I love food. And I am by no means a picky eater. I’m down to try all sorts of different food. Hand me a menu, give me a recommendation and I’m in. Another one of my favorite parts of traveling is trying new foods–and the dining experience of a particular culture overall.

Allow me, then, to take you through a culinary journey in Doha.

• Parisa
  • Cuisine: Authentic Persion
  • Location: Souq Waqif
  • Alcohol: No

Souq Waqif is a pretty well-known marketplace in Doha. It means “the standing market” in Arabic, and is basically an old market that sells souvenirs, clothes, handicrafts, and more. It’s a must-see during your Doha visit, and you can buy everything from jewelry to Turkish coffee sets. Oh, and there is a stable with camels. I pet one.

Parisa is built to look like a palace, which is what attracted us to it.

As with most of the places we went to, we relied a lot on the restaurant staff to point us in the right direction of dishes to try. At Parisa, we ordered a lamb dish, a beef dish, and a chicken dish, as well as several vegetable combinations and stews for our vegetarian colleague. The tastes were fresh, and especially pleasant was the complimentary Iranian bread.

•  Nobu
  • Cusine: Japanese
  • Location: Four Seasons, West Bay, Doha
  • Alcohol: Yes

Nobu is a Japanese sushi restaurant with locations around the world. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa is a famous Japanese chef and his restaurant in Doha is located inside the Four Seasons hotel with an incredible view of Doha.

As wonderful as the view, what is more exceptional is of course, the food. Despite being an avid lover of sushi, I have never eaten so much raw fish in my life. Everything here was pure perfection–from the appetizer of seasoned Wagyu beef and salmon tartare, to the platter of the chef’s selection of sushi rolls. We also had a vegetarian in our midst who was very satisfied with the vegetarian dishes we were served. I learned at Nobu that a sign of a truly great restaurant is that the vegetarian dishes are treated with as much finesse as the meat dishes, and that no one who goes with the vegetarian options is missing out on the deliciousness.

• Opal
  • Cuisine: Mediteranean/Bistro (Gordon Ramsay’s Doha restaurant)
  • Location: St. Regis Hotel
  • Alcohol: Yes

I love Gordon Ramsay. So when I learned he had a restaurant in Doha, I picked a day and went. Our waitress reminisced about having met Chef Ramsay when the restaurant opened. She recalls him being very nice and very tall.

Opal is the epitome of the fine-dining experience. You can tell that great care is put into each dish. For appetizers, we got soft-shell crab, which I regret saying I’ve never tried up until this point because it’s absolutely delicious. (I’ve had crab in a hard shell, which is tasty but far too complicated in times of great hunger). We also had Arancini Balls, which were these croquet-type-things with artichoke puree, parmesan cheese, and truffle mayo. Also a winner.

For my entre, I ordered Butter Chicken, my favorite (And Gordon Ramsay’s) favorite Indian dish. I have nothing but good things to say.

• Mamig
  • Cuisine: Lebanese/Armenian
  • Location: Katara Village
  • Alcohol: No

I was given this recommendation by a Qatari gentleman. Located in Katara village, an area featuring displays of art and beautiful views of the Persian Gulf, the first thing I noticed about Mamig was that it was absolutely beautiful inside.

This was an upstairs outdoor terrace.

For an appetizer, I ordered what else but pita and hummous, which you’d think would be basic but at this place, it was incredible.

For my entre, I ordered Mamig’s signature dish based on the recommendation of the staff, which was a lamb in a cherry sauce.

While I’m not used to lamb as it’s not something I frequently eat, the taste was something I had to get used to. But it was good.