Kellogg's Froot Loops

Froot Loops and fresh milk for breakfast

Bought this particular cereal back when I stayed in Doha, Qatar. My expectation is that Kellogg's Froot Loops would share a very similar kind of taste with Post's Fruity Pebbles, all sweet and amazingly fruity, but I was stand corrected. 

As I pour the cereal into a bowl, I was welcomed with a set of mini crispy donuts in purple, light green, and yellow colors. It was clearly not as colorful as Fruity Pebbles. Then, I took each donuts with each different colors and tasted it. They all tasted pretty much the same: honey like. I was disappointed by how the Froot Loops turned out to be. Other than the fact that they didn't taste fruity, they were lacking of sweetness too. Another minus point from me. 

They didn't taste as good as I expect them to be

Reese's NutRageous

Reese's NutRageouss was, and still is, my favorite chocolate bar. I found this gem back in 2012 when I was in Doha, Qatar. Mom, Dad, and I were grocery shopping and the bright orange wrapping immediately caught my attention. How could I not? The chocolate has its' own shelf at the 'Chocolate & Candy' aisle at Family Food Centre. So, I grabbed a couple bar and put them in the grocery cart to take home with me. 

Reese's NutRageous consists of Reese's peanut butter topped with peanuts and caramel, then enveloped with a milk chocolate coating. The chocolate bar was flavorful! The peanut butter gave out this delicious saltiness, while the gooey caramel and the milk chocolate had a strong presence of sweetness - it had that kind of sweetness that can make you nauseous when you have too much of it. I just love the peanuts that made the chocolate bar became even more rich in flavor. But, I have to admit, the chocolate bar had "diabetes" written all over it - and it was too sweet, even for a sweet-tooth like me.

Lenôtre Paris

This evening, I dined at Lenôtre Paris in Villaggio Mall with Tante Rosi and Nabila. As I expected from a French restaurant, the place is very luxurious and high-class-like. Black dominated the color of the dining place, nonetheless the lack of lighting emphasizes the rich atmosphere. Chairs and couches were available for those who have specific preference. The restaurant is very big, it even has its' own dessert display on the left side of the dining area. Good Lord, those petite cream puffs and cakes looked very beautiful and mouth-watering, and they were not-surprisingly expensive. 

Most of the waiter and waitresses are from the Philippines. They were very nice and polite when they served us, yet there were some who were not fluent in English, making in difficult for us to place our orders. 

Lenôtre Paris in Villaggio

Le dining area

Wide selection of sweet treats

I was going to order myself a glass of either Cafe Latte or Cappuccino, but I changed my mind and had a glass of sour Lemon Mint instead. Nabila had the same thirst-quenching beverage as me, while Tante Rosi had a bottle of mineral water. The Lemon Mint was super sour in a good way and it made me feel good about consuming it, because all of the fat that I ate will be washed away with a gulp or two.

A glass of refreshingly sour Lemon Mint

A bottle of Evian

The dishes were surprisingly served super fast! We only have to wait for around 10 minutes after we placed our orders for the food to be served on our table. The waiter gave us a complementary bakery basket set, consisted of 6 kinds of dinner rolls. The bakery basket was served with three different side toppings, which were Smoked Cheese, Fresh Tomato Sauce, and Garlic Butter. I love the butter the most, followed by the tomato, then the cheese. Combine those three all together in one toast and you will get a combination of unique flavor, just like how Remy from Disney's Ratatouille describe.

Complimentary bakery basket set

Clock-wise: Fresh Tomato Sauce, Smoked Cheese, Garlic Butter

The Onion Rings tasted unexpected in a good way! I'm not a person who is fond of onion rings, but it turned out that the deep-fried rings were delicious. Instead of the usual frying-a-layer-of-onion-in-savory-batter, the chef grind the onion beforehand and mix it with other ingredients, shaped them similar to ear hoops, dipped them into a bowl of savory batter, and fried until golden brown in color. Those onion rings were crispy and savory, and it didn't taste like onion, nor reek like one at all.

