By Anand Holla
Tucking into a meal at the newly revamped Market restaurant hums with privilege. Bathed in mellow golden ambience, the award-winning restaurant at W Doha Hotel & Residencies has just upped its own impeccable game in fine dining.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, one of world’s most renowned chefs and restaurateur, is known to take care of every aspect of his restaurants – from concept and menu to staff selection and architectural plans. What sets him further apart in his league is his endless desire to come up with refreshing concepts that are in sync with the changing global culinary arena.
After enthralling the cosmopolitan connoisseurs of good food with its impressively crafted menu for six years, it was time for Doha’s Market by Jean-Georges – now looking swankier and fresher – to undergo a contemporary refurb.
The classy new design follows “the original concept of international cuisine meets Arab local flavours and represents a beautiful mélange of East and West; geometric and minimal; and organic and ornate all with a modern aesthetic twist.”
The firm behind Market’s makeover is United Design Partnership, a UK-based design company that has worked on more than 200 internationally renowned hotels, spas, residences, bars and restaurants in London, Europe, US, Asia and the Middle East.
“The colours of the new Market restaurant design remain warm, atmospheric and vibrant whilst adding fresh and inspiring ideas to modernise this most important aesthetic. New Calcutta marble steps and worktops offer a polished and refined image that is consistent with the brand and its culinary offerings, whilst oak and ribbed timber paneling showcases a rich and rustic side to the restaurant,” says W Doha about the new Market.
The exceptional comfort and coolth is courtesy the European fumed oak floors, the clever play of lights, the rich fabric banquette, the antique bronze metal work, and a general sense of spaciousness in design.
The warm ambience has as much to do with the modern-yet-classic interiors as with the spot-on service or the relaxed atmosphere that replaces the air of intimidation usually associated with such upper crest establishments with easy intimacy.
Even with such a tantalising premise, the food doesn’t once falter. W Doha positions itself as a place where “casual glamour meets urban energy”, and Market’s menu perhaps best epitomises this description.
The international cuisine of Market borrows heaps of inspiration from the traditional souqs – a way of life and the cultural heritage of the region – to distil the finest of Arabian flavours into its dishes, and serves it with aplomb. The menu is packed with Chef Jean-Georges’ greatest hits, “reinventing classic dishes by infusing his eclecticism”, and the emphasis, says W Doha, “is on the seasonal, regional ingredients, with particular focus on fresh, local seafood.”
Something as standard as a Quinoa Salad, too, gets a slightly fruity, tangy spin. Tossed with bits of mango, cucumber, arugula, cherry tomatoes and curry vinaigrette, quinoa acquires new verve. Likewise, the Roasted Beetroot Salad packs a zing thanks to its treatment of horseradish and mustard mayo and is served with crispy parsley toasts. The creamy, semi-soft Fontina cheese stars in the lead along with black truffle, in the delicious Black Truffle Fontina Pizza.
Our in-house foodie Bilal Iqbal said, “The Ginger Braised Short Ribs had a subtle flavour and practically melted in the mouth. The dish demands that one take a break from the surroundings – and the place was packed full even on a weekday lunch – and focus on the exquisite texture and simple yet elegant presentation.”
The deserts pull off a compelling final act. “The Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice-cream at the end was simply divine. The still-warm cake had a soft melt-in-your-mouth texture with a strong but not overpowering taste of chocolate, complimented perfectly by the delicious vanilla ice-cream,” Iqbal said, “Little else can beat the combination of a good chocolate cake and vanilla ice-cream and this was an ideal end to the meal, staying with me for hours after I had left the restaurant.”
CHIC: The insides of the newly revamped Market by Jean-Georges at W Doha.
