SECLUDED SERENITY لزعنملا ءافصلا

One of Doha's newest resorts offers an elegant idyll designed as a private oasis of rest and relaxation. Hadag’s Amica Sicilia checks in to Maysan Doha LXR Hotels & Resorts for an experience that is genuinely a luxurious home away from home.

Is there anything more enticing than seeing, behind a wall of white stone warmed by the sun, the tops of tall palm trees waving in the breeze? In a desert land, a walled garden holds out a special kind of promise, not just a promise of beauty but of rest and recovery. In fact, the word paradise itself finds its roots in Old Persian for a place walled around. And this is what the designers at Maysan Doha LXR Hotels & Resorts have created. Rooting themselves in royal Qatari tradition in a walled compound set back from the busy seafront in the quiet hinterland beside the rolling green of Aspire Zone, they've created a personalised paradise of their own. Maysan means a bright star and the décor reflects this luminous ideal. A fountained courtyard of elegant elongated proportions leads us under an archway through tall double doors and into the bright and welcoming lobby. We are greeted warmly by Lisa, the Duty Manager, with a fragrant lemon-scented towel, small cups of steaming Arabic coffee and a dish of juicy dates. As we sign in for our weekend retreat, we are immediately made to feel at home. At the rear, the main hotel building opens onto a broad porch that looks out along an impossibly long and blue swimming pool flanked by an avenue of tall palm trees. On either side, in low, whitewashed adobe, nestle two lines of private suites and two-bedroom villas, each protected by its own verdant garden. Around the outside orbit the spa and Hammam complex, the restaurant and lounges, a state-of-the-art gym with separate zones for men and women, a suite of 24-hour padel tennis courts and, of course, a children's club to entertain younger guests. We feel we have been transported to a gentler, quieter place for our stay.

It all feels so sheltered and secluded that we’re not prepared for the scale and grandeur of our suite. Our host opens the door and our jaws drop. The King Junior suite is nothing short of palatial. With maximum use of natural materials, it blends traditional architectural elements with modernist flair.

The furniture is in highly polished wood, all smooth surfaces and restful lines, with thick cream cushions. The headboard and benches use traditional rattan weaving. And the soaring double-height ceiling is composed of perfectly aligned bamboo canes making a gorgeous golden zigzag.

But the showstopper is one wall composed entirely of floor-to-ceiling sliding French doors. At the press of a button, the sweeping floorlength curtains open to reveal our private patio with our own private temperature-controlled swimming pool, a miniature of the one at the centre of the resort, all sheltered behind green hedges.

It's lunchtime and at Maysan, that means one thing: La Casa, which literally means home and features a carefully curated menu of homemade Italian classics. We start with a light summery artichoke salad. The artichoke is sliced almost translucently thin, layered with curls of rocket leaves, sweet semi-dry cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and parmesan slivers. Alongside it, one of my weaknesses, baby calamari, fried just moments before, tossed with salt and lemon zest and piled high with baby cress, ready for hungry fingers to swoop in and plunge the pieces into homemade tartar sauce. In a broad blue platter, shaped like a shell, are stacked majestic king prawns, grilled and topped with fresh tomato salsa. This is one of our mains and we mop up the dressing with warm rosemary bread. Then a moment of drama: a beaten copper pan arrives, billowing steam and dry ice. Inside it, chargrilled lamb chops criss-cross with roasted aubergines. The fat is perfectly caramelised, the meat just blushing pink, tender and lean. We wash them down with a couple of Maysan's original mocktails that we take back to the suite to prepare for this afternoon's treat – a relaxing time at the spa. The Maysan Spa is a sanctuary within a sanctuary. If the resort as a whole evokes the urban oasis of a walled garden, this effect is redoubled as soon as we walk through the spa doors. Treatment rooms are arranged around a previously concealed internal courtyard. Leading off this space are seven private treatment suites, each with a bathroom and changing room. There are separate sauna and steam-room facilities for men and women and a truly spectacular Hammam in emerald green marble. Maysan Spa's facials use only cellular cosmetics from the Swiss line Valmont, while massages are with award-winning British brand Aromatherapy Associates.

