Ritz High Tea Thumbs Down

Madam Lily has gone, which is a shame because I quite liked Madam Lily.  Though her time in Saudi was short, she did leave an impression on those of us who waved her good bye not so long ago.  Perhaps one day she'll write  a little post about her experience here and share it on my blog (fingers crossed!) One of the things we loved about Madam Lily was the way she dealt with people and situations she felt weren't up to standard.  We usually got to see her in action when it came to coffee shops and restaurants.  The Ritz Carlton High Tea got a complete thumbs down from Madam Lily (and the rest of our group for that matter) when we went there late last year.

Our group of six didn't actually go to the Riyadh Ritz for High Tea.  Nope, we went for bowling, but as we'd arrived too early for the alley to be open, we decided to have a coffee.  High Tea was suggested by the staff.  We figured, why not spoil ourselves a little?  Oh, how we regretted that decision.

We sat outdoors, chatting beneath some lovely ancient looking trees while waiting expectantly for our treat.  Eventually three tea pots - 3 very small teapots - were soon placed on the table and their arrival caused a little confusion.  We looked at the pots, at each other, then at the wait staff wondering where the rest of the tea was.  Apparently this was it.  One tiny pot to be shared by two women.   Really?  Seriously?  Madam Lily was not impressed and we could see her warming up to take someone down.  More tea pots were asked for, a request that sent the staff into a bit of a spin.  You do get used to staff going into spins when asked for something out of the usual.  I guess 1 pot per person was unusual at the Ritz.

The food, when it arrived some time after our mini-tea pots, looked quite nice and we each chose a dainty piece to try.  Oh, how disappointed we were.  Bread was stale, the scones were tiny and hard, the jam made up of strawberries in a runny sauce just didn't work, and the German bread was moldy.  We  sat there testing, tasting, screwing up our noses and commenting in that way that ladies do when we are trying to decide how best to deal with the situation without seeming like snotty bitches.  When the staff asked if everything was OK, well, we just had to let them know what we thought and Madam Lily was firing on all cylinders with feedback delivered in that positive, yet firm, Madam Lily way.  

Here is Madam Lily's opinion of High Tea at the Riyadh Ritz:

"Considering that we are discussing afternoon tea at a five star hotel, the setting is gorgeous - an oasis garden with comfortable seating for 6 under beautiful mature trees.  The silver service with linen napkins and place mats is lovely and set us up to expect a wonderful tea.  

But the food - None of the ladies oooohed or aaaahed when the food arrived.  There was silence.  When we made a choice of what to eat it was done rather reluctantly.  I chose a circle of white bread with a large shrimp atop adorned with a gloup of pinkish sauce.  After my first timid bite I discovered that the bread was old and stale and hard.  I removed the shrimp and, after scraping off the mystery sauce, ate and enjoyed the shrimp.  I wasn't willing to try any more of the savories but did try  a small piece of Louise Slice.  It was nice and tasted homemade.  After that, I stopped while I was ahead as the ladies weren't happy. 

The tea itself (I had white) was lovely but was served well ahead of the actual 'tea' and one small pot was meant to serve two ladies.  Pathetic really.  They need to upsize the tea pots or provide a pot per person.  The small brownish scones were served with side condiments of custard, 3 halved strawberries in a sugar sauce semi cooked and cream that was left untouched as it looked like it was near butter….and speaking of butter….there was none.  I've never had a scone without butter - it just seems wrong.

The Ritz gets a score of 2 out of 10 from me and I feel that's generous.  There is no excuse for the quality of food that we were served and the processed cheese and stale bread really offended."  

Though the staff were attentive and accommodating and wanted to please, this was beyond their control and apologies from them were many.  We acknowledged that it wasn't the wait staffs fault, and they handled the situation quite well, deferring to someone slightly higher up the food chain.

One of them ran off to get us some fresh food.  The offering they returned with was cheese and tomato sandwiches (and plastic, processed cheese at that) obviously whacked together in a hurry, kind of like the sandwiches you make at home when you come in starving after a few hours gardening and just want something to wolf down.

The Ritz Calton High Tea in Riyadh was such a disappointment food wise and I have been loathe to recommend the place for their High Tea since.  However, I like to give people and places second chances, so one day I will rally the ladies to give high tea another go.  Just not today.


Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Bagels In Riyadh

Out by Granada Mall, next door to Centerpoint is a small, clean, tidy eatery that you may not give a second glance as you drive by, nestled as it is amongst the older small business shops around it. But if you love dense, chewy, handmade bagels then stop here you should.

Circles & Circles sells bagels. And coffee. But mostly bagels.  Freshly baked, round and chewy - just how I like them. 

