Finally, after a long wait, another popular restaurant chain in the Philippines opened its doors to Filipinos and other expat communities in Qatar for a taste of “Authentic Filipino Cuisine”.
I remembered posting on facebook a similarly looking restaurant which was supposed to open at Bin Mahmoud area where a popular Filipino fast food brand and Cargo & courier services are presently located. However, it didn’t pushed through for unknown reasons and we haven’t confirmed either if this has relation to the newly opened branch.
We still even have to confirm (staffs are mum on giving further details), although from the looks of it, it seems to be associated with the Ongpauco-owned Barrio Fiesta in the Philippines.
As if poised to maintain its brand, their Qatar-branch was located in a prime commercial building in Doha along side other famous establishments like Sushiminto and Starbucks in a popular hangout area near Ramada signal.
But while many are not happy with their initial price offering, we can still check out what makes paying a visit worthwhile.
The restaurant will greet you with this massive wall art giving all its visitors a glimpse of their humble beginnings.
The dining area at the ground floor are divided into two sections while the second floor are almost ready to accommodate more customers once they become fully operational.
It’s also quite a treat to see an actual jeepney and tricyle on display at the restaurant. A great opportunity to introduce the Filipino lifestyle to our non-Filipino friends.
But a number of excited customers were surprised when it soft-opened last weekend (February 9, 2017). Aside from closing as early as 8pm on its opening day to a buffet-only weekend offering which left many kabayans sad and displeased.
However, these pre-opening bloopers are quite expected. The staff may get overwhelmed with influx of excited patrons. Some foods on the menu may not be available during the pre-operation stage. And our orders may take longer than the usual. However, all these things happen even on other restaurants during their first few days.
But on the lighter side, i felt that there are still reasons to overlook these things. The location is good, the ambiance is nice and the space is really big (although maybe they have to work on their exhaust).
I’m pretty sure that the management will take all initial comments and reactions in consideration if they want to do well in Qatar. I still think this is a great addition to many popular Filipino chains who are already here in Qatar (the likes of Jollibee, Chowking, and Inasal) along with other well-loved Filipino restaurants around the country. And this just goes to show that we are one big food loving culture and that our great dishes can also go international.
We are not commissioned by Barrio Fiesta to do this blog, as always, the opinions stated here are my own. We were also there on the second day and were surprised that they only serve buffets on weekends (not specified on their fb page) at a surprising price of QR99/head. Knowing that I am the only heavy diner in the family, paying for a buffet for three may not be worth it. But we still do plan to come back to try out their al carte menu soon.
By the way, they also have the popular sorbetero cart on display. Could have been better if used to serve ice cream for added authenticity. But for now, it’s part of their display and is really good for kids who are growing here in Qatar to see.
If you have experienced their food, please feel free to comment below.