Home sweet home

I have been unable to post anything in the past weeks as I have been being buried under boxes upon boxes of personal effects. We moved in last week to our new apartment and the 48 boxes descended upon us last Saturday.

The unpacking led to more confusion and we kept looking and misplacing stuff we just took out of boxes. The frustration led me to invest in numerous storage boxes and a label maker to help re-organize our mountains of crap. If only my mother would see me now, she would be so proud.

The apartment also came unfurnished and we only brought along our Eames lounge chair. Handsome looking thing but not enough for both of us. Thankfully we brought our persian rug so had something to sit on besides the cold hard floor.

So not only was there unpacking to  be done, we had to shop for beds, sofas, dining table etc. I live to shop but after running around town looking and re-looking at furniture, I was ready to just point at any random item and get that delivered. The choices of clean looking, well constructed furniture is limited in Doha and they come at a hefty premium. We decided to mix good pieces for the living spaces and some cheaper alternatives for the bedrooms.

Our flat is a 3 bedder and we wanted to turn one of the bedrooms into a study / TV room. The plan was to get a sofa bed for this room so we could lounge in it while watching Entourage, and it could be turned into a second guest room for visitors.

Unfortunately we blew all our budget on the rest of the house so we had to rethink the strategy. So stupidly we were faced with sitting on floors AGAIN as the TV was already mounted on the wall in the study.  We scratched our heads about how to afford more furniture.

We decided to give up thinking and head to the Souq Waqif to get shop for spices and food. Getting lost in the alleyways, we came acroos a trader who sold rice imported from all over Asia.

We bought some basmatic and were intrigued by the green coffee beans that were sitting in sacks near the rice. The man explained that we could another trader in the souq will roast them for us.

Maybe next time.

After turning a corner from the food markets, we spotted other shops selling cheap mattresses and blankets. Amongst the stacks of foam, we spotted bright red cushions that you see in local shisha cafes, usually strewn on floors or on benches. We approached the shopkeeper and found that they sold a set that included several cushions, a mattress and an arm rest for 430 riyals (USD 110). Bargain !

These could be set on the floor of the TV room for the time being. While in Qatar, lounge like the qataris !

As we chatted with the shopkeeper, a weathered old man trottered up with his wheelbarrow. He offered to take our shopping to our car. We shook hands on it and bought the cushions.

Here's our man waiting in the scorching sun while T went to get the car. Since he was so sweet and we didnt know how much to tip him, we gave him 25 riyals ( just barely USD 7 ).

He helped us load up the car and when we were getting ready to drive off, he came back and started talking to T in Farsi. After a good minute and tons of smiling cos he really didn't understand the conversation, we left. Apparently T said the old man asked if we were "in a good way" and if we were, if we could help his friend get back to Iran for some medical help.

I guess we know now, the tip was too much !

The cushions are now sitting against the room and we are happy using them until we figure out a more permanent solution.

Result !

Dean & Deluca Doha

This gourmet deli recently opened in the Villagio mall and is fast becoming a popular lunch spot for the ladies who lunch. The food counter prepares fresh sandwiches and hearty salads or even berry pancakes for an indulgent breakfast. All at premium of course but portions looked generous. Sandwiches set you back about 45 riyals and soups between 30-45 riyals. We lusted after the platters of beautiful meals and opted to allow ourselves a little treat to takeaway.

The choices were endless but we picked something that we had not seen or heard before. Golden globes of something with toasted almonds caught our eye. A Syrian dish called Ouzi. The chef explained it as a spiced lamb and rice mixture wrapped in phyllo pastry.

It was about size of my palm and we bunged it in the microwave to heat it up slightly before tucking in.

The filling was extremely tasty with almonds, pistachios and the rice sweet and perfumed with cinnamon. I loved it and wolfed it down too quickly. It reminded me of chinese banana leaf wrapped Ba Zhang.

I found the recipe online and am keen to try it one day. Well have a great weekend everyone !

Arabic lunch

We took the car out for a spin the other day and explored the back streets of Al Sadd. An area that is more developed than the rest of Doha, a web of many nameless streets where restaurants, shops, apartment blocks and the occasional 5 star hotel is found.

The GPS on my phone gave us directions to Thai Snack, a restaurant that had gotten many rave reviews from the expat community. It was the place to go for a good green curry without paying 5 star prices for it. Unfortunately even my GPS system got us lost and we found ourselves driving into many dead end roads.

After making several 3 point turns, we finally found it. As fate would have it, we got there at 2.30pm when lunch had ended and the restaurant was closed. Bit bizarre that the massage center got a bigger sign board than the restaurant.

