By Umer Nangiana
There are new delicacies on offer and they are full of flavours from countries as diverse as Morocco, Italy and those of South East Asia. A new Cigar menu listing a collection of high-end Cuban cigars looks like an alluring prelude to the soon-to-open Cigar club here.
The new Food and Beverage menu by Wyndham Grand Regency Doha (WGRD) officially launched at a cocktail reception for media and corporate business partners in its aesthetically decorated Al Kut Café here on Tuesday.
“We are launching our new products. In different sections, we have our new mocktails, all made with fresh fruits. It is made and served in a way that you would start playing with the clay. This is something which is unique in Doha and I think worldwide also nobody is doing this,” Guiseppe Bonasia, the Director of Restaurants at WGRD, told Community.
“We have our new cigar menu and soon we will open our cigar club. We have all kinds of cigars from Cuba namely Romeo Juliette, Partagas, Cohiba, Monticresto, H.Upmann and other all the best cigar brands from around the world,” he added, pointing to a cabinet containing cigars of all sizes and tastes, including Cuban handmade cigars.
Al Kut menu features the Italian corner where a variety of Italian appetizers and snacks finished with Italian mocktails, Spaghetti Ice Cream, Burger Ice Cream and Giant Cappuccino (600ml of coffee) are served in a unique Italian style.
The hotel claims if the guests finish it all, they might get it for free.
“What we are doing is we are introducing things that are exclusive to us here and nobody else is doing in Doha. The Italian corner is like our new side menu and we have all specials with Italian special coffee most of which made by me directly,” said the Director of Restaurants.
In the Moroccan section, the well-known Tangia Restaurant also launched an enticing new menu showcasing an exotic blend of Arabic ingredients.
One of the first true Moroccan restaurants in the town, Tangia’s signature specialities consists of classic Moroccan dishes created from the most well-known Marrakesh cuisine and locally sourced ingredients.
It has on offer Chicken wings with harissa and bell pepper, Madfouna (stuffed Moroccan bread with spiced meat and argan oil), a traditional Moroccan soup with seafood, Ktaf Ganmi Mechoui (Roasted Lamb shoulder with Moroccan herbs served with saffron rice or couscous). To finish the evening, Mehencha stuffed phylo with roasted almond and honey is served with vanilla ice cream, followed by an extensive selection of Moroccan teas.
“We have our new special Moroccan chef and she is doing all the new kinds of luxury desserts like chocolates with roasted almonds,” said Bonasia.
The new chef, Rachid Choukki, is from Marrakech, Morocco and has served for over 11 years in renowned 5-star hotels in countries including Marrakech, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and India.
The newly revamped Chopsticks Restaurant of the hotel also announced a new menu featuring best of Far Eastern cuisine. Chopsticks, located on the lobby of the hotel, is designed by one of the top interior designers of Doha. It offers a casual chic dining atmosphere.
The signature specialities include a mix of different Asian cuisines, Chinese and Thai dishes along with a variety of Japanese favourites.
The hotel claimed it is the only sushi restaurant in Doha serving sushi prepared live in front of every table. The mouth-watering sushi is made of chicken, beef and duck.
“For chopsticks, our Asian restaurant we have our new giant sushi size so it not anymore a single bite but something much bigger. The ingredients have also been improved which the people would definitely enjoy,” said the director of restaurants.
“We have two different kinds of ice-creams that have not yet been launched in Doha. It is the Burger Ice Cream and the Spaghetti Ice Cream. In future, we want to have a kind of Sicilian Ice Cream as well,” he added, referring to the specialities.
For corporate events, Chopsticks has tailor-made menus with prices that fit every pocket. The Chef de Cuisine can make personalised menus as well.
“We believe the ongoing innovation of our food and beverage offering is essential to ensure that we continue to delight our guests,” said Eman Abela, Food and Beverage Director at WGRD.
“A diner can now choose from an even greater variety of food in a number of different settings depending on their individual tastes and requirements whether that be in one of our stylish restaurants or the comfort of their rooms,” the director added.
The hotel also welcomed Bonaisa as the new Director of Restaurants. Hailing from Sicily, Italy, he comes from a family that’s owns a restaurant and holds a tourism degree and a Master in Food and Beverage Management. He has worked in high end chains in hospitality industry such as Viceroy, Rotana and others.