Onion Rings

Tante Rosi had a plate of Sauteed Vegetables. Consisted of broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and snow peas, those greens had a balance flavor according to her. "The amount of salt that the chef used was perfect," she said, followed by, "Oh my, the snow peas are deliciously sweet!". 

Sauteed Vegetables

Nabila had a bowl of Baked Macaroni Chicken and Mushroom, while I had a set of Philadelphia Steak. We share our meal together, so technically I had both dishes for dinner. 

Nabila's Baked Macaroni Chicken and Mushroom was very delicious and creamy! Served sizzling hot, best eaten when it's still warm. The macaroni were nicely boiled, not too mushy, nor too stiff. Topped with cream sauce and melted cheese, the flavor is just amazing! Hating the mushroom, like always, thank God the flavor didn't blend with the entire dish.

Baked Macaroni Chicken & Mushroom

My Philadelphia Steak, on the other hand, was not as fantastic as I thought it would be. In the menu was written, "Sesame bread, beef filet, onion, capsicum, mushrooms, mayonnaise, mozzarella cheese, salad, spiral potato". I was hoping for a couple of stiff European bread sandwiching a generous amount of shredded beef bathe in sweet sauce decorated with melted cheese. Instead, I got a warm puffy buns with less than a handful of sliced beef, a couple layers of cheese, and mixed sauce which flavors I could not distinguish. Don't get me wrong, the sandwich was tasty, but it was not as jaw-dropping and lip-smacking as I thought it would be.

Philadelphia Steak

Not as fantastic as I thought it would be

It was a great experience to dine at Lenôtre Paris. The food were great, the service was good, the ambience of the dining place was nice. All in all, I had a nice time at the French restaurant and is looking forward to pay another visit when I get the chance. 

P.S. make sure you bring an awful-lot of Riyals when you dine at this restaurant. Do you know how much does a box of Macaroons, with 20 pieces each, costs? 160 Riyals!

Lenôtre Paris
Villaggio Mall, High End Section

Phone: (+974) 4450 7255

Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 8 AM - 11 PM

Hula Hoops: Cheese and Onion

I found this handy snack at Family Food Centre in Doha, Qatar. The small packaging, even though smaller than the size of an adult's palm, caught my attention the minute I stepped my foot by the snack aisle. "No Artificial. No Added MSG. Made with 100% Sunflower Oil." was written at the upper part of the packaging, but I didn't believe that for a second. 

The Hula Hoops were shaped like rings, but wider and thicker. Even though it was written in the packaging "Cheese and Onion flavor", them hoops didn't taste like cheese, nor onion, at all. They were savory and salty, and floury nonetheless. Not bad to sought solace in! 

Breakfast at Zaatar W Zeit

A day begin with me trying to move my butt to the bathroom in order to get ready for a walk at Souq Waqif. It was 9 in the morning, and Tante Rosi and Tante Tika were in the living room, just arrived to pick my Mom and I up. It took me no longer than 15 minutes to get ready, all clean and dressed up, with my camera bag on my right shoulder. With no further ado, the four of us hopped into the car and drove away from Matar Qadeem. 

After a 10-minute-drive, we finally arrived at the heart of Doha. Souq Waqif, a standing market which reminds you of a scene in Disney's Aladdin, where Princess Jasmine strolls around at the market in Agrabah in which was crowded with sellers and products. The thing with Souq Waqif is just that the environment here is a lot more modern, judging from the fact that the place also has numerous cafe and restaurant, instead of just merchants selling traditional Middle eastern goods. They even have a Haägen-Dazs Cafe here!

Fancy some rugs?

Cute Qatar magnets

Fancy some colorful fabric?

A dress or two, maybe?

Police patrols at Souq Waqif

Don't this reminds you of a scene in Aladdin?

Don't these teapots look nice?

ADORABLE CAMMEL PLUSHIES!

The reason why we came to the Souq is to have breakfast at a restaurant named Zaatar W Zeit. Tante Rosi told me that she has dined at the restaurant before, and that the restaurant serves great food in her opinion. It took us a while to find the restaurant because of all the alleys and small streets. When we finally arrived at the restaurant, it was a bit surprising to see the outdoor tables were occupied even though it was still early in the morning.