In 40 degree heat, this was not the end result I was anticipating so plan B was to find any lunch spot. We parked and walked along the same street, Al Mirqab and I entered the first shop I saw with people eating inside. A lady at the front counter waved us in and showed us to a table lined with a blue plastic sheet and dusty plastic daisies decorated the shelves.

The menu was local and cheap. 5 riyals for a falafel sandwich or 9 riyals for a plate of other hot meat sandwiches like chicken shawarma or livers. As we browsed the menu, a stack of hot bread and marinated olives arrived at our table. We tucked into those happily while deciding. I wanted the zaatar manakeesh which was a pizza dough with a topping of the spice zaatar ( thyme, sesame seed and sumac) but asked what the meat and cheese manakeesh was like. The waiter smiled and said matter of factly - "cheap meat ".

T also ordered a chicken sandwich to share. Tender chicken pieces, some salad and pickles, and potato chips were wrapped in local bread and served toasted.

Here's my zaatar manakeesh, a typical breakfast dish actually but can be topped with cheese, "cheap meat", spinach or cheese and it becomes an open pie. It was crispy and the spice combination smelt amazing.

Along with that, we got a salad and for drinks, a lemonade with mint for me and a fresh banana & orange juice for T. The total was 44 riyals. Result.

View doha in a larger map

Shopping in stealth

One of the first things we had to do when we got here, was to get our alcohol license! To get that, you had to complete certain tasks like get your residency ID card which can take anytime between 2 weeks to a month. Luckily T managed to get his sorted out early and armed with that, we charged out to the industrial corner of Doha to check out the QDC.

QDC or the Qatar Distribution Centre is hidden from the main thoroughfare, about 15 minutes drive from the City Centre, behind high stone walls and a formidable steel black gate. After producing our ID card, we were allowed to drive through and park.

We had to register for a liquour license first and after filling in some forms and putting a 1,000 riyal deposit, we were issued with one of these.

I have to get one myself, after I get my ID card but that will take a couple more weeks. With this card, the authorities give us an monthly limit of 5000 riyals. This is the top limit we are allowed to spend on booze at the QDC each month. As the Ramadan is approaching, we were given a total of July, August and September limits to spend now. The QDC will be shut from Aug 9-Sep 10th, so we will need to stock up.

The limit as you can imagine, is more than what we ever need. Although having said that, booze prices were higher than in KL and the selection limited but enough.

You could get a 5 litre keg of Heineken for 130 riyals ( RM 110 or USD 35). Beers ranged from Italian Peronis, to  Japanese Sapporos, Australian VBs, Singapore's Tiger and more. Wines were sourced from all over and you can get almost all flavours of vodkas, whisky and gin. A bottle of Verve champers which cost RM 250 in duty free KLIA cost 340 riyals ( RM 290 or USD 91)

Still, it was good enough especially since they charge 50 to 75 Riyals for a glass of wine in hotel bars. T almost choked when he had to fork out 120 Riyals for a double scotch at the Hyatt last week.

Overall the experience was surreal and felt like we were being naughty. This is the only off-license in all of Doha. We took away a few bottles of wine and some beers but will return once we move into the house.

I will be having a glass of chilled s.blanc tonight with my dinner so cheers !

Documentary Forbidden Lies

By chance the TV was on last night while I tinkered with my laptop. A documentary, Forbidden Lies, an Australian production was being aired.

The film was awarded Best Documentary in the Australian Film Critics Association in 2007 and after the first 5 minutes, I put down my computer and was captivated.



The film was about a Jordanian woman who wrote a bestseller book about her best friend, a Muslim, killed by her father and brother because she dis-honored them by falling in love with a Christian.

Norma was the author and she appeared in the docu as herself, often giving pained interviews about her own difficult childhood and her best friend's tragic life. She painted Jordanian women to be trapped in a society where they were not allowed in the streets without a hijab, or allowed in public without a male escot. She fought to get her message out by giving numerous TV interviews, in order to change laws in Jordan that alledgedly do not punish honor killings.

As the film progressed and her friend Dahlia's story was told by Norma, the publishers started getting reactionary letters from, strangely enough, Jordanian women who feel that Norma was not representing Jordan and their culture well.

Then cracks in Norma's tale started showing and it became more apparent that Dahlia may not even exist. Norma remains defiant and continued to fight the critics about the truth of her story and even brings a producer back to Jordan to prove that the murder took place.