I fell in like with bagels over 20 years ago.  Chewy and dense they were a bread with substance.  I've come across a lot of poor imitations since then.  New Zealand and Australia are fabulous places to live, but they don't really do Bagels.  The mass produced product that big business bakeries churn out should not be allowed to  put the word 'Bagel' on the packet!  Thin, weak and lacking any oomph, they are a total disappointment. 

I actually got to the point where I began to doubt the clarity of my memory with that first bagel experience.  Did I dream that big thick doughy bread!.  Today, at last, I found a bagel that I could say, 'Yes, this is how I remember Bagels'.   

They bagels are baked fresh each day in a little oven out the back.  The young bloke serving assured me that if I turned up around 7a.m. I could take photo's of him mixing the dough.  Much as I like taking photo's of my food, I also like sleep so those pics may be a while in coming.

I ordered a bagel with Halloumi and lots of other goodies as well as a couple of plain circles to take home and munch on later in the day.  To top off my morning, I was allowed to sit and eat in the shop, at the tables.  What a bonus.  I felt like a real person!   And the coffee was pretty good too.  Head out to Circles & Circles and see what you think.

Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Funky Kitchenation

Kitchenation has got to be the funkiest looking cafe in Riyadh.  I can't  believe it has taken me so long to find the place given it is in Tahalia Street.  Granted it is tucked away in the new Mira Hotel, between the more outdoorsy eateries of Zaatar wa Zeit and Elevation Burger.  It has also only been open in the last five months and in the past month I have been back twice - once alone, once with a group.

Walking through the reception area to the cafe you almost think 'this is going to be a boring, same old hotel cofffee shop'.  But then you walk around the corner and the color jumps out at you almost making you to stop and go 'Whoa'.   When I stepped over the threshold into the cafe proper for the first time I couldn't help smiling at the eclectic collection of colored chairs and cushions around wooden tables.  On the walls are shelves with a seemingly random display of knick-knackery, some old and historical looking, some used and pre-loved looking.  In their midst is a scroll of brown paper onto which is written philosophical sayings.  It's all quite eye-catching and well, funky.  Funky is not usually a word used to describe anything in Saudi.

On one side of the cafe is a counter with an array of sweets that you have to look at twice, just to make sure you were seeing things properly as each one is displayed on a colorful set of mis-matched trays and bases, with the sweets only identifiable by their hand written names on chunks of wood.  The pavlova dreams are huge.  As are the macaroons sitting in their crafty container that I still can't decide is a snake or hollowed out turtle!

The menu is just as colorful and has an almost childlike quality with quite an extensive selection for a hotel cafe.  Once seated the place mats are an entertaining game that keeps you occupied and engaged in laughter and conversation until your meals arrive.

As hotel food goes, it's pretty good - tasty and  well presented.  The Crispy Shrimp and the Crispy Shrimp Salad were both quite satisfying as Appetizers and perfectly cooked.  The Chicken Strips are good to share with others.  The pizzas are huge and a Doggy bag was required by our group at the end of our meal.  Being on a bit of a diet the day I went with friends, I opted for Chicken Caesar and liked having the breast of chicken at the side of my plate, juicily waiting for me to add it to the salad myself.

Not being on my diet the day I went alone, dessert was an absolute eye-candy treat.  And wouldn't you know it, that is precisely when my phone ran out of battery, so I didn't get to take a photo of it.  I'd chosen the smaller pavlova dream served with fruit and it came presented on a platter artfully decorated into a chocolate and sauce flower.  I sat admiring at it for a few minutes wondering if I should go and recharge the phone to take a photo - and decided perhaps I could come back another day for this dessert and make sure I bring my camera!

I've enjoyed not only my meals at Kitchenation, but the environment.  It would be great if the funky surrounds also came with relaxed smiling service.  Not that the service didn't come with a smile.  It did.  But it's just that this is Saudi Arabia and the wait staff in most dining spots always look in fear of losing their jobs if they say something wrong or drop a fork.  A bit of jocularity along with the Kitchenation order taking wouldn't go amiss in one of the more distinctive cafe's I have come across in Riyadh.

Lunch Menu At Ketchup

Have you been to Ketchup lately? I know it may have received less than rave reviews from me in the past, but they have done a bit if work on their menu, food quality and even their decor so the saucy red interior isn't quite so saucy. And they have a new set lunch menu that I've been back for more than once.

For a set menu there are three price levels,  from 39 - 59sar, and each level has three meal choices.  The lunch consists of a drink, (choosing from a number of fruit juices or sodas), breads, soup (with two types on offer), a small salad and the mains. 