Zataar W Zeit

We started the day with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. I was going to order myself some Hot Chocolate before, but I was a bit nauseous that morning, so I had to drink something fresh and juicy to make the uneasy feeling go away. It turned out, my decision was right to pick the orange juice, because it really was fresh and thirst-quenching. It was really really sour, the orange juice, but in a good way.

A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to start the day

The Orange Juice was very sour in a refreshing way

We decided to order some dishes and share them, instead of having one dish for each person. For appetizer, we had ourselves a bowl of Simply Caesar Salad, a bowl of fresh and crispy Romaine Lettuce, garnished with Parmesan Cheese and Oven-baked Croutons, coated with delicious mayonnaise. The Italian cheese had a nutty flavor for some reason, while the Croutons were toasty and delicious. The greens were crunchy and juicy, and they made me feel good for consuming them! 

Simply Caesar Salad

Very juicy and crispy leafs 

Our breakfast was then continued with a pan of Traditional Pizza and BBQ Steak Wrapz. Both dishes was delicious as heck! The pizza was thin, yet very stomach-fulling. It was decorated with tomato sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, ham, Oregano, and mushroom. I hardly spotted any Oregano in the pizza, but maybe they were contained under the ham, or under the melted Mozzarella cheese. Cheesy, doughy, floury, and delicious describe the pizza perfectly! The only thing that destroyed the pizza was the mushroom. I seriously tried to love mushroom, but I just can't seem to find anything delicious about it. So, I hereby declare that I dislike mushroom and that it doesn't go well with anything!

BBQ Steak Wrapz is the second thing we had as main course. The tortilla was soft and slightly fluffy, yet also crunchy. Inside, you can find a handful of beef with barbeque sauce, along with red and green bell pepper, and also onion. All in all, the beef wrap was delicious, but I love the pizza more even though it had mushroom on it. I actually ate three slices of pizza and a couple of beef wraps. 

Traditional Pizza

Delicious melted Mozzarella and ham!

BBQ Steak Wrapz

Stuffed with sweet and savory barbequed beef

What's a meal without some dessert, right? The four of us decided to order two kinds of dessert to share with. They were a bowl of Chocolate Chip Brownies and a cup of Strawberry Cheese Cake. 

Chocolate Chip Brownies are three bars of chilly brownies, served with chocolate syrup. I thought I would have an encounter with some sweet chocolate chips, but I stand corrected. The chocolate bars were not fudgy, they were a slightly dry and airy. Them brownies tasted sweet and quite delicious.

Chocolate Chip Brownies

A very nice dessert to begin with

Unfortunately, the Strawberry Cheese Cake was not as delicious as the brownies. They were painfully hard to swallow. The strawberry jam on top was beyond sweet and nauseating, it tasted like cherry-flavored cough syrup. Underneath it was a blob of, what it's supposed to be, cream cheese.. which tasted as excruciating as the jam! It didn't taste like cream cheese at all, it was milky and agonizingly sweet. At the bottom of the cup was very very few cake crumbs, which taste savory and nice, yet the cream completely destroyed it. I do not recommend you this particular dessert at all!

A cup of not delicious Strawberry Cheese Cake

After breakfast has ended, we stroll around the market. Tante Rosi and Tante Tika was planning on buying some Abaya, so we made a few pit stops to some Abaya shop to fit and bargain. It took us a while to find the perfect Abaya, along with the perfect size and price. I have to tell you, some of them were really attractive and beautiful, despite the fact that they only come in one color!

After some fitting and bargaining, Tante Rosi and Tante Tika finally got the Abaya that they love. We had breakfast, we shopped, we took some pictures, and we went home with a big joy. It was a nice morning at the Souq! 

So, for those of you who happen to life in Doha, you should definitely go to the Souq and dine at Zaatar W Zeit. Great food, good service, and free WiFi! But, watch out for the chief-in-charge, he likes to make jokes about toilet at the wrong time. Been there, done that! 

