What am I doing here, travel diary, day 14: “in-in” fasting, eating in a studio apartment and the discount that wasn’t there

It would not have been easy to write this travel diary on the day Argentina was eliminated from the World Cup. There was no other choice but to fill this space with a story that served to mitigate some of the bad mood. It seemed like an impossible mission, but it was our duty to try. Fortunately, the staggered He introduced himself and made our job a little easier.

Well, let’s get started. Nothing to do with football. That’s what the first pages of this sports supplement that we make with a lot of love (if we talk about the paper edition) or in the notes of the first scroll of this site are for.

Sorry if it bothers you, but it’s a recurring theme in our journey. We will talk about food again, even if we leave it behind the sad antinomy between local cuisine and its unpredictable spices and fast food, even with its equally unpredictable spicy versions. But, after a few days in Doha, with so many days in which lunches or dinners go on for a long time -like some time ago with the match between Argentina and Mexico which ended here at 12 in the evening and much later for us-, we decided to make a good meal to face well fasting in-in: intermittent and involuntary.

It was essential to carry out this project having found, much closer than we imagined, a small street where there are restaurants in minimalist places. In terms of dimensions they are all the same. I’m like a finished studio apartment. They have no more than five meters in front and are very deep. The show, in all cases, takes place for no more than six months. But the offer is very varied. It really is as if we are walking through Asian or Oriental cuisine in a 50m walk. Korean food, Thai food, Japanese food, Indian food and more.

We have already tried a couple of cuisines and the dishes, without being expensive, are very rich. The winner of the contest, so far, is the one for Japanese food. The rice variations and the shrimp and vegetable tempura stand out for their exquisite flavour. As I said elsewhere, it would be very nice to have it close to home and no more than 13 thousand kilometers to eat there more often.

So far this travelogue is plain and boring gastronomic review. You will say that it lacks a bit of mischief, some amusing story. Here’s one, though you might not enjoy it too much. And it came to me because of this talk about a contest.

This Saturday, before the game and following the old school football nutrition, we opted for pasta. Carbohydrates were needed to sustain a long day, despite everything we know and read about the harms of flour and how dangerous gluten is in diets. Obviously, we didn’t go to the walk we just told you about, but to an Italian restaurant that is inside a majestic shopping centre.

Spaghetti and gnocchi were the choices of this working group to arrive strong at Argentina-Mexico. Indeed, recommended. Highly recommended. However, the best came last. The restaurant manager came to our table once we asked for the bill. He had in his hands a kind of wicker basket. And his show has begun.

“We have a custom in our restaurant. All customers have the option of paying 15 percent less. Just choose a number from 1 to 90”, He described us with excessive joy. Next to him, the girl looked even happier. Nahuel picked 10, Adrián 11 and I picked 24. “I thought I’d pick 12,” she tells me with an almost inaudible chuckle.

Soon after, he started shaking the canteen-shaped basket and dropped a wooden number, one of those that accompany the lottery board game. 79 came out. In the end there were no discounts. But yes, a nice anecdote. Probably, if time allows us, we will go to the rematch. For pasta and that hope of eating 15 percent less. Now to continue encouraging Argentina.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

PS: Risks of this trade: This is how this travelogue would have started if things had gone badly against Mexico.

It’s not easy to write this travel diary on the day Argentina was eliminated from the World Cup. But there’s no other choice than to fill this space with a story that serves to temper the mood a bit. It seems like an impossible mission, but it’s our duty to try.