a big difficulty.

The government is acutely aware of this and there is constant upgrade of the current amenities at the current Hamad hospital while a new and much larger Hamad hospital is being built concurrently. As much as the public hospital is overwhelmed, the common understanding by all expatriates is that if you need emergency medical attention, Hamad hospital is still the best choice as it has the best trauma centre in the country as well as being the only hospital with full medical specialties.

Hamad hospital also has an excellent ambulatory service and you can see ambulances dotted around the country and civil defence posts so that they offer quicker reactionary timing. It is amazing to see Qataris road users who are usually not known to be courteous or patient drivers, spreading a clear path whenever they hear sirens, especially for ambulances.

Private healthcare in Qatar

For expatriates who cannot put up with the wait at public health system, many would seek private medical treatment either through their companies' healthcare benefits or on their own personal expense. Private clinics and hospitals are available throughout the country and charges and service quality varies according to the level of service provided.

The biggest and best private hospital in Qatar is the Al-Ali hospital and even then, it is not a comprehensive hospital and they will refer patients to go to Hamad hospital if they do not have the necessary expertise. Treatment at Al-Ali hospital is definitely not a cheap affair but one never fail to see an unending line of visitors.

There are a number of smaller private hospitals such as Doha clinic, American hospital, German clinic and others around the country.

There are also a number of small dental and polyclinics all over Doha. Pharmacies and prescriptions are easily fulfilled in retail pharmacies which are everywhere around the country.

New Hospitals in Qatar

Qatar is also building the Sidra Medical and Research Centre; which will raise the bar on advanced health and medical treatments, research and teaching. The Sidra Medical Hospital will specialise in female and children medical care.

In addition, Hamad hospital is constant renovating and upgrading their existing buildings and is building a much bigger and modern new hospital.

Both public and private healthcare in Qatar still fall short by World standards today. However, this is one area of public service where you can see the urgency and clear planning by the government to deliver adequate modern healthcare to it's people and expatriates alike.

Qatar for World Cup 2022

Poster supporting Qatar bid for World Cup 2011
(Pix credit:neptunenext.wordpress.com)

By now, most people would be aware of Qatar successful bid to host the 2022 World cup. What does it feel like to see Qatar successful World cup bid from the point of a local resident?

Most residents or expatriates like myself are proud that this small nation has been successful in it's World Cup bid. It is nothing short of amazement that this small nation has shot itself to prominence on the world's sporting platform.

Of course, the Qataris are extremely proud of their successful bid as well. Jubilant celebrations burst out spontaneously in the streets - honking cars, shrill whistles, flying flags, claps and singing, etc

Celebrations on the streets upon news of Qatar's successful bid for World Cup 2011

(Pix credit:http://sonyaandtravis.com)

Once the euphoria died down, reality sets in. Will tiny Qatar be able to successfully shoulder such a monumental task of hosting the FIFA world cup?

The newspapers give a emphatic yes. The officials interviewed give an emphatic yes. Qataris give an extremely confident yes. Residents who have been around for a while give a mixed reply. My opinion? - Mostly yes...

Money can and does conquer many difficulties. 

Qatar definitely has the financial muscle to shoulder the herculean task of building the infrastructure and the hosting of a FIFA world cup.

Growing country. 

As a small and growing country, it is so much easier for the various agencies to work together to produce a successful plan to work towards 2022. The world cup is also a good opportunity for the Qataris to forge a proud national identity that can bind the nation together.

Good Experience. 

Many people are not aware that Qatar has been working towards being a good sporting host nation. This small country had successfully hosted the Asian Games 2006 , Asian Football Cup 2010, annual ExxonMobile Tennis tournament, F1 powerboat tournament, Motorcyle Grand Prix and a host of other small and large sporting tournaments.

Time. 

There is still 10 years to go before 2022. There is time for the various infrastructure, transportation, accommodation and other plans to come into place.

Expertise. 

The country may lack some of the successful human expertise locally but it has never shown a lack to source the world and hire the best consultants or personnel that are required to both plan and carry out the plans for 2022.

So, if all indications show that Qatar will be able to host a successful 2022 World Cup Tournament, what is my personal plans?

I would like to come back to Qatar as a spectator to the world's most beautiful game. But not to reside in Qatar during this period especially in the 4 years prior to 2022. Why?

Because all residents know that Qatar will become one large construction site! Qatar is a fast growing country and it's infrastructure growth can hardly keep up with it's quick growth even as it is now. Roads are packed, shopping malls are crowded, there is long queues at government agencies, airports, gas stations, supermarkets. Parents have problem enrolling their children into good schools and children has to wake up super early just to avoid the morning school road jam.

Updated: November 2013

My prediction came true. Qatar has become one massive traffic jam as the population grew to beyond 2 million people in a short few years. There is massive road and building construction everywhere and people are complaining to the press and social media about the jams.

Just two days ago, I had to drive to the airport at 6:00am and there were already massive jams even on the highway as parents drive their children to schools and company bus send their workers to work.

