A Lighthearted Look into Qatar’s Food Scene
Believing that a culture is best experienced through its cuisine, Terry Booth has gleaned his wealth of food knowledge through a lifelong culinary journey across Europe, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia, Australasia, Micronesia, and the Americas. After living in the UK, Singapore, and the Philippines, Terry moved to Qatar in 2019. He has since made it his mission to enthusiastically nibble his way through every eatery and cuisine this vibrant and diverse country has to offer. Eating without fear, Terry is equally at home teetering on a plastic stool on a street corner while slurping a bowl of steaming hot noodles as he is dining upon crisp starched linen under twinkling chandeliers.
Terry’s affection for novel-tasting experiences and his distinctive whimsical prose has set a new standard for gastronomical insights in Qatar. He has developed a reputation for honesty and enthusiasm and has become one of the most trusted and popular reviewers in the country. Inspired by like-minded people, he also shares his passion by conducting his now world-famous ‘Tasting Tours’ that showcases the best of Doha’s hidden gems and trending hotspots, gratefully receiving copious and glorious thanks from friends and family who promulgate the wonders of their visit to their homelands!
To the uninitiated, Qatar might seem a strange place to write a culinary book about. Yet Doha has become a melting pot of culturally diverse people from around the globe. Many who have come here have brought their cuisines with them and have established restaurants that offer a dizzying array of cooking styles and cater to all manner of tastes and fulfil resident’s nostalgia for home. Qatar truly is a nation where restaurateurs seeking to leave their mark can try their hand at what may only be dreamt of elsewhere. The rest of us, meanwhile, reap the rewards by enjoying the fruits of their endeavours.
The book he is writing is the culmination of years of eating and drinking and reviewing — harder work that it might sound! What began as an irreverent food blog expanded to become one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on Qatar’s culinary delights. Yet blogs, like restaurants, come and go, and so I decided to create a more lasting contribution to the country’s food scene. The result is a selection of reviews and epistles highlighting my favorite dining establishments in Qatar. In addition, it offers a glimpse into the lives and cultures of those working behind the scenes, who make the country’s rich culinary landscape a reality. Extensively researched, it provides an entertaining guide for both visitors and long-term residents alike.