When her trip failed to bring any truth to light, she spun other stories, about being sexually abused by her father and also her husband. Stories about her being a con artist emerged and it appeared that Norma had deceived many others in the US where she lived for most her life, even though she said she was in Jordan when Dahlia died.

Very interesting stuff and if  you do get a chance, watch it.

Dinner at the Old Souq Doha

Last night we decided to venture into the Old Souq Waqif where merchants sell gold, foodstuffs, antiques, pets, textiles etc.

The single storeyed buildings are probably not as ancient as they look but designed to give you a sense of walking through olden times.

There was a myriad of alleyways keeping us happily lost and revealing occasionally, through dirty windows, minute coffee shops or shisha cafes. The men manning these shops are weathered and paid little attention to us. The younger merchants were more persistent, offering pashimas at every corner.

Parts of the Old Souq were not there a year ago, said T. The newer sections were very posh and had rooftop terraces where restaurants operate. Some had the big screens set up for the World Cup. Most had mobile airconditioning units to keep the locals cool. Even at 7pm, you feel warm, I reckon it was about 30 degrees at least. The Souq is closed between 1-4 pm due to the harsh heat but the stone walls obviously trap the heat too well.

In the new annexe, expensive restaurants offer Italian, Thai, Moroccan and Lebanese food. I even found a Malaysian restaurant there, dishing up 30 riyals ( RM 27) Nasi Lemak and Mee Jawa !! Guess if I am really hankering for some sambal, I know where to go!

As we got lost in the maze, we came across the Iranian spice and sweet merchants. Sacks of all manner of rice, grains, nuts and spices with Arabic labels greet you as you enter. You could get slivered almonds, jewelled pistachios, tart barberries by the kilo. I went round the shop to sniff around while T practised his Farsi with the shopkeeper. His Farsi is getting better and I love hearing it.

See how they combine ribbons of colourful spices in jars? No idea what they are.

Here the man is weighing 200 gms of pistachios for me. I bought some barberries and Iranian spice mixture called Advieh to try cooking with.

We plan to return to stock up on more spices and nuts after we settle into the new flat and it is much cheaper and more fun shopping here than in the hypermarkets.

It was time for dinner and we were in search of Iranian cuisine. Isfahan Gardens was not hard to find, the grand entrance, a long elaborate walkway decorated with folk paintings and mirrored walls, beckoned. 

You reach the end of the tunnel and the ceilings soar above you to reveal a massive glass chandelier and arches in jewel toned tiles.

In the middle was the quintessential water fountain whose faint trickling of water echoed throughout the restaurant gently. We were shown to a table but chose to sit in the raised booths where carpets lay and you eat, sitting cross legged, on plush cushions.

The meal was memorable. As we perused the menu, a plate of fresh mint, rocket leaves, feta cheese and rehydrated walnuts were offered alongside warm flatbread.

T ordered a starter of eggplant dip, made with dried yogurt and turmeric. One of the mains were a Khoresh ( Persian stew) of lentils, lamb and limes, served with saffron rice. The other was slow cooked lamb shank with a rice cooked with dill and broad beans.

Food was exquisite, the meat was soft as butter and I could not stop eating the rice. Persian rice has a distinct combination of saltiness and smoky flavour that I can't get enough of.

As usual food was too much and we asked for the remainder to be packed. Lunch today will be leftovers and I can't wait to tuck in.

Because we were filled to the brim, I passed on dessert but next time I will try the iced vermicelli with iranian ice cream and lemon juice.

This is the VIP room captured by talented photographer Fariborz Alagheband who posted these amazing shots on Flickr. See more here

Happy Birthday Z !

Z is celebrating her birthday this week and I know you are going to be partying all week even month especially since you completed a 30 day Bikram Yoga Challenge ! Kudos to you girlfriend !!

Hope the flowers I sent look just like those in the photo. Have a brillant time in NZ and send me a postcard !

The Pearl in Qatar

Driving around Doha in the past 10 days,  you can't help but feel that the landscape is a little monotonous. Everywhere road works are kicking up sand, multiple cranes nodding to create more houses and more malls. Flat roof houses in the same beige-ness, with little architectural distinctness, lined next to each other. The terrain is flat and dusty with certain parts of the city rising like krypton with their steel and glass mega towers.

(image via here)

I am spending time roaming the city for a new home and have been shown apartments and villas. At first instance, the prospect of living in a villa sounded very appealing. We have spent many happy holidays in balinese villas where you don't ever want to leave.

