10th Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) - 2019

10th Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) - 2019, Oxygen Park, Doha

Text & Photographs by Lt Col D Purushothaman Pillay (Retd)

The QIFF is Qatar’s eagerly-awaited, signature annual food and beverage event. This decade-old initiative that was conceived as an honest attempt to diversify the tourism offerings the country presents to its residents and visitors, began in 2010. This year is a milestone year, for the festival celebrated its 10th anniversary. Courtesy the legacy of magnanimity that the governance follows for public events in this benevolent kingdom, this festival is immensely popular as it is a free non-ticketed event that is open to visitors of all ages. It serves to showcase a wide array of mouthwatering local and international cuisines, their unique flavors, the cutting-edge culinary trends, the latest techniques and also parades some interesting new equipment that has been introduced in food-processing. The 150 odd food stalls that were divided into three zones, had a zone each dedicated to the mains, coffee & snacks and kids-food & activities. These were operated by a variety of players in the food industry that included, renowned hotels across the spectrum of star-rating, stand-alone food franchises, local restaurants, and as part of their commitment to support home-grown businesses, the organizers have dedicated 15% of the food stalls to talented entrepreneurs and local small and medium-sized food brands.

The 150 odd food stalls that were divided into three zones, had a zone each dedicated to the mains, coffee & snacks and kids-food & activities. These were operated by a variety of players in the food industry that included, renowned hotels across the spectrum of star-rating, stand-alone food franchises, local restaurants, and as part of their commitment to support home-grown businesses, the organizers have dedicated 15% of the food stalls to talented entrepreneurs and local small and medium-sized food brands.

QIFF has over the years, contributed in a very big way, to enrich Qatar's dining scene, by creating awareness and educating the masses about culinary nuances, by forging new synergies and opening doors for new brands to feel comfortable to experiment with the local diasporas. It provided a ready platform for celebrating food, by inviting accomplished international celebrity chefs. This year Master Chefs like Eric Lanlard, Richard Sandoval, Masharu Morimoto, Manal Al Alam, Jason Atherton, and Dominique Ansel to name a few, shared their expertise live on stage and a fortunate few could sample the magic they create. 

The residents and visitors from all over the world who attended QIFF this year got a chance to explore the manicured lawns of the beautifully landscaped Oxygen Park. This vast 130,000 square metre park has earned the sobriquet of being the ‘Green Lungs of the Education City’. The wider community was also privileged to open their eyes to a whole new bewildering world created by the Qatar Foundation, at this thoughtfully-crafted educational hub, which is replete with an assortment of grand educational, recreational and other community development initiatives. 

They occasioned to see first-hand the many attractive foreign university buildings that dotted the promenade each with their distinctive architecture, the Qatar National Library, the Minaretein - Education City Mosque, the Quranic Botanic Gardens, and the Torba Farmers Market among other facilities that abound these hallowed precincts.

All the QIFF stalls wore a festive look and were aesthetically decorated. The fare on offer allowed for a sensational gustatory journey that saddled all continents on our planet. One got to sample a wide variety of food from, the Arab, Indian, Oriental, Continental, American, Mexican, Latin American and African cuisines. Stalls from exclusive eateries like Nobu in the Four Seasons, to popular roadside Indian Dhabas, were all lined up in rows next to each other without distinction. The food served was fresh, with copious portions. They were reasonably priced with many offerings in the single digits and the pricier more exotic food costing a maximum of QR 50, irrespective of the brand that was selling it. The average cost per head for a satiating meal would be in the region of QR 40. Generosity seemed to be the pervading theme. The organizers along with the owners ensured that there is something available for every single visitor, young or old, prosperous or penurious. The children and more adventurous among the visitors had a host of activities to keep them pleasurably engaged. These included sand-pits, toy hand-outs, balloon vendors, games, bouncy castles and other amusement corners for the kids, the adults, on the other hand, had a host of interactive cooking sessions, master-classes, and competitions to engage in. This was in addition to the fabulous selection of food, which in any case was the primary attraction, as a result, many had chosen to return more than once, to participate and partake in the ten-day long festivities, both by day and night. The different seating options, both open and covered, that were scattered all around the venue were adequate to absorb even the weekend daytime and night rush.

Figures from last year's festival-attendance reveal that more than 400,000 visitors thronged the stalls. Going by the enthusiasm shown, this year the numbers are likely to be much more than that. In its previous editions, this festival was hosted at other equally scenic venues like the Katara Cultural Village, MIA Park, Hotel Park, and Pearl-Qatar. 

To sum up, a visit to Qatar’s longest-running food and beverage tradition, that delightfully merges culinary arts with family entertainment to create a celebration of the senses, was exciting, satiating, educating and enriching. All of us family and friends, who were fortunate to congregate at the QIFF 2019 came away richer by the experience and retain special memories that we will all relish for a long time to come.