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When I fist moved into Doha, I was initially overwhelmed by the copious varieties of meat served at all restaurants. I learnt about the different cuts, cooking techniques and sauces that complement each unique dish. During my time in Sri Lanka I did eat meat, but it was usually fried or served as a curry. Needless to say it took some time to get used to eating grilled meat. Over time I’ve come to realize that if you’re living in the Middle East, you’ve got to love your meat as it’s served at almost all restaurants you walk into. But I never thought I would ever eat raw meat!

Having won a voucher, my husband and I visited the Lebanese restaurant Al Mourjan. While going through the menu items, my husband pointed out that they served raw meat. We both love trying new dishes, but were rather skeptical about the whole idea. Is it hygienic? Will it taste good? And lastly is it worth the money. Even though it was a free meal, the dish costed a whopping 120 qar. 

After much contemplation, I tried raw meat for the first time and it was not that bad. The dish, pictured above is called ‘Fraki Nayeh’ and is made out of raw lamb, cracked wheat, mint and spices. I packed home the leftovers and did a before and after cooking shoot/taste for comparison. The cooked meat tasted like kafta while the raw meat was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. 

Prior to walking into Al Mourjan, I was not aware that meat can be eaten raw. Having tried it I must say that I did enjoy the experience, but if I had to choose between eating my meat raw or having it cooked, I would choose cooked. Like most innovative dishes, it makes for an excellent first time experience (so do try it if you come across it), but it’s not something that you would enjoy on a regular basis.