Black Abayas to die for!

Introducing, Mom, who rather shoot some flash than fit some Abayas!

Tante Tika and her Abaya

Tante Rosi and her Abaya

470 Qatar Riyal for one Abaya

Zaatar W Zeit

Souq Waqif, between Musherib and Al Rayyan Road

Doha, Qatar

Phone: +974 4431 5224

Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday : 24 Hours

Habeeb Turkish Restaurant

Found my way back to Habeeb Turkish Restaurant, last January, and decided to capture the moment in a new way. Instead of the usual photo compilation, this time I made a video!

I dined at the restaurant with my parents and with some friends. We ordered lots of dishes, which were Boneless Chicken plater, Lamb Chops, Shawarma, Turkish Tea, and some French Fries. It was really great to eat at Habeeb Turkish Restaurant. Other than the fact that the restaurant gives you the Middle-East-atmosphere, it also serve excellent food! 

My favorite dish from the restaurant is definitely the Chicken Shawarma, followed by the Lamb Chop. Each shawarma costs 7 Riyal, either Chicken Shawarma or Beef Shawarma, and every bite worth every riyal you spent. Inside the shawarma, you will find chicken meat, veggies, white sauce, and chilly sauce. I prefer to have my shawarma without the white sauce because it tasted a bit off.

The Lamb Chop, on the other hand,  has very thick flesh and is crispy. It tasted savory and very juicy, and it didn't reek of bad odor of lamb. There was only a small amount fat on the Lamb Chop, which was good because I'm not a big fan of fat. The meat was tender and enjoyable, and I simply regret my decision on having just one piece. 

Every dishes are served with layers of Taboon bread, or flatbread, and they are delicious although they tasted bland. The bread are flat and floury, but they are thick and very satisfying. I love eating this bread the most, especially with some chicken meat and chilly sauce!

At the end of our meal, one of the waiters offered us some Turkish Tea. The tea was served in a small glass, more like a small vase actually, made out of glass. Under the glass vase was a silver cup mat, with unique and various patterns carved on it, and there were a couple of sugar cubes on the sides. The tea spoon is what I love the most about the Turkish Tea at Habeeb Turkish Restaurant, because both sides of the spoon bowl has got drawings of flowers on them. It was really beautiful!

It was my first Turkish Tea and, let me tell you, it tasted poles apart compared to the usual tea that I drink back in Indonesia, which is Tong Tji Tea. The tea was very thick and bitter, even though I added two cubes of sugar in it, it would just smack your taste buds the moment it enters your mouth. 

Now, if pictures can make you drool, then I hope a video can make you grab your wallet and sprint to the nearest kebab stand! But, if you prefer to read about Habeeb Turkish Restaurant, Having Shawarma Like Tony Stark is just a click away.

Habeeb Turkish Restaurant

Matar Qadeem, Doha

Ad Dawhah, Qatar

Doha's Opera Patisserie

A couple days ago, I went to Doha's Opera Patisserie for the first time. I went there with my Dad's friend, Tante Rosi, and her daughter, Nabila. The patisserie is located at The Mall, a rather big, yet compact, mall located just 10-minute-drive from where I live.

Opéra Cafe

As we entered the cake shop, we were welcomed by a gorgeous display of cakes and chocolates. There were different sizes of cakes with different kinds of toppings. One of them has fruits on top, while the other has Vanilla cream. Another cake was decorated with some kind of jam, I assume it was Strawberry because it was red in color, and adjacent to that cake was an oval-shaped dessert coated in green colored cream. It was really fun to see such scenery!

The sight of Opera Patisserie's entrance 

Tante Rosi has been to Opera Patisserie before, so she knows which cake is good. We settle down for a big tray of Chocolate Mousse Cake and some petite cakes. The big cake costed 110 Riyal and the small ones were 2.5 Riyal each. We headed home right away because we were very excited to get our hands on that delicious melty mousse. 

