Even though Doha is a tax free haven for people especially for expatriates, the downfall is, it is also one of the cities that has the highest costs of living on Earth. Name all commodities you know, needs such as accommodation, transportation, water, electricity, clothing, and yes - food. Restaurants, in a variety of origins and affordability, has popping up like mushrooms scattered in the neighborhoods. But the question is, are they worth the riyal you're paying?
So here we go, I made a list of cheap eats in Doha, tried and tested by yours truly and let's see how far your riyal goes (but not compromising the quality).
Located at the neighborhood of Bin Mahmoud, this Asian restaurant offers Korean and Japanese cuisines at an affordable cost. The interior reminds me of a simple cafeteria in Korean dramas, plus they serve fishcakes which has Myeongdong street food feels. The place is always jam-packed during lunch and evening time, so make sure to make a reservation or to come as earlier as possible. My only drawback is the food that we ordered took some time, but as soon as we hit the plates, it worth it.
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| Jjampong, Garlic Chicken, Kimbap, Assorted fried goodies & Korean fishcakes. Need I say more? |
Just a stone throw away behind of Gokulam Park Hotel and the upcoming museum in Doha, this Dragon Restaurant is indeed a hidden gem. They also served Asian cuisines, mainly Korean foodstuffs. What I love about this restaurant is the service crews that swiftly accommodated us. One of the best features of the restaurants is an individual induction stove thingy and an electric griller on each tables, and the sound of meat and seafood popping on its oil gives excitement of the customer itself. The interiors are well-kept and tidy that adds to the stimulating Far Eastern ambiance.
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| Thin slices of beef with hot pot essentials. |
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| My version of mini hotpot. |
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| My forever love bibimbap. |
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| Slices of kimbap are such eyecandies. |
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| Corporate professional by day, master griller by night. |
Also a Korean restaurant based in Bin Mahmoud, Sol Korean Restaurant is a sister joint of the Korean Garden Restaurant, one of the oldest Asian food joint in Doha. A newbie in the industry, the place still in its infancy and less crowded as expected. The crews also were very hospitable, since they just opened, they gave us some insights about their menu offerings. The cuisines they offered are strikingly similar with the other Korean restaurants in the neighborhood.
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| Love the curves of these Japanese tempuras. |
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| Kimchi-Radish salad-Picked radish bancheon. |
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| Noodle is life, and so is jjampong. |
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| Won't dare to leave a Korean restaurant without poppin' kimbap on my mouth. |
4. Thai Cuisine
I just discovered this Thai restaurant in Zomato, and after a not-so-good experience at the newly opened Little Yee Hwa, also in Bin Mahmoud, we decided to dig in since it was just few steps away. The place is not crowded as expected, and the ambiance has a comfy feels. We ordered pad thai, a Thai food staple, some spring rolls as appetizer and papaya salad. The food quality? Palatable, indeed. Affordability? Absolutely.
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| One of the best and affordable pad thai in Doha. |
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| Spring rolls is like a staple appetizer to Asian cuisines. |
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| First time to try Thai papaya salad! |
Overshadowed by its neighboring Dragon Restaurant, this Chinese restaurant indeed is for the people who are into Asian goodness but on a strict budget. They serve a variety of Chinese goodies such as dumplings (which by the way the most generous serving in I've ever had in all of the Doha), sour-based and spicy-based hotpot, noodles and endless condiments and soups.
I'm just concern to the fact that the interiors and lightings inside isn't that on point and the attendants were not that fluent in English (we had a hard time in ordering due to miscommunication), but then again, the food is indeed authentic that's why we would love to try other menu stuffs soon.
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| A generous amount of fried dumplings. |
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| Sweetened sweet potato. Yes, and loving the redundancy. |
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| Peanuts as complementary appetizer. Chili Oil/Garlic/Peanut Sauce/Cilantro/Scallion condiments. |
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| Sour and spicy soup bases for Hot Pot. Heaven, indeed. |
My search for affordable but appetizing cuisines is still on the run, and can't wait to share you my fresh discoveries, if ever. So, if you ever landed on Doha and you have a thing with Asian goodness while on the Middle East, you know the drill.