These villas however are mostly part of huge gated compounds with between 100-200 units sharing a pool, tennis courts and amenities. Some villas have backyard space which could be grassed at your own expense. I imagine it could be turned into a leafy oasis with maybe a vegetable patch in the shade, and outdoor barbeques. Most residents however do not bother and so most yards are concrete tiles left baking in the sun with the occasional dying shrub.

The view from these villas is non existant, if you are lucky, you can look out of your second floor balcony into your neighbour's beige walls, or a construction site next door where they are probably building yet another compound.

Apartment blocks at least have a slightly different perspective. Of course you give up the large spaces villas offer but you are sometimes offered a balcony overlooking the city or the Corniche blue waters.

About 10 minutes outside the city centre, is an estate that is still under construction. The word estate is understating it, The Pearl, is more like another city that has been planned by a megalomaniac. When completed ( slated 2012 ), will house 48,000 people.

( image from here.)

This grand entrance leads to the Pearl. When you drive through, the first shops flanking the driveway, are car showrooms with sparkling  Ferraris and Rolls Royces. You can't help but smell the money.

Only about 50% has been built so the views from the apartments were sometimes of the Gulf, or the marina but also of more cranes in the distance and more construction sites. It is a view that will remain for years to come, as Doha is still growing as a city.

We have seen several apartments in some of the blocks and I was taken by the outdoor space afforded in the way of balconies. Some were as big as 5-700 square feet and you could literally live outdoors during the fall when the climate is less harsh.

The Pearl is the only licensed area in Doha, meaning that if you dined at the restaurants,
alcohol can be served. Outside the Pearl, only hotels are given liquor licenses.

We took a stroll along the boulevards during the day but will be heading there tonight to check out the scene. Apparently, the place is alive during the evenings as many flock there to the numerous alfresco cafes or indulge in 5 star restaurants that are starting to open up in the mall areas. Gordon Ramsey's Maze opened in The Pearl recently but to mixed reviews.

I am heading to a mid range restaurant there tonight called The Noodle House. The Noodle House can be found all over the Gulf countries and as far as Melbourne.

It serves Asian food like Singapore black pepper beef, laksa, chicken rice, pad thai noodles to name a few. all at a premium of course, nothing is cheap here. I tried the black pepper beef once and it was very good so at least you are paying for tasty fare.

Happenings in Doha

There was a tremendous sandstorm yesterday and walking out meant being blasted by 49 degree hot winds. The weather within the next 3 months are going to be hard and even hotter. However in September onwards, temperatures dip to below 30 degrees and we were told that it is a lovely time as the heat is dry and people can go swimming in the sea without feeling like being slowly boiled alive.

Sometime in October when it is even nicer, the Doha Tribeca Film Festival takes place and this would be the second year running. The original festival was started by Robert De Niro  in New York after 9-11. The festival has grown bigger each year and in 2010, was imported into Doha by the royalty.

Those who attended some of the screenings, all uncensored, were raving about the event.
I looked it up and found some impressive coverage.

Last year they hosted the event outdoors next to the iconic Museum of Islamic Art photographed here on the left of the giant screen. 

On the opening night, they bathed the museum in azure glow while guests parade down the pink carpet made of LED lights.

Ben Kinglsey were among the guests here last year and in 2010, they have Martin Scorsese on the list.

I am excited about attending the event this year. Apparently the Tribeca Film Festival has a full staff based in Doha, who have set up production teams and sponsoring partnerships and foundations. Things in Doha are looking up.

Retail Therapy Desert Style

Everyone here has commented that shopping in Doha was dismal. It was thus that I arrived with zero expectations at The Villagio Mall. The mall was touted to be the largest in the city and was about 25 minutes away from the town center , a trek by most standards as everywhere seems to be only a 5-10 minute drive away.

I was struck by the ceiling which soared above me and painted to look like the sky. Quite bizarre but rather nice.

Once I got past that, I saw that in the middle of the wide boulevard was a skinny man-made canal complete with gondolas !

There is something similar at The Mines in KL but I have not been. As it was the weekend, the mall was buzzing and I stuck right into looking around. To my surprise, the first shop on my left was Zara Home. I never seen this anyway in Asia except perhaps HK. My obsession with homewares left me wandering in the shop for about half hour- just fingering the gorgeous glasswares, luxurious bedding and sniffing at  all the scented candles. I had my eye on several lamps, bedspreads and toilet accessories and pledged to come back as soon as we settle on a home here.

