Every nation has that one dish which is synonymous with its country. As an Englishman, FACT’s Craig Ferriman can confidently say that, for the UK, it is most probably fish and chips. He takes a seat at The Frying Scotsman in the iconic Radisson Blu Hotel Doha to savour one of the best plates in town…

You may wonder why fish and chips is so special. I can’t really tell you why but nothing says home quite like the crispy batter and mushy peas that form part of this age-old offering. Living as an expat, you crave that sense of home yet hardly anywhere offers it. With possibly one exception, I can think of nowhere that serves up this taste of the British Isles until the Radisson Blu opened up a new restaurant in its hotel. They’ve called it the Frying Scotsman and that probably requires some explanation. It is a play on words. Almost a century ago, a new locomotive started transporting people from the capital of Scotland to the capital of England. It was called the Flying Scotsman and that’s because you could get from Edinburgh to London really fast.

In this new family-friendly restaurant, you can taste a slice of Britain without ever stepping on a train, plane but maybe an automobile. Get yourself to the Radisson Blu and you’ll have what Brits rate as one of our top takeaway treats cooked and served as a home comfort. We started our visit with some classics in the form of onion rings, sizzling shrimp skewers and some sensational scallops.

The thing you really go there for is the fish and the chips. The menu offers a choice of typically North Sea fish like cod and haddock as well as more local options like hammour and Nile perch. Naturally I had to choose cod and it tasted just how I remember it. The flakes of fish slipped apart like an accordion pulled apart at a folk dance. The batter has a hush-hush recipe which was a closely-guarded secret as good batter always is and though nobody would tell me, it was a secret worth keeping because it was commendable of the best a chip shop has to offer. It was crispy, it had flavour and it broke apart just right. A true connoisseur knows that mushy peas are a necessary accompaniment and they duly came although other side orders can be made like baked beans which my dining companion had. Tartare sauce comes as standard. I was amazed at just how authentic and accurate the kitchen got things right as non-native cooks but they deserve full credit for nailing it!

The service was sharp, attentive and highly friendly. Waitresses wore traditional tartan hats and skirts and a toy train set of a model Flying Scotsman careened around a miniature set above us while we ate

The thing that stood out was the price. This was affordably priced and not stupidly expensive despite being in a five-star venue. It felt very family-friendly and although we didn’t take the kids, it felt like the sort of place where we could have. Highly recommended! ✤

GO: CALL 4428 1428 FOR RESERVATIONS AND MORE INFORMATION.