As we mentioned before, along with the increasing number of Filipinos in Qatar comes the growing demand for Filipino food and services. While there are also available options that are sometimes inexpensive, Filipino consumers still prefer the taste of Home and the Pinoy brand of service – say, mostly… for convenience. So, it’s not a surprise to see a lot of new business establishments opening up especially in areas where there is a big concentration of Filipinos. In 2019, the first-ever Filipino radio station in Qatar was also launched.
Here are some of the NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (in alphabetical order):
1. Arbel Pastry
Like a typical bakeshop in the streets of Manila and many parts of the Philippines, Arbel Pastry is such a refreshing sight to see. A Filipino neighborhood bakery selling freshly made pandesal and other pastry products… they even sell Pinoy favorite kakanin here (rice sweets/delicacies). Arbel Pastry is located near Bin Omran signal right below the big Vodafone billboard.
It was through several recommendations from our blog readers that we finally visited this place (shoutout to @kwinofharts and @omaisteadi). It is also good for Jasmine to be able to know and enjoy typical Filipino merienda/snacks too.
Date published on BLQ FB Page: June 6, 2019
Arbel Pasty
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/arbelpastry/
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/arbelpastry_qatar/?hl=en
- Contact Number – 4001 2311
- Location Link – https://goo.gl/maps/4Nufx6dbAFQtw9tp8
2. Flamin Go
Surprisingly, it’s not only us – my family, who are fond of exploring new food spots around town. Every weekend, our friends usually come together for late dinner after church. And curious about the first official store of this popular online/delivery and catering service company, we decided to visit Flamin Go located in Al Muthanna Complex along Salwa Road (opposite Jarir Bookstore in Ramada signal).
There, you will find their famous desserts like taho (sweetened tofu with tapioca pearls), the season favorite puto bungbong (purple rice cakes), the Filipino street food skewers, and many other local delicacies.
The restaurant is spacious enough for more than 50 persons (i think) including the first-floor seating. We visited during the Christmas season so the place was well decorated with ornaments and the kid’s favorite Santa Claus and Christmas tree on their high ceiling stairways.
Date published on BLQ FB Page: December 14, 2019
Flamin Go
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/flamingorestaurantqatar/
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/flamingoqatar/?hl=en
- Contact Number – 4038 6924
- Location Link – https://g.page/FlaminGoRestaurant?share
3. Golden Chef Bakeshop
As part of our community support, we make it our habit to be always on the lookout for newly opened Filipino businesses. To our surprise, we were contacted by a new bakeshop in Markhiya for them to deliver samples of their products to our home. They gave us freshly baked bread and we all loved it – well, who would resist the taste of pandesal and cheese bread on a hot coffee?
Since we enjoyed it, we decided to pay a visit to their store to see all the other products and were even given a sneak preview of their bakeshop facilities. While the location of the bakeshop may be a little challenging to find at first (in Hazm Al Markhiya Doha – us the location link below for easy navigation), the modest store will greet you with an aroma of Pinoy-style bread and the familiar Pinoy hospitality.
They also have delivery services for a minimum order and have identified several key distribution points like supermarkets around Doha where you can also find Golden Chef Bakeshop products.
Date published on BLQ Instagram Story: June 16, 2019
Golden Chef Bakeshop
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GoldenCBakeshop/
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/goldenchefbakeshop/?hl=en
- Contact Number – WhatsApp -33404575
- Location Link – https://goo.gl/maps/4Nufx6dbAFQtw9tp8
4. Kuya MAC’s Convenience Store
One of the many inspirations of BLQ Reader’s Choice is the flourishing BAKALA business (convenience stores) in Qatar which are mostly operated by Indian nationals. But with many enterprising Pinoys, it’s a wonder why it took long for us to have one of our own. Until finally, two couples in Qatar decided to open up a Filipino-convenience store in Doha sometime in July 2019.
It is a grocery store offering Filipino products in the neighborhood of Bin Omran. Inspired by well known go-to convenience stores like 7-11 and Ministop, Kuya Mac’s also have a small Filipino snack bar on one side of the store which offers light snacks, ready meals, and other specialty dishes like their Pancit Batil Patung which is a popular noodle dish in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
Date of visit: January 6, 2020
Kuya MAC’s Convenience Store
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kuyamacs2019/
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/kuyamacs/?hl=en
- Contact Number – 3320 4547
- Location Link – https://goo.gl/maps/4Nufx6dbAFQtw9tp8
5. Loming Barako Qatar – Lombar
Probably one of the most intriguing and one that is creating a lot of buzz in social media is this new Batangas-native restaurant located in Retaj Building in Muntazah (just beside the MMUP Building).
From the same owner of Miyah’s Lechon Manok in Najma, Loming Barako or Lombar, as it is popularly called, has a bar-feel interior. A unique flair of industrial design and masculine wall decors implying the “barako”-sense (a colloquial term which describes a manly and fearless personality), while highlighting their signature dish – a local Batangas delicacy called LOMI. Batangas Lomi is a Chinese-inspired noodle soup that is usually overloaded with toppings and super thick soup.
They also serve other specialties like Manok na Pula (Batangas-style roasted chicken), and many more.
Date published on BLQ FB Page: December 21, 2019
Loming Barako Qatar
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LomBarQatar/
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lomingbarakoqa/?hl=en
- Contact Number – 7000 9136
- Location Link – https://g.page/LomBarQatar?share
6. SU TU KIL Restaurant
We haven’t visited the place yet but I had to take some snapshot of the restaurant interiors in time for this feature release. It was really a delight to meet the owner as well as the chef of the restaurant who gave me a quick introduction of what SU-TU-KIL Restaurant has to offer.
Their menu boasts of original Visayan cuisines, and the restaurant name SU-TU-KIL stands for Sugba, Tuwa, Kilaw which are native delicacies in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. SUGBA means to cook fresh seafood by grilling, TUWA means to stew fresh seafood with clear broth & vegetables, while KILAW means to eat raw seafood or cooked with vinegar and lemon.
The restaurant is located on the Mezzanine floor of the Green Garden Hotel in the Old Salata area, only few blocks away from the National Museum of Qatar.
Date of visit: January 6, 2020 (food photos from SUTUKIL Facebook page)
SUTUKIL Restaurant
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SUTUKILRESTAURANT/
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sutukilrestaurant/?hl=en
- Contact Number – 4001 0988
- Location Link – https://goo.gl/maps/LvD1dt4aFDet93gq5
7. Qabayan FM 94.3
The opening of Qabayan FM 94.3 in Qatar quickly changed the morning and evening habits of many Filipino ex-pats who are used to tuning-in to their radio while driving to and from school or offices. It has quickly captured a large share of listeners, even of non-Filipinos, for its very interactive segments, and even personalized on-air greetings, on top of playing OPM’s (Original Pilipino Music), and other popular songs.
We haven’t visited the station yet but we’re planning to do it very soon.
Date of visit: to be scheduled (photos from Qabayan FM 94.3 Facebook page)
Qabayan FM 94.3
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Qabayan943/
- Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/qabayan943/?hl=en
- Contact Number – 4499 4944
- Location Link – https://goo.gl/maps/y7WWmkdrtSG7ZLPK8
VOTE HERE!
The above establishments are currently nominated for the NEWCOMER Category of BEST LIFE QATAR Reader’s Choice 2020. To vote for your Favorite Filipino Brands in Qatar, click this photo link:
Get a Copy of PILIPINO STAR NGAYON – Middle East Edition