We are treated to Maysan Spa's twist on my favourite hot-stone massage. This one is not with the usual volcanic black basalt but with another wellness wonder material: pink rock salt from the high Himalayas, hand carved into smooth palm-sized pebbles. It's a material known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, believed even to improve mood through the emission of negative ions.

The massage begins with gentle stretching of the limbs. The salt stones are then placed resting along my spine, pressed and manipulated along each limb. These glowing crystals carry the healing power of heat through my body. Their concentrated pressure and warmth relieve my tired and aching limbs, revitalising my nervous system. It's a feeling of renewal, as much mental and emotional as physical. Afterwards, we take our time relaxing in the spa's elegant lounge over fresh ginger tea and apricots. After a nap, we change into our evening best and follow our noses back to the restaurant, where delicious smells emanate. We begin with a carpaccio of Wagyu beef and whole burrata cheese on a bed of sweet cherry tomatoes and tiny black Leccino olives.

Our main courses are particularly impressive. The pasta is a graceful twist of Tagliolini al Nero di Seppia – the pasta is black, made with squid ink and loaded with the flavours of the sea, fresh mussels and prawns tossed with garlic and sweet tomatoes. The second act is known as Orecchio di Elefante or elephant's ear: a prime cutlet of tender veal, on the bone, beaten until thin and broad, breaded with a herbed crumb and then flash fried. We sleep deep and wake early, sweeping the curtains aside to show a perfect blue-skied spring day. Our room has its own espresso machine, so we make strong shots just the way we like them and take them outside to the loungers by our private pool to let sunlight and caffeine gently bring us to life. Breakfast is served on the broad terrace looking out over the main swimming pool and palm avenue. The sun warms us without dazzling as we sip foaming cappuccinos and an energising concoction called The Fountain of Youth, a blitz of orange, raw honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon, ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper. We share an avocado toast, topped with two perfectly poached eggs on a base of whipped ricotta, garnished with sliced purple radishes. And because alongside a little virtue, we could also do with a little indulgence, we polish off a pistachio french toast dusted with icing sugar and topped with fresh berries. Thus fortified, we hit the pool. Settled under a blue-and-white striped umbrella with a good book and a cold drink resting on the marbletopped table beside us, I feel that elusive state of inner peace usually only achieved in the comfort of your own home. We never want to leave this idyll. The sun moves across the sky, dappling the water with light and shade through the fronds of the palms. We wait until the shadows start to lengthen across the pool again before reluctantly saying goodbye – or until next time. www.hilton.com/en/hotels/dohpaol-maysan-doha

ىلع شورفم اتاروبلا نبجو ،ويجاولا .ريغصلا دوسلأا ونيكيل نوتيزو ةولحلا

اتسابلا .صاخ لكشب باجعلإل اريثم ناكف ييسئرلا he act of eating is one of the most awakening experiences that we can embrace. It can bring back memories and expose us to new sensations. This sentiment could not ring truer than it does at La Table Krug by Y at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain. To say it was a memorable culinary journey wouldn’t do it justice, so I will try to transform the tastes, textures and emotions I encountered into words.

To put very simply, every part of this luxurious dining experience will touch your soul. And here’s how…

As soon as I arrived at the exclusive and private restaurant, which seats just 16 people, the iconic Yann Bernard Lejard, Director of Culinary and Food and Beverage, greeted me. He oversees all 14 dining venues at the hotel, but La Table Krug by Y (he is the Y in the name) is where you are exposed to his personal skills and brilliance. The space is an ode to luxury with velvety chairs, wooden panels on the walls and cute little lamps creating the perfect ambience. In the middle of this unique space lies Yann’s portrait and right under it, a pedestal holds his most recent project, a massive book. An imposingly beautiful volume with a fantastic compilation of images that evokes Yan’s passion for art using the medium he knows best: food. The book, a collaboration with Brazilian photographer Sergio Coimbra, is a concept that extends the definition of live painting to an understanding of a living painting where the work is transformed each day, creating new beginnings.

Yann is, first and foremost, a creative mind. We are just lucky that he expresses his artistic talents through food. However, despite plating and playing with volume, colours and textures, his creations taste like food – comforting food. Somehow, he develops a culinary art movement which involves the senses without losing the real nature of the food. His dishes take you to new heights exposing your taste buds to unexpected sensorial experiences.

