Orient Pearl, the
Qatari capital’s largest single restaurant venue, has seen weekend attendances
outside of Ramadan max out
its combined indoor and outdoor capacity of 1,500 seats
On January 17, the Orient Pearl in Doha officially opened its doors a 1,500-seat
outdoor event. Today it is a bustling hive of life and laughter with a warm
ambience, live music and great food.
Operations director Maher Abu-Alnaser, who has handled proceeding since
November, says the concept was to deliver an upmarket but modestly priced
experience, from between 150 to 250 Qatari riyals per person, so that it is
accessible and can be visited by all customers .
Abu-Alnaser notes: “We have two different restaurants: Joury, which is a
combination of Lebanese and Syrian; and, Nayrabeen, which specialises in shamiyat,
so foul, fatteh, hummus, falafel and which has a big outdoor play area unlike any
other in Qatar.”
Moataz Al-Khayyat , CEO
and founder of the Orient Pearl said: “Due to the
scale of the venue, we decided that this would be our signature restaurant. As
a landmark on the corniche, we believe this will be the beginning of a bigger
franchise to come, not just in Qatar, but in the international market.”
Offering a distinctive difference between Lebanese and Syrian cuisine, the
core difference can be found in the method of cooking and the spices. As the
largest restaurant in Doha by area, it is still impressively packed out, in
particular during the weekends.
Even now, the indoor Joury and Latoscana is bustling, with
colourfully-garbed staff offering Tamarind juice and portly waiters ever at
hand to keep the seamless experience moving forward.
The basics like the humus are all spot on, the fatteh delicately spiced,
the meat tender and specialities like the plump and syrup-drizzled kibbeh are
impressively flavoured and presented.
Orient Pearl is also
elegantly decked out, with artistic detail visible in every corner, from the
patterned gypsum panels in the roof to the marble flooring and crafted
furniture. The food then does these surroundings more than adequate justice,
and with attentive service to boot.
In the evening, and as stomachs begin to feel the strain, live music
also kicks in at 9.00-9:30pm, completing the experience, though in Ramadan the
timing begins a little later, at 10.30-11.00pm.
Outside of summer, Khayyat adds, the corniche location enjoys a
sea-view, and the outdoor experiences beautiful weather, with the fragrant
smells of shisha and live-cooked shawarma mingling on the light breeze. So in
fact the perfect place from which to enjoy Doha.
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