With a contemporary design and an authentic Middle Eastern dining experience, Majlis at Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas brings the flavours of the region with utmost simplicity and the finest of ingredients. FACT’s Asad Khan tried their new wholesome ‘All You Can Eat!’ offer.

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If any of you foodies out there are as obsessed as I am with traditional Middle Eastern food, then you will be overjoyed to know that Majlis, which is known for its quality food and an unforgettable experience, unrivalled service and hospitality, is offering ‘All You Can Eat’ every Friday and Saturday. An unlimited selection of authentic Middle Eastern flavours is like a dream come true.

Being a fan of their original à la carte menu, I was curious to know how the big change would be in terms of quality and taste. To my surprise: zilch. Usually when a restaurant offers such, it loses on some quality or quantity, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Majlis. I was served with classic and innovative dishes, brought to the table fresh and piping hot!

From the moment you set foot in Majlis, it’s clear to see that the restaurant is a labour of love. Considering the fact that it was a weekend, the venue was super busy. The aroma of the food coming from the kitchen, which is located at the right of the entrance, leads you to want more and you can see the maître d’ exporting dishes from the kitchen to the tables. Wow! The plates looked mouthwatering and smelled delicious.

We started with appetisers, which included traditional stuffed vine leaves with herbs and cooked rice, crispy falafel, fattoush, Jibney We Jarjir (rocca leaves, cherry tomato, white onion and feta cheese drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil), as well as flavourful hummus with avocado — everything outstanding. What struck me first was the exquisitely fresh flavours of Jibney We Jarjir; each layer had an element of surprisingly bursting flavours, whether the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, the creaminess of the cheese or the light texture of the olive oil. One of the restaurant’s most popular salads and perhaps one of the healthiest. What really makes this dish distinct is the lemon dressing, strong enough to taste on every mouthful yet subtle enough to let other flavours take over the taste buds — exactly how a salad should be.

Where I always stick to my trusted hummus and fattoush, I kept coming back to rocca leaves this time around. I must add that the hummus had a very nice creamy flair to it and, with avocado, the texture is even more viscous. I would recommend you to for sure try it. It definitely will be a very different variation on the hummus you may have tried somewhere else. The chef at Majlis takes quite a pride in this one, and rightfully so!

Now onto the mains! There is a huge selection of meat, fish and rice dishes on the menu but it was the Lamb Mansaf for me. It gets full marks for the tenderness of the lamb and subtlety of the taste in terms of spices. Because the lamb is served with spicy rice on the side, the gravy of the meat, cooked in a milky sauce, is very balanced in terms of saltiness and the sourness of fermented yoghurt. Next up is Chargrilled King Prawn — juicy, perfectly cooked and rich in taste, followed by a platter of mixed grill featuring lamb chops, lamb kofta, chicken shish and beef kofta. With non-existent expectations, because I personally prefer chicken grills, I dug in. I truly wasn’t expecting the chops and kofta to be that good. My knife smoothly sliced into the meat and as I took the first bite and experienced the juicy, tender lamb, bathed with the most delicious spices that excite your taste buds, I couldn’t but utter ‘Oh My Gosh!’ Even though I was offered grilled tomatoes and chilis to go with it, I didn’t even consider mixing my palate with anything but meat at that moment.

As for desserts, the chef recommended pistachio baklava with ice-cream and Umm Ali and oh my they did not disappoint! Any restaurant that can surprise me, even after a couple of visits, comes highly recommended from my end and I can firmly say that whatever and however you choose to indulge, you’ll enjoy every single bite at Majlis. ✤

GO: CALL 4448 1282 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.