(File Photo) Qatar International food festival at MIA park. March 22, 2016. Abdul Basit © The Peninsula
More than a hundred restaurants and cafes around Qatar have started offering festival set menus to diners in the runup to the main event at this year’s Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF).
A new feature of the festival, QIFF Menu kicked off on Thursday as an integral aspect of the event aimed at extending QIFF to restaurants at malls and hotels across the country in which participating outlets are offering special set menus at prices of QR59, QR99, QR129 or QR179 until the conclusion of the festival on April 8.
Along with QIFF Menu, the “School healthy lifestyle campaign” also witnessed its kickoff on Thursday to raise awareness on healthy food and lifestyle among children.
Al Hekma and Lycee Franco- Qatarien Voltaire were the first schools to be visited as part of the campaign. Doha English Speaking School, Qatar academy, Al Maha, Al Jazeera Academy, Pearling Season, Lycee Bonaparte and Newton International School are among the other schools scheduled for the campaign next week.
The campaign includes healthy recipe demonstrations by chefs from festival partners Qatar Culinary Professionals, Qatar University Culinary Club and Four Seasons Doha hotel as well as Qatari entrepreneur Ghanim Al Sulaiti. Gifts are also given to students including an interactive activity booklet and colors to further reinforce learning.
QIFF Menu and school campaigns are two of the festival activities which widens the scope of the festival beyond the main event scheduled from March 29 to April 8 at the Hotel Park. In addition, there is also the Chef’s Table in which select five-star hotels across Doha are offering diners a unique opportunity to join internationally-acclaimed chefs for an interactive cooking and dining experience.
Among those featured in the Chef’s Table are Chef Sanjeev Kapoor of Melia Hotel, Chef Fawaz Alomaim of Sharq Village & Spa Hotel, Chef Andrew Bozoki of Four Seasons Doha Hotel and Chef Julien Al Khal of Marsa Malaz Kempinski .
On its eighth edition, QIFF returns this year with more participants, longer duration and a new main venue expected to attract 240,000 visitors and tourists to sample a wide variety of cuisines at around 130 restaurants, cafes, food trucks and carts at affordable prices when the festival opens on Wednesday at the scenic Hotel Park overlooking the Doha Corniche.
The 11-day event offers festival-goers a number of options to enjoy food such as Dinner in the Sky, High Tea/Fine Dining Lounge and garden picnic.
Apart from food, the festival also provides a variety of shows and entertainment such as live cooking theatre, nightly fireworks display, film screenings, roaming shows and cultural performances from participating embassies.
