I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened Polly’s instastories and looked on in envy as she and her friends settle down to beautiful Middle Eastern brunch feasts on the weekends. Seemingly endless selections of international cuisines, icy glasses of bubbly and the chatter of much loved friends.
Friday brunch (the first day of the weekend there) has become an art form in the Middle East, and sadly we missed out on our trip to Dubai due to our night sleeping in the desert running over, so I was more than excited when the Intercontinental Doha invited us to try their ‘We Love Saturday Brunch’ whilst I holidayed in Qatar.
Disclaimer: We were invited guests of the Intercontinental Doha,
but my (very many) opines on champagne and sushi are only ever my own.
It was all kinds of deliciousness.
We had our visit planned for my last morning in Doha, so after repacking my suitcase (the only downside to a stopover is that they are short and sweet), scooping up Sophia for as many cuddles as I could and gathering Mr & Mrs Follow Your Sunshine together, we hopped into a cab with appetites raring.
The Coral is an all day dining restaurant offering cuisines from around the world, offering a cosmopolitan blend of Arabian and International dishes. We really relaxed in our beautiful surroundings and enjoyed our last day of sunshine together.
The sushi selection was sumptuous…
…the mezze was magnificent, the salad selection splendid (this is only a small array of the choices)…
…and the hands-on cooking demonstration for the kids was cuteness on overload. The hummus was beautiful, the hot buffet section was bountiful and the ‘on demand’ section looked delectable – but alas as a brunch newbie, I hadn’t left enough room on my plate to do it justice.
The staff fell hook line and sinker for Sophia’s sweet smile (not to mention our matching glitter shoes) and she happily pottered about, scooped up by her charmed servants parents.
Taking a quick break from our flash of cutlery, Polly and I snuck out for a wander. The heat hits you like a curtain after the dry cool of air conditioning, and the pools & beaches looked so very inviting as we meandered about, trying our best to take photos that didn’t have holidaymakers in them. It was so hard to resist diving in.
Having stretched our legs, it was dessert time. Casting our eyes over the fresh bread and cheese sections…
…we both hightailed our way over to the extensive dessert section. Our highlight of the entire meal were the Arabic sweets served in beaten copper dishes. Polly introduced me to Umm Ali, also called Om Ali (translated to Ali’s Mother), a national dish of Egypt. This scrumptious dessert is a Middle Eastern version of bread pudding crossed with the flavours of baklava.
We tried all kinds of tasty slivers of confection whilst our glasses were topped up with bubbly.
As an indulgent brunch on a relaxing weekend (for the local expats) or on a languid holiday break, the light filled rooms were a perfect break from the stresses of life.
It really was with regret that we made our way out of the hotel, and I made that last journey by cab to the airport. Luckily I had a lot of fun in Sydney planned, otherwise I’m not sure I could have left my lovely hosts…