Upon leaving the shop, a mini scream escaped me rather embarrassingly. I just spotted Boots across the aisle and who doesnn't like Boots ?! Haf hour later, I was still there, scanning all the perfumed soaps and yummy scrubs.

So far so good and my spirits were soaring. 3 hours later, I was still wandering around and forgotten about lunch completely. More international retail brands were spotted like Sephora, Hobbs, H&M, even Malaysia's Vincci ! The prices were much higher than back in KL though and the selection was very limited. Same with the Virgin megastore, a music CD costs 60-70 riyals while a movie DVD cost 86-100 riyals. ( The Riyal is almost equivalent to the RM )

Dean & Deluca opened just recently and it was posh. Even the fruit and vegetable looked polished. The gourmet prepared food section offered up posh nosh like lobster thermidor.

So I guess it's not so bad here. People have said that Doha only started becoming more cosmopolitan in the past 5 years. It's looking like they are determined to fast track the city to match other cities in Europe. I am keen to see what else develops in the next few years.

I am still struggling to find a good bookshop though. So Amazon.com might be my only solution.

Day Two in the Desert

We arrived in Doha two days ago during the late evening and the view from the plane prior to landing reasserted how small this city is. Streetlamps lit up the few highways that seem to go on forever into the black desert.

 (We are staying at the hotel on the right of the photo, that looks a pyramid with crew cut)

 
We were sent to the Sheraton within 5 minutes of leaving the airport and left the exploring for another day. Yesterday was spent getting phone SIM cards and trying 10 different ATMs before succeeding to get some much needed currency.  Just to show you guys a peek into the cityscape, I took a snap shot of the sea view from the hotel room. You can almost see the heat wave.

The city is mostly flat, barren with a homogenous sand colour scheme. There is a huge amount of construction going on as Qatar is trying to establish itself as a culture and business hub. They are also bidding for 2022 Soccer World Cup. Everywhere you look, there are holes in the ground, cranes digging up new holes, it feels like being in a gigantic sand pit.

The hotel has a private beach and while it was too hot to swim during the day, temperatures became more tolerable nearing sunset. A poolside notice board showed that sea temp. was around 35 degrees while air temp. was higher around 38 degrees. Humidity was at a high of 48% sometimes. 

Despite the blistering heat, I had to get out of the hotel today to have a look around. So starting with baby steps, I ventured out to a mall called City Center that is only 2 minutes drive away.

The mall is nothing to shout about but it was quite big. They had some familiar brands like Debenhams, Zara, Monsoon, Aldo, Mothercare, Carrefour etc. To my delight, I found several department shops that sell really ok looking and cheap clothes that are perfect for my blooming tummy.

I had to buy some tops that are more appropriate for the local culture. No more spagetti strapped shirts, sleeveless tops, skirts above the knee anymore. I found a pair of nice jeans ( RM 60 ) and a top (RM50) at Max Retail. Result !

Here are some facts about my new home.

1. Qatar is the 164th biggest country in the world with around 4,500 sq m, around 1.5 times bigger than Singapore (according to wiki).
2. Population is around 1.4 mil while there are 5 mil in the latter. 80% in Qatar are foreigners.
3. Women were only allowed to vote since 2005
4. According to some surveyors in 2009, Qatar was the 8th most expensive city in the world to live in.

Sorry I don't have any other weird facts about the city but am sure I will come across some in the coming months.

LOL

The same day England played their first World Cup game with USA, we had tickets to Bill Bailey, stand-up comedian. This was a little unfortunate but we wouldn't give these seats up as this performance was quite special. Bailey, these days, perform in stadiums to thousands. He decided to give back to his fans by doing a one night special at the Leicester Square Theatre, that only seats 500. Not only that, he was selling tickets on the cheap, just 12 pounds a pop!

When he announced this gig, tickets just evaporated. T who called the hotline at 2 minutes past was turned away. She went mental and apparently had a go at the organisers and managed to score 6 tickets !

So World Cup or not, we were going to this gig. Neither D nor T had ever been to this theatre so when we arrived, the place just blew us away. The theatre was tucked away in Chinatown, next to Prince of Wales, an arty film house.

As you descend the steps into Basement 1, you were ushered into a room that is like a small movie theatre. What set this theatre apart from the rest, were two bars, flanking each side of the theatre!

You could get cocktails, beers or wine and sit through the act with it. Truly old school and why not ?!

The man came on and he was just brillant. His jokes were very assessable and had people in stitches. Because the theatre was so tiny, the whole performance felt very intimate. He was picking on front row patrons, threw questions to the crowd and people responded well. He was particularly funny when he blended jokes with guitar riffs and he did so seamlessly. The night was perfect except that he gave up the football score during the second act.

