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OHLALA’s Lindsey Steenkamp travels across the state to try the new Levantine branch at Hilton Salwa Beach Resort, located on the radiant southwest coast of Qatar.

Areimagined, authentic Arabian concept restaurant has just sprouted in one of Qatar’s newest resorts located on the southwest coast.

If you love road trips, good food, culture and water parks, best you add this latest treasure to the top of your to-do list. It is a Wednesday afternoon and I have invited two of my closest girlfriends for a much-needed catch-up.

During these times with so much change and separation, I have a particularly good reason to celebrate. One of the friends has returned to Qatar and this is the best news I have had for a while. We decided to stop by an art exhibition to commence the much-anticipated girls only road trip. When we reach our destination, the excitement is palpable. It is time to experience the magic of Levantine at the Hilton Salwa Beach Resort! The property boasts exquisite exteriors inspired by Tunisian architecture.

The concept of the restaurant is a fusion of Lebanese, Palestinian, Iranian, Qatari, Syrian and Turkish cuisine. An almost Mediterranean feel comes across with the pure white buildings, blue terraces and intimate narrow pathways. We arrive at Levantine and receive a warm welcome from a group of friendly staff. I instantly fall in love with the high-end, modern finishes inside and the wide-open kitchen spilling from the middle of the restaurant. As we are seated the manager arrives with a big brass bowl filled with rose-infused water and each of us washes our hands. Apparently, this is an old traditional custom to welcome special guests, and we love it!

The Levantine menu is the brainchild of the well-travelled and uber-creative Chef Ousama Al Akhras, originally from Jordan. The starters are presented not long after the introductions and I thought that they might have doubled our order. However, there was no mistake, and I was most certainly not seeing double.

A kaleidoscope of hummus fills the table, boasting endless different, newly imagined taste combinations ranging from sautéed garlic shrimp, sour cherry, broccolini, braised lamb, smoked garlic right through to the tomatopaprika flavour. It is safe to say that this is the best hummus I have ever tried. They say that the true test of a good Arabic restaurant shines through when the ‘Innabiyeh’ arrives. My Arabic guests dive into the stuffed vine leaves and both are extremely impressed. The mains arrive along with a few hot meze dishes and I am eager to try the chicken livers, as they are not that common on most menus in Qatar.

They are cooked to perfection and the sauce is deliciously comforting. If you think you’ve seen every iteration of an Arabic barbecue imaginable in Qatar by now, think again. From the barbecue selection, one is spoilt with many different varieties of meat combinations originating from all the diverse regions. I am totally blown away by the Syrian halabi kofteh, which is a grilled lamb kofteh cooked in a rich and flavoursome cherry stew.

Another pleasant surprise is the Qatari kibbeh, a pescatarian version of the more common kibbeh comprised of red snapper, prawns, calamari and saffron aioli. There is time for a breather before dessert and while we enjoy the beautiful cool weather on the terrace, we sip on molecular mixologyinspired mocktails. Each one uniquely different and special with much thought and detail in every rendition.

For dessert, we move into the stylish lounge/bar area. Two generous servings selected by our proud chef arrive. The Qatari luqaimat and a chocolate-date pudding which is elegantly presented and billowing with dry ice smoke as the hot chocolate sauce is poured over the cake. A lovely touch of theatrics, which makes this dining experience so special. And best of all, everything tastes just as good as it looks.

As the evening draws to a close, I reflect on the truly memorable experience Levantine has not only impressed us with all the mouthwatering food, but also with the attention to every detail, which makes it well worth a mention and to bank as a fond memory for us all. Levantine is recommended to anyone who loves food, adventure and is after something a little different and unique. I will most definitely be returning to experience the lovely offerings of Levantine again and of course, to show off to more friends and visitors in the future!

For reservations and more information, please call 5593 8084.

@levantinerestaurantqa

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