A box of Opera Patisserie's Chocolate Mousse Cake

Petite cakes that worth 2.5 Riyal each

After lunch was over, we immediately attacked the cakes and bellow is the result of my observation (do take notes that when we pick the petite cakes at the patisserie, we simply point our finger, we didn't know the names of the cakes),

1. I'm guessing that it is a Blueberry Cheese Cake. At the bottom of the cake was a fragile and savory pie crust, on top of it was soft and delicate cream cheese topped with Blueberry jam. The cake was a letdown for a sweet-tooth, but a two-thumbs up for a those who fancy cheese cake. It was not sweet and nauseating, very light, and suitable to be consumed with a cup of Grand Wedding flavored tea.

2. Unfortunately, this cake was very dry and airy. It taste like leftover cake that has been left inside the fridge for three days. It was sweet and chocolaty, yet it was not at its' best condition.

3. This igloo-shaped cake is actually chocolate ganache covered chocolate mousse. Inside the chocolate mousse was clumps of savory and sandy nuts. This cake is very delightful! It was melty and gooey, very delicious, and the chocolate would just stick there at the ceiling of your mouth like peanut butter.

4. Cake number four is is a plain chocolate cake covered in milk chocolate. The cake was sweet and delicious, but there was nothing to shout about.

5. I picked this cake at the patisserie because it looked different than the other cakes inside the glass display. The cake was covered in some kind of green colored cream and is topped with pistachio. As I cut this cake open, I was welcomed by a wee bit of green colored cake in the middle of the petite dessert. I tried this cake and it tasted like pandan. It was nice, but I'm not that fond of it.

6. The last but not least, cake number six. I'm guessing it's a pistachio cake, but it tasted like pandan, same like the previous cake. 

This cake is to die for

The big cake that we bought, the Chocolate Mousse Cake, was shared with everyone for dessert. There were seven of us, surrounding the table in the living room as Tante Rosi took over the duty to cut the cake into pieces. The sides of the cake was wrapped with plastic - took it off, then the chocolate ganache on the surface of the cake started to drip. The cake was very very gooey and melty and yummy I couldn't help but to mentally drool all over the cake. 

The plastic wrapping had some chocolate ganache on it and was handed over to Nabila and Oom Bobby to be 'cleaned'. Guess how they did it?

Tadaaaaa!

We don't have time to make pie chart

I got a piece of the cake and it was the most beautiful piece of cake I have seen on that day. Three layers of cake topped with sweet and melty chocolate ganache, with chocolate cream on the sides, and a bread-like wall circling the cake itself. 

When you stick a fork inside that cake, you can actually feel how feather-like the cake is. The chocolate cake was very soft, not to mention the chocolate cream, and don't you make me start talking about the chocolate ganache. The only stiff component from the cake is the bread-like stripy wall surrounding it.

The best cake in town

I cut a big piece of the cake and indulged. It tasted like.. AN ERUPTION OF A CHOCOLATE VOLCANO! The cake literary melts in your mouth. The combination of the texture - the cake, the chocolate cream, and the chocolate ganache - was very enjoyable. It tasted sweet, chocolaty, gooey, and I had lean back on the sofa so that I wouldn't pass out from the deliciousness. My favorite part of the cake was actually the bread-like wall, I have no idea why. It tasted plain, but a bit savory, and it was stiff. Compared to the chocolaty cake, the stripy wall doesn't stand a chance. But somehow, I like it very much.

This cake was very very DELICIOUS, with capital D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S, emphasizing on the "delicious". If I could use the word "very" a lot of times before "delicious", I would use hundreds of them. 

Bon Appétit

For those who live in Doha, Qatar, you have got to get your butt to Opera Patisserie and get this epic Chocolate Mousse Cake. The big one costs 110 Riyal, but price may vary. The medium sized cake is 10 Riyal each and the petite cake is 2.5 Riyal each. Happy shopping, happy indulging, and don't worry about how you will gain weight after munching down a whole cake because you can always jog a mile! 

For more information about Opera Patisserie, you can go to their website here.

Opera Patisserie

The Mall, Shopping Complex

D-Ring Road

P.O. BOX 22544

Doha, Qatar

Phone: (+974) 467 8884 / (+974) 467 5277