Here is a old clip of Bailey's past performance to give you a taste of his brand of humour.



Thanks again T for making this night happen!

Bit of Jazz

 Last night T booked us tickets to watch a live jazz performance at London's (and some say the wor'd's) most famous jazz club - Ronnie Scotts. The club celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and featured, in its times, giants like Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie.

When it first started, it used to be in dingy Chinatown, with second-hand furniture and served just tea. New owners in the 90s gave it a new lease of life as a plush supperclub in Soho. We arrived just before 7 and the place was buzzing with well dressed patrons and even more smart looking waiters flitting gracefully about with giant trays of martinis and wine glasses.

The opening band came on shortly after the waiter got our orders and the lights were dimmed. The trio consisted of a pianist, a double bass player and a drummer. The pianist and bass player were clearly veterans and very cool and relaxed. The drummer was much younger and had the tight shirt and punk hairdo. They were all very good especially the drummer and between songs, we found out that he was actually an award winning drummer who toured with Take That ( which explains the hairstyle!)

We came to watch the main act which was Kyle Eastwood and his band. He is the eldest son of Clint Eastwood and looked just like his old dad.

The songs played were all original tracks from their albums. Some were scores from movies like Letters from Iwo Jima. Kyle was very impressive, switching between the double bass and the electric guitar. The music was best of all, very assessable. Free form jazz can sometimes get too creative for me.

London Eats

London this summer is spectacular, with temperatures hitting a regular 27 degrees and cornflower blue skies without a cloud in sight. Roofs on convertibles come down and people are going shirtless or wearing their bikini tops, sunning in alfresco cafes and parks. It is so lovely this time of the year and we were spending a lot of time outside, taking the dogs for walks and having coffee in parks.

One of the great things about a large cosmopolitan city like London is definitely the quality and diversity of it's dining scene. We were stumped for choice of cuisine. Not only is food good, it was coupled with thoughtful service and chic interiors.  There was nothing I could find fault with.

  The Wolseley was one place we had brunch in and it was until 1999 a Barclays banking hall. Before that, the original owners sold Woseley cars in the 1920s. The building is historical and very grand, with towering columns and massive ceiling arches. I felt like being in a cathedral. The interior was all black and gold lacquer and all tableware were vintage silverware.

We had brunch there and I ordered the eggs benedict with spinach which were very tasty.

Another night when the while family was together, D booked a table at Cambio De Tercio, an award winning and highly acclaimed spanish restaurant. At first glance, it looked typical with red and orange walls and a busy Thursday night sitting. The menu however gave us a hint that this meal was going to be special.

They recommend that each person order 3-4 tapas or 1 tapas and a main. I went for the multiple tapas option in order to sample dishes as possible.

Some of the tapas choices were fairly ordinary like the spanish tortillas but it carried the El Bulli tag "1998" with it. We hoped that meant it might be interesting and it was. The tortilla came in a martini glass. Bacon and egg gratin was set at the bottom of the glass while white fluffy potato foam sat on it. The texture was unlike anything we expected of a tortilla and it was unbelievebly good.

I picked the gazpacho with lobster tail and cherry ice cream. A deep plate was presented with lobster tails and a dark pinkish scoop of the ice cream. The waiter then brought a carafe of soup and poured it into the dish at the table.

This was the best gazpacho I have ever tasted and the cherry ice cream worked so well with it. The other tapas I had were the crispy ham and bechamel sauce croquettes served with a side of tomato and thyme sauce; and a roasted quail stuffed with foie gras and iberico pork, spinach and cranberries. T ordered the suckling pig and he could not get over it. Everyone ordered different meals and everything was superb.

The plates were licked dry at the end of the meal but I could not resist ordering desserts. If the mains were so good, what of the sweets? We picked just two to share but only one was so unique, it cannot go without a mention.

Gin & Tonic “on a plate”, Bombay Sapphire geleé, tonic water sorbet & lime foam. Unfortunately, we were so in awe with it that before I could take a photo, it was gone. The gin was jellified, tonic was frozen scoop of ice and the lime was like air. It was a perfect ending to a dreamlike experience at Cambio De Tercio.

Of course we can't indulge in extravagant meals all the time but good food is never far away. At every few street corners, there are artisan bakeries offering giant crusty bread loaves, boutique sweet shops tempting you with girlish coloured macaroons, authentic italian delis with homemade pasta and sauces.

Certainly my sort of town.