Cooler evenings call for some chargrilled food. FACT’s Asad Khan headed to Huqqa to relish Turkish and international delicacies.

Perfectly located at the main entrance of The St Regis Doha, Huqqa is a place that captures the quintessential elements of Turkish and international cuisine. For starters, there’s open space here, which is impeccable to enjoy the cool breeze whilst slicing the well-done sizzling meat. Black street lights and the sound of knives will get you harking back to your trip to Turkey. Well, it did for me!

Huqqa is an experience of its own — complete with sights, upbeat music, smells, sounds and flavours that manage to ease the wanderlust momentarily.

We began our feast with an array of Huqqa’s mezze selections and soon small but flavourful plates started to take over the whole table. The best thing — the appetisers were not just Turkish but international in every sense. Each was better than the last, but our absolute favourite was the Fatteh Spinach Kavurma, featuring yoghurt, roasted spinach and chickpeas and served with crispy pastry, and Fried Macaroni Cheese Balls served with tangy tomato sauce. The cheeseballs with sauce were tangy, sweet and creamy — extremely soft and gooey on the inside — and definitely came as a surprise. Another great appetiser before the mains: Beef Taco Sandwich. These tacos featuring minced beef with corn taco shells and cheddar cheese exploded with flavour while the Veggie Muhammara was wiped clean in no time. Paired with the warm, homemade bread we could easily and happily have eaten just this all night.

Another surprise came courtesy of dynamite shrimps. A little crusty on the outside, this appetiser wasn’t anything we’ve not tried before at many different restaurants. It was the same, but very different. Fried to perfection and garnished with spicy mayo dressing — super addictive! This was a definite crowd pleaser!

Huqqa is known for always bringing flavoursome dishes to the table, and it definitely brought the spices and heat with its Adana Wrap Sandwich: minced beef with cheese paired with lamb. The lamb did not figure strongly in the taste landscape but you could definitely feel a difference in texture and it added something extra to an already excellent dining experience.

Now onto the mains, the star of the night was the meat steak. The chefs at Huqqa have mastered the art of infusing meat with just the right amount of salt and pepper. The delectable flavour and tenderness of the meat shone through — a carnivore’s dream. The best thing about this meaty affair was that there were no extra spices that could deviate us from the actual flavour of the meat which was crispy on the outside but incredibly soft on the inside.

For dessert, we devoured the scrumptious Baklava, a perfect ending to a classic meal. The Baklava at Huqqa was not the ordinary one you might expect but rather incredibly special in terms of both its presentation, and taste. It was milky and soft to the core and the garnishing of pistachios really made an impression. This is for royalty.

We ended our night with a beautiful presentation of Turkish coffee. You’ve got to try it because it’ll give your metabolism a kick to digest everything at a much, much faster rate. ✤

GO: CALL 4424 4866 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.