THE FOOD GALLI

With so many restaurants in town, FACT’s Asad Khan goes down the route of a familiar cuisine. He heads to Jamavar, at Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, for the Friday Brunch.


If you know me, you know I love everything South Asian. The Indian ambience of Jamavar can be felt as soon as you enter the doorway of the restaurant. The Mughal-inspired illustrations and carvings adorn the interior, very fine dining with the touch of a royal era: large golden lampshades casting an ethereal glow on the surroundings and the cosy tables that give the venue a feeling of space.

Jamavar recently introduced a new Friday brunch, Khau Galli, and I couldn’t but head there to try it out myself after hearing rave reviews from friends and acquaintances alike. As we started with melting soya kebabs and stuffed chilli pakodas, which were deliciously mouth melting, we were served with some tamarind juice which was absolutely revitalising. A tamarind juice paired with pakodas and samosas is a very street food thing in India and no wonder Jamavar named it’s Friday brunch as Khau Galli: Khau means treat and Galli means ‘small lane’.

With small portions of all the appetisers, we got right into the chutneys and famous papads. The sizzling Tandoori Lobster (smoked lobster with tandoori spices, ginger and overnight hung yogurt) set us in the mood for mains, which were not even close to being served yet, with a dash of chaat masala, and a sprinkle of coriander — leaving a whiff of perfection.

Now I went to my next target, the famous chaats of India! If you ask my mother, she’ll testify I had never been a street food kinda guy — but over the years in Doha, my love for Indian chaats has grown to the extent that my work-side cravings have led to flavourful hunts and food deliveries. The paani puri infused chaat was crispy on the outside and introduced me to the everpleasing palatable yoghurt and chutney on the inside.

What followed chaats was the Lagan ki Raan (slow cooked Indian kid goat with Kashmiri chilli and Nawabi spices). With the chutneys at my disposal and the lamb in front, I could easily call it a meatilicious affair. The lamb was tender with bursting flavours. Knowing how vegetarian food is a big part of Indian cuisine, I was also introduced to barbecued broccoli in melted cheese and butter. I’m not much into vegetables but if they were to be included in my diet, this was it!

My foray into the mains included Kacche Gosht Ki Biryani and Butter Chicken. The tender lamb in well-done basmati rice was incredible, sealing the deal for me with the tenderness of the meat and finger-licking tanginess. Although Jamavar is a finedining restaurant, since Khau Galli is a street-food experience, I’d advise you to roll up your sleeves and put those hands to use. The good thing: biryani was not very spicy and relies on subtle flavours to make its mark on the taste buds.

For butter chicken, it was very creamy and understated in taste and the crisp and warm roti complemented and gave the meal a home-cooked feel, simply a taste that I have known forever.

The dessert at Jamavar took all the points! The Baked Gulab Jamun, Jalebi Rabdi and Carrot Halwa were bang on!

Pro tip: Although the appetisers and mains are too good to be missed, keep some space for desserts, they are definitely worth it and you do not want to miss them! ✤

GO: CALL 4485 3000 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.