FACT’s Emille Artigas discovers that the Mediterranean-themed buffet at Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha’s well-known all-day dining restaurant, Choices, lets you explore and discover the many aspects of the region’s cuisine, from the history to the flavours.

Unlike other types of cuisine, which are generally based on ethnicity or culture, Mediterranean fare is a product of the culinary trends followed by the people who live in the geographic region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. This area encompasses many countries. As a result, some differences can be found in the methods of food preparation. In fact, Mediterranean cuisine can be divided into other sub-cuisines such as Egyptian, Maghrebi, Greek, Levantine, Spanish, Ottoman (Turkish), Provencal (French) and Italian.

The walk towards the Choices all-day dining restaurant takes you through the vibrant, bright and airy lobby of the Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha to the mezzanine where the spacious and lively restaurant is found. You are immediately welcomed into a warm and inviting setting. Choices has recently introduced a fresh concept to the hotel’s pulsating food scene, with the Mediterranean Themed Buffet every Tuesday, which is starting to attract an avid crowd.

The service team is friendly and truly gracious with each and every one enthusiastic to provide you with a remarkable dining experience, from proudly explaining the items in the buffet to serving drinks and food to the table.

The aroma coming from the live stations was so tempting, we did not wait long to head towards the food. The first station has the freshly made breads, cold buffet section and the cheese station, and there are countless selections from different regions, from French baguettes, either white or with malted cereals and onion focaccia bread to poached mushrooms, fava dip of mashed broad beans with dill, fresh figs and salads such as fresh spinach salad with walnut yoghurt and garlic. I particularly went for seconds of the cheeses: brie, camembert, taleggio, comte, and the cold cuts: smoked turkey, beef pastrami, salami picante, spicy salami with red peppers and salami tipo Milano, all of them were so tasty I couldn’t get enough.

Little did I know that the divine Mediterranean gastronomic journey was just starting. We followed that flavourful aroma which led as to the Pide station and the fresh Turkish flat bread was served to our table. From the perfectly cooked dough, to the richness of the filling, this Turkish pride is one amazing touch to the buffet.

We took another tour of the sections and our eyes were feasting on so many delectable selections from all over the Mediterranean region. We filled our plates with flavours from Paella de Mariscos, from Spain, a delicious ensemble of safron rice, mussels, prawn, squid, olives and pepper to creamy French baby chicken tarragon, Greek eggplant mousakka and salted crust sea bass on the carving station. My favourites however were, first, the Veal Ossobuco, which I have been craving for so long. It was served in such a generous portion that I did not think I would finish it. But the bites got better every time, the veal shank meat was so tender, rich and juicy, I just could not stop until the last mouthful. My second favourite of the mains was the Döner Kebab, freshly made from the grill station, savoury shavings of lamb meat could not be any better a finish to our spectacular Mediterranean journey.

We barely had space for desserts but when we headed to the dessert station, we were again overwhelmed by the lineup of sweets and tempting items on display. The selection included: Turkish Delights, baklava, Greek semolina cake with orange, Greek honey loukoumades, Spanish almond cake, date makrouds, fruits and much more. We went for the tiramisu and the coffee creme brulee which perfected the already immaculate Mediterranean dining experience.

Mediterranean cuisine is an amalgamation of different cultures. Throughout history, the region has been a major trading hub due to being at the intersection between Europe, Asia and Africa. The ingredients have changed over the course of history and, with a multitude of variations, the Mediterranean-themed buffet experience at Choices earned a number of repeat visits from me and I am certain that each time I go back will feel like the first time. ✤

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