I was
unaware of the spoilings to come when I stepped off the plane and into the Arab
Desert - here I was in Qatar in the midst of winter with the temperature at a
warm and balmy 24 degrees. A very
special A1 surprised me with lunch at Maze – Gordon Ramsay’s newly opened restaurant
ideally located on The Pearl: a man-made island comprising a variety of urban
developments for the modern lifestyle.
The restaurant is situated on the 1st floor of one of the many buildings
in this trendy development. We were a
party of four: myself, A1, R3 and newly acquainted S1 and were warmly greeted
by the manager and waiters upon our arrival.
Ushered
through the indoor area, we were led out to the terrace and seated near the
balcony at a large table with comfortable yet sturdy outdoor chairs and beneath
dark-wooden pergolas providing just the right amount of shade. The décor is simple and unassuming, earthy
tones are used throughout and this draws attention to the real attraction – the
bay with its glistening turquoise waters where yachts of no small size are
docked drawing the attention of all passersby.
The head
waiter assisted all the ladies in taking their seats and promptly placed
napkins in our laps, readying us for the feast ahead. The Pearl has recently become a dry island
and as much as I would have loved to have sipped on a glass of wine, we had
many options to choose from on the Virgin Cocktails menu. I ended up ordering a Sea Breeze: a frothy blend
of tropical fruit chunks, cordials and ice cubes.
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Flirty and
fun mocktails
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The menu
provided an abundant array of mouth watering dishes but I finally settled on
the pea soup for starters, risotto for mains and a cheese board for dessert. To whet our appetites we were given a
complimentary sampling of warm, crispy and salty sour dough breads, hummus and
marinated olives.
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Crispy and
fresh sour dough breads
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The
restaurant can accommodate many guests and the service is top-class – swift and
unpretentious with meals arriving simultaneously without interrupting in depth
conversations. It was also a professional
gesture to have a complete changeover of cutlery between courses – whether they
were used or not.
The soup
is presented in two stages – a large white bowl with peas, a scoop of crème
fraiche and a wafer stacked in the centre is placed down before the waiter presents
the main act and pours the soup from a small white jug (enough for one serving)
allowing the stream of warm green liquid to melt the cream yet still keeping
the peas snappy. The taste is
sensational! R3 ordered the shrimp
starter – a shrimp and beetroot cake served with a wasabi paste and a garnish
of lettuce. A1 and S1 opted for beef
Carpaccio accompanied with a rocket salad.
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Pea soup
and prawn starters
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The
pumpkin risotto was the next surprise – a good portion with a variety of
textures and garnished with watercress presented in a large, crisp white bowl
resembling a flying saucer. I was
outnumbered on the mains as the rest of my party ordered the lamb wrapped in
vine leaves and served with polenta strips, asparagus stalks and finished off
with a drizzling of honey sauce. From
the rave reviews I received, I would say this was the dish of the day.
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Lamb mains
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I rounded off my dining experience with a
cheese board – an asphalt slate garnished with gorgonzola squares, chutney
puddles, walnuts and pear slices. This
was accompanied with thinly sliced fruit and seed bread. S1 opted for the tiramisu topped with crushed
coffee icicles and a sliver of chocolate and R3 and A1 the ginger fondant
served with fig preserve and a lick of strawberry sorbet. The latter was by far my favourite eye candy
of the afternoon – a piece of artwork!
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Presentations
don’t get much better than this
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Maze not
only gives service of the highest standard, but the presentation, array of colours
and abundance of flavours are unmatched.
The mission is to allow each patron to explore the assortment of taste
explosions and visual displays by pushing the boundaries of the everyday
connoisseur. Prices are furnished for
the mid to high-end budgets but it is well worth a single visit to experience
Gordon’s wonderfully elusive culinary gift.
I give it my Sam Says Stamp of Approval.
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Tantalising
the tastebuds
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