The popular Malaysian/Chinese restaurant Oriental Kitchen is one of more than a dozen restaurants that have been closed temporarily for violating Qatar’s food laws.
So far this month, at least 13 restaurants, cafes and eateries were closed between 10 and 30 days by the Ministry of Municipality and the Environment (MME).
Oriental Kitchen, on Al Khalidiya St. in Najma, was censured for having “unhygienic conditions” during spot checks last week. It was ordered shut for 10 days, according to the list of restaurant closures on MME’s website.
he restaurant, which is one of the few in town offering affordable, authentic Malaysian food, is due to re-open later this week.
Three other eateries in the Najma area have been closed this month for preparing food in unhygienic conditions and for storing items that are past their expiry date, inspectors said.
The local cafeterias, which were all closed by inspectors on the same day, were Four Star Restaurant, which serves Bangladeshi fare; Bombay Sweets and Thripthi Restaurant, which sells Chinese and Indian food.
They were all shut for 10 days each.
Al Sadd closures
Another Doha favorite, Amjad (Thai) Snacks, which is on Al Mirqab Al Jadeed St. in Freej Nasser, was shut down for 30 days for unhygienic conditions.
And Biryani Corner on the same street has been closed for 15 days for the same reason.
Further down the street, Al Muqbil restaurant and juice stall was also closed last week for 15 days for unhygienic conditions.
In nearby Bin Mahmoud, Jaal Broasted Chicken was shut on Nov. 6 for 10 days for having unhygienic conditions.
Expired and unfit to eat
Two cafeterias in Al Wakrah have also fallen foul of MME officials. Haneen Sweets and Nuts was closed today (Nov. 13) for 10 days for having food unfit for consumption.
Pictures posted on MME’s website showed packages of dried papaya and boxes of chewing gum, both of which were past their expiry date.
And at the beginning of the month, Shams Al Khaleej, which sells burgers, wraps and sandwiches, was censured for having food unfit for consumption and closed for one week. It has since reopened.
Close by in Barwa Village, Bakka Restaurant was closed on Nov. 3 for 30 days for having food that inspectors said was unfit for consumption.
Another cafeteria, Al Muhaizah in Al Maamoura, was closed last week for 10 days. And in Al Khaisa in northern Qatar, a branch of the chain Hot Teawas closed on Nov. 8 for 10 days for having food unfit for consumption.
A photograph on the MME’s site showed an insect in a customer’s meal.
These are the latest in an ongoing campaign by the ministry to enforce Qatar’s food laws for restaurants, grocery shops and food storage areas.
Officials have the power to close down establishments for up to two months and to name them on their website and in newspapers, although this is usually only done in Arabic.
