While what to eat or not to eat is a personal choice, the idea that food can make the difference between fun and boredom this summer, is what Salim Khamis Alaraimi* of Oman Restaurant Guide (ORG) captures in the following interview. ORG is one of the biggest Instagram pages specialising in guiding people to the best restaurants and cafes for eating out in Oman. “We at Oman Restaurant Guide seek to list restaurants and set them under one umbrella. The restaurants are categorised and hash-tagged based on their location, which simplifies the way for intagrammers to reach their favourite restaurant,” explains Salim.
Following are the excerpts from an interview on eating out this summer:
What are the dining options in Muscat during the last phase of summer?
There is no doubt that dining out is a pleasure in itself, with people choosing the best restaurant to eat and have fun, with family and friends.
In Muscat, summer is generally not a big obstruction for people when planning to go out to eat, as most restaurants are usually prepared to receive customers in an air-conditioned environment, away from the heat of the weather. However, there are certain options that seem more acceptable for people when deciding to eat outdoors during summer. Among these are restaurants that are located inside the malls and large shopping areas. They usually offer delicious food and quality service in a cool place, away from the hot summer sun. This applies to even those that are located in the food courts of malls, as the mall offers suitable seating for customers to eat. What also encourages people to choose restaurants within the malls is the time and effort that it saves them. After spending a good time shopping, they can go and eat in the food court, without bothering to find a restaurant outside the mall.
Another major option that is available in Muscat for dining out during the summer period is the restaurants within the hotels. They are high priced, but have distinct choices. Most of these restaurants serve buffet-style food, which is an attractive option for many people. Dining options in an open buffet is usually suitable for the summer season, where people prefer to stay away from dishes that increase body temperature and where cold appetisers are served along with ice creams and cold juices.
What would you personally recommend to stay cool?
Due to high temperature and high humidity in the summer, it is recommended after dining, at home or out, to eat ice cream or drink cold natural juices, which are available in several places in Muscat, especially in Al Khuwair and Bausher area, as well as several malls. I personally recommend going as far as possible to savour coffee and tea from popular joints. Relaxing in well-known coffee shops such as Costa Coffee or Starbucks, choosing cold drinks with a piece of cake, is a better choice this summer.
What do you think about Muscat’s growing eating out scene?
It is clear that dining out in Muscat is increasing day after day. With the growing number of malls, there has been a parallel increase in restaurants and kitchens from different parts of the world. Restaurants have become popular destinations for many people owing to the wide choice of dishes offered in elegant settings. All this is a magnet for most people, especially those who do not have time to prepare food in their house.
As active Instagrammers, we can say that social networking programmes are becoming a common attraction for people to experience dining out. It is rare to find a restaurant today without having an account in Instagram or on other social media platforms, displaying the best foods they have on offer. Most restaurants have created channels to connect their restaurant with customers to market their products in a public platform. With the increasing number of users of social networking programmes, searching for restaurants and cafes has become a significant feature of these programs.
* Salim Khamis Alaraimi’s interest in food has taken him overseas to savour different cuisines and tastes from Italy, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia and others. He also likes to cook and prepare dishes tried overseas, with the help of resources from Google.
