QAT: Al Adhamiyah Iraqi Restaurant

Grilled fish with super acidic lemon sauce at the side!

Besides trying Yemeni cuisine at Bandar Aden Restaurant, my BFF and I also took the chance to try Iraqi cuisine at Al Adhamiyah Iraqi Restaurant in Doha, Qatar since we may not be able to visit the country anytime soon. The name of the restaurant is taken from one of the administrative districts in Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq.

Pikachu couldn't wait to dig into the big fish in front of him.

Flatbread

Served at room temperature, the flatbread was slightly thick.

Potato Kubah QAR 25.00 (~S$9.30)

Taste: 7.5/10

I'm pretty sure kubah and kibbeh are the same, which are meat croquettes. The restaurant offers a few types, but the waiter recommended the potato version. They turned out to be not so Middle Eastern in nature; somewhat similar to Indonesian croquettes, I must say, but the minced meat inside had been mixed with more spices.

Tashreeb Chicken QAR 38.00 (~S$14.15)

Taste: 8.5/10

Tashreeb (lit. soak) is a dish featuring broth-soaked bread topped with meat and/or vegetables, which started out as a dish made by the poor by putting together whatever ingredients they had to make it filling. I enjoyed the flavourful gravy, as well as the tender chicken. The onions were really sweet.

Iraqi Masgouf (1 kg) QAR 80.00 (~S$29.80)

Taste: 8/10

Considered to be the national dish of Iraq, masqouf is flame-grilled carp. The smallest size of the fish that the restaurant offers is 1 kg, while the biggest is 3 kg. I enjoyed the fish that was fresh and seasoned well. It came with the most acidic lemon sauce I've ever had in my life, to the point of being slightly bitter, which was made of dried lemons that are popular in cookery across the Middle East.

Custard QAR 14.00 (~S$5.20)

Taste: 7.5/10

We mentioned Umm Ali (Egyptian bread pudding) to the waiter for dessert, but what came to the table was a bowl of chilled custard. Instead of sending it back to the kitchen, we accepted it. While I was hoping that it'd be creamier, it was pretty milky and fragrant. The level of sweetness was mild.

Iraqi Tea QAR 5.00 (~S$1.85)

Taste: 8/10

We had no intention to order any drinks, but perhaps due to the mistake that they made with the dessert, they gave each of us a complimentary small cup of tea. The black tea was strong and packed with the flavours of cardamom and cinnamon.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 8/10

Ambience: 8.5/10

Service: 9/10

Overall: 8.5/10

Not only was the tea complimentary, but they also waived the charge of the dessert at the end of the day. While I wasn't expecting that at all, I was certainly grateful. That aside, service was professional throughout the meal. Pika's advice: For those who enjoy a quiet dinner, ask for a seat on the second floor like what we did. 

Al Adhamiyah Iraqi Restaurant

Ali Bin Abdullah Street

Souq Waqif

Doha

Qatar

(Daily: 8.30am - 12 midnight)

*Prices quoted are nett prices.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)