One thing I like about going to delis is the variety of fresh food and untypical dishes that go beyond the nicoise, greeks and ceasars of the salad world. With “Jones the Grocer” being one of the few joints in Doha that serve good food at decent prices, it is one of the places I don’t
mind going back to every now and then. Only this week, I went twice in a row (blame it on their insanely chunky yummy humus).
Whilst I enjoyed my meals on both days, I must say I was rather let down
with the result of my choices, not because they were not good. But because the naming on the menu was a tad misleading.
We started off with their Humus which is one of the best I’ve had at a non Arabic restaurant. The prefect blend of cream Vs chunkiness makes it earthy and worthy of licking off a knife as my bestie and fellow blogger Anum did!
Chunky Creamy Humus
Moving on, Chicken linguine with chili oil means you’re presumably getting a pasta dish that is not smothered with sauce. Much to my dismay, it was swimming in cream. So for someone who is keeping their calories in check? Well, I guess they’ll have to budge, just like I did. Or have it sent back. I was way too hungry.
Creamy Linguine
I told myself the next visit would be better. I was
craving a good and filling meal, so I opted for the hot papaya salad (looked interesting) and added grilled chicken for substance. The waiter warned me it would be spicy. I grinned like there was no tomorrow. Come what may, and a salad later, I come to find that its a cold dish (the “hot” referred to the spice factor) which was a let down because I wanted something hot (aka warm). I have to say it was very flavorful and delivered pretty well on the spiciness.
Menu writing can be a tricky thing and restaurateurs need to craft it well to sell their dishes the correct way. A returned dish is never a win-win for both parties and can deter returning customers.
Would I go back ag
ain? Yes, the food is still good, but I’ll double check with the waiters to avoid surprises.
Do you have a similar story? We’d love to hear it.
