When a restaurant promises a taste of France, expectations naturally come with it. Sirine Boudjadi heads to La Maison Ani Doha to find out whether the food lives up to the fantasy.
If you’ve spent any time following Doha’s food scene, chances are you’ve already come across La Maison Ani. Between its growing reputation and its other outposts in Dubai and London, the concept hardly needs an introduction. At the heart of it all is Chef Izu Ani’s tribute to France. The story goes that while living there, one of his daily rituals was picking up a fresh baguette from his local boulangerie. Most of us eat half of it before we get home. He built an entire restaurant around it. The idea is to recreate that all-day French way of eating: morning pastries, lazy lunches and long dinners.
Bon Appétit!
The team knows the menu inside out. A quick tour of the signatures and best-sellers later, and I’m more than happy to let them take the lead.
It doesn’t take long to realise that the snails are one of the main attractions here. Now, despite my French passport, they remain a personal boundary (along with oysters, foie gras, and anything involving rabbit). Some stereotypes simply don’t apply. So, while braver people can report back on those, I turn my attention to the Caesar salad instead. I almost never expect much from one. They’re usually either drowning in dressing or so timid you forget about them the second the mains arrive. This one lands somewhere in the sweet spot. We order ours with chicken, although you can also add prawns if seafood is more your thing. The lettuce stays crisp, the Parmesan is generous and the crispy veal bacon brings exactly the salty crunch every Caesar needs.
The Onion Tart is also a must. The onions are almost jam-like, balanced by salty anchovies and black olives, while the pastry somehow stays perfectly crisp. A few dollops of cream tied everything together, leaving me wondering why onion tart isn’t having its truffle pasta moment. The Grilled Harissa Prawns are another easy favourite. Juicy, lightly charred and served in a fragrant harissa sauce, they bring warmth rather than serious heat, meaning even those who claim they’re bad with spicy food should survive the experience.
In Bread We Trust
By the time the mains arrive, calorie counting is no longer part of the evening’s agenda. The Rigatoni alla Izu makes sure of that. Rich, silky and cooked perfectly al dente, it’s comfort food in its purest form.
Then comes the dish I’d already seen approximately 50 times on Instagram before ever setting foot in the restaurant: the Izu Burger. And, staying true to the whole baguette philosophy, it’s served in one. I have to admit that was always going to win me over. Paired with dangerously addictive fries, the Wagyu beef is juicy, the Emmental melts beautifully into the meat, and the tartar-barbecue sauce adds just the right amount of smokiness and tang. Instagram was right about this one!
Sensing that we might appreciate something a little more sensible before the sugar marathon ahead, we’re also encouraged to try the Grilled Tenderloin. Or maybe it’s simply the kitchen’s polite way of making us feel slightly less guilty about everything we’ve already eaten. Either way, we happily accept. The beef is beautifully cooked, with a caramelised crust, buttery baby potatoes and a rich peppercorn sauce – a small moment of balance before complete dessert chaos.
La Vie En Sweet
To give you an idea, when you walk into the restaurant, you’re greeted by a pastry counter that basically spoils the ending of the story. Behind the glass sits an almost ridiculous selection of cakes, éclairs, viennoiseries and French classics that makes you seriously question whether skipping straight to dessert is an acceptable life choice. Just when you think that’s the dessert menu, you discover there’s an entirely separate one.
Our decision-making skills are still nowhere to be found, so we let the team take over. Their advice? The Warm Chocolate Mousse with Malt Ice Cream. We’re glad we listened. Calling it a mousse almost feels unfair because it doesn’t really know what it wants to be. It’s somewhere between a mousse, a molten cake and the dessert equivalent of wrapping yourself in a blanket after a very long day. It’s warm, with a scoop of malt ice cream slowly melting into the middle, creating those perfect hot-and-cold spoonfuls that taste even better than they should.
Another dessert people seem to rave about is the cheesecake, with a choice of passion fruit, coffee, caramel, red fruit or pistachio toppings. The menu doesn’t mention it, but the portion is easily big enough to share. The filling is smooth and creamy, sitting on a delicate biscuit base, while the topping is served on the side so you can be as reasonable, or unreasonable, as you like. Needless to say, we chose the second option.
The French spirit carries through to the interiors, with marble tables, blush banquettes, warm wooden details and plenty of greenery. But if there’s one place you want to end up, it’s the terrace. With its hanging plants, soft lighting and Mediterranean feel, it’s an easy place to settle in for the evening and lose track of time. Now, it’s all very charming, but pretty interiors and a good backstory only get you so far. What really matters is what’s on the plate.
For more information or to make a reservation, please call La Maison Ani Doha on 4051 2300.
@lamaisonanidoha