Kay Woodward heads to Broadway Brasserie for a taste of the southern states at their musical and quirky, culinary best.

Doubletree by Hilton Al Sadd is nestled in the heart of Doha, which means it’s within easy reach of pretty much everywhere. It doesn’t take long to get there, even on a Thursday night. (Tonight, this is excellent news as I’m very, very hungry.)

The hotel is low-rise and lovely, with twinkling palm trees outside. My destination is the property’s very newest restaurant – Broadway Brasserie. I know it’s a brasserie, but that’s all. I’ve no idea what more to expect. A short ride in a lift, a quick walk along a corridor and … WHOA. I’m instantly transported to Nashville, Tennessee. I’m also instantly charmed by the staff. They are so cheery and friendly that I feel at home straightway.

Broadway Brasserie is a faithful, fabulous and fun homage to the USA’s musical heritage. Anna Calderon, the Cluster Director of Marketing and PR, explains how she and her team thought long and hard about the décor and gee whizz (that’s me being American) they’ve made a good job of it. An enormous Elvis and huge Hendrix watch over the diners. Vinyl records pepper the walls and the centrepiece bar. It’s no surprise to learn that there’s live music every night, too. But perhaps the piece de resistance is the clever use of short-throw projectors to flood the walls with videos of neon-lit shopfronts. (Watch them carefully – they do move!)

It’s at this point that I remember I’m still ravenous and sit down – squashy seats, check – to discover that the music theme extends far beyond the décor. The beverage menu is a masterpiece of musical references. How about a Burning Piano? It’s named after the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, with its piano-key-shaped windows. It’s burning because there’s Louisiana hot sauce in it. Phewf. They’re not kidding.

The food menu is entertaining, quirky and bursting with comfort food from the southern states. The head chef, Luigi Goytizolo, has created stunning new dishes that work alongside old favourites. I try the brilliantly inventive Oh Burrata, Where Art Thou. It looks like a tomato, but it’s a trick! It’s actually a beautifully soft burrata hidden inside a shiny tomato glaze. Crunchy balsamic caviar adds the perfect finishing touch. Next up, it’s The Broadger Burger. This isn’t any old burger. It’s a burger inside – wait for it – a doughnut! There’s Pommery mustard and sticky BBQ sauce too. Wow.

The chef recommends the Memphis-Style Braised Chuck. And thank goodness he does. The Omaha chuck steak has been marinated in brine for 48 hours, followed by a further 24 hours with thyme, rosemary, tomato and garlic. It’s melt-in-themouth magnificent. I’m also tempted to taste one of the Greater Omaha Prime Cuts – the Skirt Steak 300g – which is chargrilled, succulent and delicately flavoured with fennel. Again, awesome. Finally, I try Johnny Cashfish – grilled catfish with truffle green pea, Cajun spices and fresh herbs. It’s tender and moist and also the best pun I’ve heard all week. Bravo, Broadway!

I devour the rest of the menu with my eyes. The chef really has thought of everything. There’s Broadway Mac & Cheese for the less adventurous. (The more adventurous can add King Crab.) LOTG Burger is named after Live on the Green – Nashville’s world-famous music festival – and is just one of the vegetarian options. There’s plenty for children to enjoy too, which is great, because it’s the perfect place for a fun family lunch.

Sundae Sensation is a live-action dessert of champions. A chocolate sphere is dropped from a great height onto a mirrored plate, smashes into pieces to reveal ice cream and chocolatecake chunks, before being finished off with strawberries and orange cream. It serves two to four. (Though I’m fairly sure it could stretch to more.)

I can hardly believe the price is so reasonable for such a crowdpleaser. It’s a relief to visit a restaurant with prices that aren’t out of this world.

It takes 18 hours and five minutes to fly the 11,923km from Doha to Nashville, Tennessee. Book yourself a table at Broadway at Doubletree by Hilton Al Sadd and y’all can get there lickety-split! ✤

GO: CALL 5037 0026 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.