There are anecdotal evidence that some long time residents has given up and went off the country as patience wear thin with the traffic. However, these small numbers does not counter the hordes of people arriving to take up residence as more and more job opportunities become available.

It will be some 10 years before the world cup. Construction projects can only increase and roads will continue be be chopped and changed as the city evolve to greet the world cup.

You have been warned. You are welcomed to Qatar if you can put up with the heat, traffic and construction chaos - not always necessary in that order!

Qatar FAQ

Credit: Unknown source

What do you want to ask about Qatar but felt it may be too trivial?

Every time I return home or meet someone on a overseas trip, people are always curious about Qatar. Gosh, you're working in the Middle-East... what is it like? So, to the curious visitors who has never been to Qatar or the Middle East, here's the answers to the most common questions I always get asked.

Q: Are there riots? You know, isn't there much revolution going on in the Middle East?
A: No, there are no riots. All is calm and quiet in Qatar.

Q: Are there terrorists?
A: Absolutely none!

Q: Is it desert everywhere?
A: No, the capital city of Qatar, Doha, is a modern city of more than a million people. Yes, it is mostly desert outside of Doha.

Q: Are the people very rich?
A: Like everywhere else, there are rich and poor people.

Q: Is it safe in the streets?
A: Absolutely safe. There are almost no crime in Qatar. Just don't get me started on safe driving...

Q: What food do you eat? I hear there are no pork.
A: Whatever I like; except pork of course.

Q: Are there only Arabic restaurants whenever you eat out?
A: No. There are as many Western, Chinese, Indian and Fastfood restaurants as there are Arabic ones.

Q: Must foreign women cover up? Can they wear what they like?
A: There is no need for foreign women to cover up. They can wear whatever they want as long as they are modest in their dressing.

Q: Are you fluent in Arabic?
A: Unfortunately not. English is used everywhere and my basic Arabic had become hopeless as I do not get a chance to practise.

Q: It it tough working in Qatar?
A: It can be tough or easy, depending on your job, just like anywhere else in the world.

Q: Do people understand each other at work
A: Most of the time, yes. English is widely used in the commercial world. The level of English vary in government and civil service sectors.

Q: Does everyone drive fancy cars?
A: Not true. I do not see many Ferrari, Porches, Maserati on the street. I do see a lot of SUV especially Toyota LandCruisers. I'm not sure they qualify as fancy cars.

Q: Is the weather bearable? Isn't it too hot?
A: The weather is quite acceptable for about 8 months of the year. It only becomes unacceptably hot during the summer months of June to November.

Q: Is my xxxx academic qualifications accepted?
A: There is a wide spectrum of companies in Qatar from all over the world. The companies from your home country is likely to accept your qualifications. If you are working in a foreign company, it is best to check with the HR department prior.

Q: You mean there are summer and winter in Qatar as well?
A: Yes, there are distinct summer and winter months in Qatar. It can go down to 12C during Winter and up to 48C during Summer.

Q: Is Dubai and Qatar the same place?
A: No. Dubai is part of UAE and they are separate sovereign countries. They are one hour away by flight from one another.

Q: Have you seen a transformer?
A: Although in the movie, Transformer 1, the first transformers were discovered in Qatar, I have yet to see one so far... :-) I have seen a few transformers in the toy stores though...

Review: Good Asian food in Qatar

Chinese chef at work. Pix credit

In a land where there are not too many social and recreational activities, the opportunity to enjoy good food becomes an obsession for many people. In the last couple of years, Qatar has seen more and more new restaurants serving cuisine from all over the world as more hotels and shopping malls come on-line.

There has always been a good choice of restaurants from Arabic and Western countries; Turkish, Lebanese, Iranian for the former and French, Italian, American for the latter. You can also easily find Filipino and Indian cuisine because most of the foreign workers are from these countries and some of these migrant workers has branched into opening small restaurants.

What has always been difficult to find is Asian food; especially those from the Far East. True, you can find many restaurants advertising Chinese food but once you find out that the cooks are Nepalese or Filipinos, you can imagine how 'authentic' these restaurants are.

If you are into Far Eastern food, here's my personal choice of the more authentic places:

Chinese restaurants

1. Beijing restaurant (Opposite Megamart)
Whenever one ask for recommendations for Chinese food, almost all will recommend Beijing restaurant. Unfortunately, Beijing restaurant serves Northern Chinese food, which I consider oily and less creative/varied than Southern Chinese food.

Fortunately, prices are reasonable and I visit it occasionally to add variety to my food choice.

Other Chinese restaurants serving the same genre of Northern Chinese food include Great Wall (Behind Megamart), Shanghai Garden (City Centre) and Wok of Fame (Villagio). I stopped visiting these restaurants the moment Chopstix and Tse Yang arrived.

