For all those plagued by the eternal weekend question – where to dine out (and all those lazy ones who seek guidance on weekdays too) – go on to Instagram and follow restaurants.om for a list of places to suit your palate and your budget.
“Our objective is to help people find the right restaurants and support restaurant owners to make people aware of their outlets – especially the new ones,” states Ibrahim Al Busaidi, a specialist restaurant reviewer with plans to initiate a website and venture into food festivals to flavour the food scene in the county. “I am also planning to go beyond Instagam to expand my work and reach to more people,” he states.
According to him, the local food scene does show signs of improvements, but there is a gap when compared to other countries in the Gulf. “There are attempts to improve things, but the focus needs to be on the quality of food and prices, which will show that we are on par with other Gulf countries. The coming years will, of course, prove that we are better,” he maintains.
Although many people are inclined to dine out, at least once a week, there has been a fall in numbers, he observes. “We have learnt from restaurant owners that there has been a quantifiable decrease in the numbers in recent times. Many restaurants are seeing a huge difference between now and previous years. This could be blamed on the fluctuating oil prices, as people today tend to think several times before spending money,” he explains. He agrees that diners today are savvy and demanding, which is why restaurants too are polishing their shows. “Restaurant owners are thinking about new ideas to present the food; there is an obvious focus on spending money to find good quality food to serve,” he opines.
According to him, savvy or otherwise, customers choose a restaurant depending on three main factors: food price, quality of food and restaurant service. And this is possible, thanks to apps and social media.
“Many customers depend on Smartphone applications and social media posts before choosing a restaurant. Their decisions are based on these reviews, as they can see the pictures of food and can also read how good or bad the food is. For example, if I want to choose a restaurant, I wouldn’t pick one where majority of the people have given it, say, a rating of 4 out of 10. I will choose the one that has a better rate,” he explains.
Personally, he has tried all cuisines – Omani, Indian, Iranian, Turkish, Spanish and European in general; also African, American, Mexican and Latino foods. “All of them are good, but I will not pick one and say ‘this is the best’, as each person has different taste. I would say, try what you like,” he suggests.
The availability of different cuisines in Muscat makes it a food heaven for dedicated foodies. The only drawback, he points out, is the lack of authentic food in some outlets. This is seen particularly when restaurants introduce foreign cuisines, but are not able to replicate the quality and taste. “If you have tried that dish in the country of its origin, you will immediately know it is different. It may be because of the chef’s ignorance or lack of ingredients, but there cannot be an excuse,” he states.
The presence of both international restaurants and affordable coffee shops in Muscat, however, is a big advantage for residents here, he notes, pointing out that it presents several options based on budget and taste.
