In an exploration of distinct flavours, Homara Choudhary discovered an authentic taste of South America on her visit to Fuego.
Located on the first floor of the JW Marriott Marquis City Center Doha, in the heart of the city, lies one of Qatar’s best kept secrets. Derived from the Spanish word fire, Fuego brings you a melting pot of Latin American flavours. Situated in a dark, sumptuous setting, this beautiful restaurant offers mouth-watering cuisine from all over South America.
Our server Rahul, who arrived in Doha six months ago, carefully went through the menu with us. He was as excited about working in this unique city as we were about the food. The Head Chef, Dina Moran, visited our table to give her suggestions. At her recommendation, for the appetisers, we opted for the Provoleta. A seared Italian provolone cheese. It was served with a spicy traditional Argentinian chimichurri sauce. A perfect combination for this creamy cheese that had a hint of garlic and oregano. It was complemented with a multigrain sourdough bread and tasted heavenly.
The Taco de Camaron arrived shortly after. This was a light soft taco with tempura prawns, red cabbage and guajillo chilli mayonnaise, lightly garnished with coriander. Fully complemented with smashed avocado on the side. It is little wonder that this dish is one of their best sellers. The Japanese mayonnaise combined with the crispy texture of the prawns and the Peruvian Amarillo chilli sent my tastebuds into overdrive. A real crowd-pleaser.
The Anticucho de Pollo was equally divine. The five traditional Peruvian chicken skewers arrived with soft and crispy roasted potatoes, topped with Anticucho sauce. The grilled chicken was tender and fell off the skewers. It had been marinated in Peruvian spices, including smoked paprika and yoghurt. The fusion was sublime.
There were eight mains to choose from, with a particular focus on meat and a special butchery selection. The steaks are all imported from the US. Chef Dina recommended the popular 12oz Ribeye. It was served with the traditional chimichurri sauce but you can also have it coupled with mushroom or peppercorn sauces, should you wish. As promised, the meat was succulent and juicy with a crispy layer of fat. It had been cooked to perfection.
The Hamburguesa was an 8oz Angus beef patty in a delicious soft brioche bun. It contained a slice of provolone cheese and beef bacon and what the menu describes as ‘chunky egg sauce’. Already feeling fairly full from our appetisers, I requested the beef bacon and egg sauce to be replaced with salad. It arrived with a portion of French fries. This may be the best posh burger in town and was worth every calorific bite.
There wasn’t much room for dessert, but our server Rahul insisted we tried the Peruvian Cocoa Torta Umida. He assured us we wouldn’t be disappointed. He was right. This little plate of heaven was an 80% Peruvian cocoa brownie served with Chantilly cream and milk ice cream. The perfect end to what was a perfect meal. I am not sure how it took me so long to discover Fuego, but I will definitely be going back. If only to try my favourite Tres Leches cake that I spotted but had no room for at the end of the night. An exquisite spot for an intimate dinner or special occasion.
It is worth noting that Fuego has a variety of special promotions, including a Friday Brunch and a ‘Sip N Savour’ happy hour from 5pm to 8pm every night.
For more information or to make a reservation, please call Fuego at JW Marriott Marquis City Center Doha on 4429 5000.
@fuegodoha
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