2. Chopstix at Holiday Villa Hotel
Chopstix is as close as you can get to Singapore/Malaysia style of Chinese food which is reasonably close to Cantonese/Hong Kong style. The chefs are from Malaysia and Dim Sum is served as well.

This is a popular restaurant with Malaysians and Singaporeans and their Peking Duck, a perennial favorite with Western expats, is the closest you can get to the real stuff from Peking itself. In addition to Chinese food, you can get a good choice of Malaysian/Singapore cuisine of Curry Fish head, Claypot Mutton, Fishball noodle and Fried rice.

3. Tse Yang at The Pearl
This is the latest Chinese restaurant to reach Qatar. Located at The Pearl, it boast Hong Kong chefs and waiting staff from China.

They are so new as of this writing that they are yet to offer a full menu as they still have problems getting the full range of ingredients and spices locally. Prices are a bit steep, waiting staff are inexperienced and the dining experience still feel incomplete despite their swanking decor.

By the way, if you need a bit of wine or beer with Chinese food, this is your best choice.

Korean restaurants

1. Moon Palace
Located at Nassr street, this is my favorite Korean restaurant. The restaurant ambiance is very close to what you can find in South Korea, down to the restaurant decoration, the BBQ pit at each table and the pretty authentic Korean signature dishes of Bul-Go-Gi, Kimchi and Bean paste soup.

This is the restaurant that the Korean expat community come to for some home comfort. You almost feel that you're in Korea when you're here until you realise that the waiters are from Nepal!

2. Korean Garden
This is the other Korean restaurant that is located at Al Sadd Street. The restaurant is popular with the Western expat community but I do not see as many Korean expats as in Moon Palace. Perhaps that the food here is a tad of a lower standard than Moon Place could be a good reason.

When it comes to food, always follow this wise advice - Go where the native go.

Japanese restaurants

1. Oishi at Royal Plaza Mall
My first experience when they just opened was a bit disappointing but quality seems to improve with each subsequent visit. Their Bento set, Teppanyaki and Sushi has been reasonably good and close to what you can get for the money in Qatar.

Service tend to be a bit slow, prices are a bit steep and I can't believe that there is no free flow of Green Tea.

2. Shushi Minto at Salwa Road
I visited Shushi Minto once and was shocked at the prices. I ended up with a promotional Bento set which was very good. I visited it again for it's Friday brunch but ended up disappointed by the poor choice of Japanese food. (Who will visit a Japanese buffet with pasta on it's selection!).

Sushi and Sashimi choices was poor and not good. Maybe it's just the brunch crowd that caused the drop in standard but it's definitely not my place for sushi or sashimi.

Thai restaurants

1. Thai Snack at Al Nasr Street
This is the perennial expat favorite eating place in Qatar. They have been around for a while and every expat seem to know this restaurant. It's popularity seems to make the small restaurant even more busy and getting a table at peak time can be difficult.

Food is reasonable, prices so-so and service seems to be a bit slow. Not exactly my favorite place because I always associate Thai restaurants with fantastic food, service and price and I don't seem to find the complete combination here.

2. Isaan at Hyatt hotel
This is a high-end Northern Thai restaurant complete with open-concept kitchens located in a 5-star hotel. Dining ambiance is good, food is above average and Singha beer is served.

Unfortunately, prices are steep and portions are extremely small. Be prepared to order at least 4-5 dishes instead of the usual 2-3 dishes for 2 persons. Complete your meal with the very authentic sticky rice and mango dessert.

3. Jasmine at the Souk
Latest Thai restaurant to arrive in Qatar. 99% authentic Thai as the chefs, waiting staff, food ingredients, furniture, cutlery are shipped entirely from Thailand. If you are a Thai, you'll feel completely at home here.

Food is authentic Thai, prices a tad pricey and service is good. The restaurant offer two menu; Thai and Chinese. My suggestion is to skip the Chinese menu and stick to the Thai menu. Only con about this restaurant is that it is a little off the main route and can be difficult to locate. Also, they need to fix their weak air-conditioner!

Malaysian/Indonesian restaurants

1. Central Restaurant at Umm Ghuwailina
This is a popular restaurant with Indonesian, Malaysian and Singapore expats. A rather difficult to locate small restaurant that sells delicious Indonesian favorites.

Like typical Indonesian restaurants, you queue to select your dishes that goes with your rice. The rendang, sambal chilli and telor is almost as good as what you can get in Indonesia. This restaurant tends to get crowded during meal time and getting a table can be difficult.

2. Sri Kebaya at the Souk
Many of us had high expectations as this restaurant advertise itself as an authentic Malaysian restaurant.

Many of us had also came away disappointed as the Nasi Lemak (a signature Malaysian dish) falls completely flat. Even the beef or chicken rendang simply does not have the 'oommp' that you would expect from a Malaysian restaurant. On the other hand, the sambal prawn was pretty authentic as was the Nasi goreng.

Prices was on the high side when I last visit. However, have heard that prices has been adjusted downwards but am unable to confirm this.