The first amuse-bouche was a large piece of sourdough bread with fennel and cumin seeds paired with saffron butter (my dining companion and I kept it next to us throughout the entire meal). The bread had the perfect crunchiness on the outside and a soft and moist interior. I love fennel seeds in bread and cakes (it takes me back to my childhood and the corn cake I used to eat); the flavour was just delightful. The second, a creamy textured pea soup adorned with caviar, was served atop an impressive glass dome, and a beef bruschetta on a fried brioche base rounded off the small plates, giving us a flavourful introduction to this food voyage.

From the First Things First section on the menu, we had the #Playwithfire (the names of the dishes are very original), which consisted of duck foie gras cooked at a very high temperature, placed on top of caramelised seasonal fruits and plated with vibrant yellow mango coulis. My dining companion was delighted with the cooking style and over the moon that she could have the whole piece to herself. I did try the fruits and they had a beautiful smoky hint. www.ltkby.com

We also had the #Groundreality, a visually striking dish that looked like a natural painting. It was composed of local vegetables, such as zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, radish and more, with different colours and textures due to the diverse cooking methods, complemented by a pea velouté. They tasted fresh and each bite revealed their true nature and flavours. I believe this is how you should treat vegetables, respecting their composition when cooking. The #Wildwildeast finalised the appetiser feast with a big ravioli filled with assorted mushrooms bathing in an intense truffle sauce. The foamy white sauce made with whipped cream hid the mushroom reduction (with delicious pieces of smoked mushroom) and the base of the ravioli, so all we could see was a ball of stuffed pasta –such a playful dish. I absolutely love truffle oil, but it is a tricky item that needs to be used with wisdom. Yann knows his ingredients intimately, so his hand on the oil was just spot on. The fragrance hit our nostrils before touching our taste buds and this sensorial experience made it even better.

The mains are creatively called Unpredictable Climax. The first dish was the #Tribute, which consisted of a salmon soufflé accompanied by scallop mousseline, caviar, beurre blanc, zucchini pearls and chives. While going back to this experience, I thought I wouldn’t be able to highlight one dish as my favourite, but I can. The scallop mousseline was it. It was so airy and comforting, with well-balanced flavours and consistency. I remembered my words to Yann: “I could live in this little pot”. The other main was the #Pureinstinct with U.S. beef tenderloin centre-cut, white pepper foam and teriyaki sauce teamed with a velvety mashed potato. The meat was, as expected, cooked to perfection, with a dark brown searing and buttery smooth interior. The white pepper foam added a touch of complexity to the overall taste without overpowering it. For dessert, first, we were served a dish that resembled a stone – the large, smooth pebbles one sometimes finds on the beach. Cracking the black chocolate shell and finding a creamy lemon custard interior with delicate flavours was amazing. La Table Krug by Y stands out for the surprise elements, and this would be repeated with the Reminiscing The Sweet Story, a magnificent dessert trolley with an assortment of mouth-watering treats. From the most exquisite fruit Charlotte cake (a recipe from Yann’s mum and a must-try) to tarts, fruits in syrup, bonbons, cake pops and so much more.

The desserts vary from time to time and that day, we had the Ile Flottante (Floating Island) in the selection, which consists of a floating meringue on crème anglaise topped with almond shavings. It was so delicious that even Yann couldn’t resist and served some for himself joining us to chat about food, art and how he is transforming the culinary scene wherever he goes. His creations are full of passion that is translated into every single dish and concept.

The restaurant serves a high-end dining experience without losing the intricate flavours and warm touch that homemade food should give us. If you are looking for extraordinary, you now know where to go.

ةأمكلا ةصلص يف قراغ عونتملا رطفلاب ءيلملا ريبكلا يلويفارلا ةميركلا نم ةعونصملا ةيوغرلا ءاضيبلا ةصلصلا .ةفيثكلا نخدملا رطفلا عطق دوجو عم( رطفلا ضافخنا تفخأ ةقوفخملا ةرك وه هارن ام لك ناكف ،يلويفارلا ةدعاق تطغ امك