Chinese New Year—which usually falls mid-February—is one of the world's most colourful and exuberant events, triggering celebrations globally.
In comparison to other Asian and South Asian communities, the Chinese community in this part of the globe is significantly smaller with only around 10,000 Chinese expats residing in the country. Their community makes up roughly 0.45% of the entire population in Qatar.
Despite this, most Indian and Filipino expats—which are part of the Top 5 biggest expat population in Qatar—still crave for everything Chinese, especially their food!
With that said, here are five Mainland-themed restaurants right here in Qatar guaranteed to give you that festive Chinese New Year feel!
There's a reason why Hakkasan has won the hearts of Doha's foodie faithful since opening in January 2013. Set in the gardens of St. Regis Doha, it features an elegant main dining room, Ling Ling lounge, terrace, and terrace lounge. An elegant retreat of a restaurant, exclusive services such as private valet parking complement the award-winning signature dishes, along with those Hakkasan Doha specialties. Doha's foodies rave about the restaurant's décor, ambiance, friendly staff, and delicious Cantonese fare. And, while the prices are on the pricier side, their dim sum platter, crispy prawns, and crispy duck salad are runaway winners!
Contact: (+974) 4446-0170
Timings: Daily from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
If you're up for an accessible Chinese-themed hangout in the heart of the city centre, then Shanghai Club inside Shangri-La Hotel, Doha is the place to go! With a sleek and stylish interior, amazing Cantonese cuisine, creative fusion bar-food, great drinks, and popular DJs, this posh go-to restaurant always draws a hip crowd, and Chinese food-lovers. Stunning decorations blanket the entirety of the restaurant, adding to the authenticity of feeling as though you're in Mainland China! For a spectacular and calming view of Doha's skyscrapers at night, make sure to grab yourself a corner seat.
Contact: (+974) 4429-5295
Chinese food is a broad term. People have made so many variations to this cuisine, Indo-Chinese, and Indian-Chinese food merged together to name a few. And, while there are multiple Chinese restaurants in Doha, it isn't easy distinguishing the best among them, considering many factors such as hygiene, taste, price, locality, etc. Good thing Chi'zen has all of these. With a menu that's authentically Chinese, they might be one of the most popular places to enjoy Cantonese cuisine in Qatar due to the reasonable prices that they offer. Some of their blockbuster dishes include the evenly-coated dim sums and succulent wasabi prawns—which retain their crisp crunch while served with a topping of yummy wasabi sauce complimented with fresh ripe mangoes for that extra tinge of sweetness!
Location: Ground Floor, Oryx Rotana Hotel Al Nahda School Street, Umm Ghuwailina Contact: (+974) 4402-3484, 4477-417
Doha foodies can't get enough of Three Peppers' underrated aesthetics and gastronomic menu choices! This tiny restaurant is hidden in a strip of commercial shops along Old Airport Road. They offer a vibrant selection of dishes with a spicy Szechuan twist, plus their super-affordable dim sums and fried rice are more than enough to fill an empty tummy.
For takeaway, we'd gladly recommend their Kung Pao Chicken -- you can even request to make it spicier if you're a chili-lover! Squeezed between an automobile shop and a pet shop on either side, Three Peppers is somewhat hidden, but it's worth the hunt to locate this little wonder. But, if you're dining at nighttime, the green signboard and red Chinese characters in LED will be of tremendous help!
Location: Near Car Maxx, Old Airport Road, and a newly-opened branch in Muntazah area along Hiteen Street
Contact: (+974) 6649-2626, (+974) 6643-2828
Timings: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. daily, except Sundays from 5:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Chowking is so iconic that their signature halo-halo (mix-mix)—a Filipino dessert that's literally made of ice and milk—was listed in our article of the Top Five Filipino Dishes in Qatar that You Should Try not so long ago. Chowking, the Philippines' largest Chinese restaurant, has been long operating in various parts of Qatar with Al Mirqab being their youngest branch. It's also one of the most affordable Asian hotspots in the country as you can score a large bowl of halo-halo for as low as QR 16!
Location: Branches all over Qatar
Contact: (+974) 4411 5225
Do you like Chinese food as well? What are some more Chinese-themed restaurants around Qatar that we've failed to include in this list? Drop us a line in the comments and allso, don't forget to like and share this article—it keeps us going!
(Cover image courtesy of iStock by Getty Images)
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