Bite Sized: Short and Sharp Restaurant Reviews
Next up: Astor Grill and the legendary Chingari
Another in my series of short, sharp and mostly focused reviews. This time we re-visit at two Doha dining stalwarts and their latest offerings.
Aged Journey at Astor Grill
No, Aged Journey isn’t the title of my memoir. Rather a new Sunday night special at the much improved Astor Grill The St. Regis Doha The concept (this was an invite) kicks off with aged and cured meats and starts, rather pleasingly, in what they now call the “cheese and charcuterie room”. This is the former private dining space (if walls could talk) turned into a bar and sitting area where two trolleys laden with cheese and charcuterie are stationed there for you to help yourself. I encountered a very lush truffle Brie and a hunk of Morbier - a semi soft cows’ milk cheese from France, among the selection.
If you time your visit right you can catch the 7pm sabering of champagne - a St Regis tradition which sees their sommelier remove the cork on a bottle of bubbles by striking it with a sword. Sharp implements and champagne? I think I found a new hobby.
The menu is broken up into four parts - grass, pond, land and farm.
The grass component is a very generous aged beef tartare with sliver of sourdough. The tartare is already dressed with the condiments and finished with a zingy yuzu sauce - which cuts through what is a very rich proposition. Some smart flavor combos here from the culinary team but in all truth this could have been 30 percent smaller in terms of size and still be a great dish. The “pond” element, which I think they should rename, takes us to Asia with slices of seated duck breast with soba noodles. This is a bit of a surprise. The home made teriyaki sauce is rich and deep and while the plating was a bit clumsy, a palate pleasing little number all round.
The showstopping main is a 21-day aged wagyu cote de boeuf which is a single, large rib of beef. It’s slow cooked to just medium and sliced and served on a platter with some grilled vegetables. The umami and sear achieved on this dish is first rate - enhanced by the deep morel Demi glacé that accompanies it.
After this, a dessert of Valrhona guanaja (70 percent chocolate) mousse cake is my undoing.
I am pleased to see Astor Grill finding its mojo again after a period in a wilderness. Although it could use a few tweaks in terms of serving sizes and pacing, this offer is generous, well executed and very satisfying.
Chingari at the Radisson Blu Doha
How do you go about renovating a legendary restaurant that hasn’t changed in more than 25 years? Go big or go home if it’s Chingari Radisson at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha refresh. Closed over Ramadan and for the past couple of months for the refit, I had been expecting a few tweaks, new soft furnishings and the like. But this, is a total makeover. Kris Kardashian style. Everything is new. Even the plates, glassware and cutlery.
The low red banquettes and heavy textiles have been replaced by bang up-to-date terracotta hues, brighter lighting and a dedicated bar area. There is still a private dining room and yes, the much-loved band now has its own stage front and center.
There are bigger tables for families (the main stay of the venue) and also some more intimate two tops for smaller groups, and yes some lower tables for those who are nostalgic for the Chingari yoga seating challenge.
The menu is as pleasing as ever. The murgh malai kebab is chicken marinated in cream and carmon with a hit of cheese (QR90) is still among the city’s best. The barrah chaaps, lamb chops the size of your hand are imbued with herbs and spices (QR150). As always, for the gravies, I made a beeline for the rich murgh tikka makhani, chicken simmered in a rich tomato based sauce (QR98). As well as the soul warming daal tadka (QR55). A new one for me was the Madras fish curry - coconutty and tempered with mustard seeds and a touch of tamarind (QR130).
Sweet finale? Always the malai pista kulfi (QR35) and what I call “Indian bread and butter pudding” (perhaps underselling it?) shahi tukda (QR35).
Service is spot on and very proud of their new digs; and the band remains a real drawcard.
Perhaps you haven’t been to Chingari. Or haven’t graced the Doha institution for some time – I can assure you it’s worth the time to visit, especially now.