The more you decide to pay, the more substantial the meal. Today I had the 39SAR with club sandwich and it was more than enough to satisfy my hunger. 

If you are looking for lunch in pleasant enough, often quiet surrounds (as not many people rock up here for lunch) give Ketchup a go.  Let me know what you think. 

Your's in Moblogging Joy

Kiwi 

Golden Brown Cupcakes in Riyadh

The other day I was talking to a bloke about muffins and cupcakes.  'Oh', he said.  'Golden Brown is the best' and he got no argument from me.  Cupcakes and muffins are not usually my cup of tea but then, a couple of years ago, I was introduced to Golden Brown creations and took a real fancy to the mini-cupcakes.  It's not just that they are rather cute with their little iced carrots and bananas sitting prettily atop the cupcake! They're also quite delicious.  It's nice to hear other people still think so after all this time.

Over the last couple of years, more than a few cupcake and muffin shops have opened in Riyadh city central and, being a nosey parker, I've popped in to peruse, and occasionally purchase, the baked treats on offer.
Unfortunately, not all the goodies carried home to be shared with Hubster were as Yummy as the pretty frosting decorations would have you believe.  Many of the large muffins had a mass-produced plastic taste and those piled high with icing are sickeningly sweet.  I was about to give up bothering with The Great Muffin Movement taking Riyadh by storm (a category into which I also lump cupcakes) when I discovered the mini-cupcakes that hail from Golden Brown, an establishment on the corner of Dhabab and Thalatheen, right next to the Family Basket Pharmacy. 

It was, in fact, at the house of Louise that I first laid eyes on a Golden Brown mini-cupcake and I admit I wasn't expecting much.  Even though our hostess with the mostest was waxing lyrical about their delectable-ness, I was somewhat dubious as cakes and bakeries are a dime a dozen in this desert city where a sweet tooth is the norm and obesity must think it's at a fun park!  These mini-cakes had eye appeal, certainly, but they were just so darned small.

But great things come in small packages.
Isn't that what they say?
And the frosting on these little cherubs, made with cream cheese so I hear, is just delish!

Usually these cupcakes are bought by the box and carried carefully to whichever gathering is on the agenda for the day.  (It is not unknown for Mr Noor and I to sample at least one of these tasty morsels on the way to our destination, hence the need to buy a couple of extra's whenever an occasion calls for these sweet treats).  But if you have nowhere to go, or just fancy spoiling yourself (as I did this morning), there is a small space for women only to sit and munch on a cupcake, or three, with mosaic decorated wrought iron seats and tables reminding one of lazy, blue sky days on rough stoned outdoor patios next to an over-grown wild sown garden.  It's just a pity there's no garden in sight.

Golden Brown bakery also sells other bite sized goodies but, to be honest, I only go back for the mini-cupcakes because they make excellent dainties to take along for an afternoon tea visiting friends when the idea of baking sends me into cringing spasms which, these days, is fairly often.  Go try them out.  Let me know what you think.


Where is Golden Brown Bakery?

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Ka Kite,
Kiwi

38 Again

Tomorrow, I might be 38 - again.
I've been bouncing between 36 and 38 for the last couple of years, and no, I'm not talking bra size.
Do you remember the day the Spice Girls met Nelson Mandela and Ginger told him 'You're as young as the girl you feel'?  Well, every year on my birthday (which is tomorrow in case you've woken up a bit slow this morning) how young I feel on waking determines how old I intend to be that year.

Today I feel 38, but who knows...if I have an awesome day today and an excellent sleep tonight, waking up with more of a bounce in my step than a cramp in my calf, I might feel 36 again.  Feeling 26 would be awesome, but I've seen more of the world of late which has caused me to grow up a little too much to go back there again, and really, the current lack of collagen under the skin makes believing that a bit of a stretch even for me when someone asks 'So, how many years is that now?'...as if anyone rude enough to ask is actually going to get the truth!

Hubster thinks my maturity levels could still do with more growth, but he's been collecting Grumpy Old Man tickets recently (I sense he's feeling his age - if he adopted my methods I'm fairly certain he'd feel much younger!) and I admit to entertaining myself razzing any of his silly 'Grow Up' suggestions and scowly looks. (Very mature of me!).

Given that kitchen duty at our place belongs to moi, my guess is we'll be heading out for dinner tomorrow evening, probably to our local favourite Chinese place, and order something Tepanyaki to get the Yummy Yummy experience in lieu of a 'Happy Birthday' song.  (At Gate of Jazeera you get Yummy Yummy with any Tepanyaki order, unless it arrives during salah when drumming spoons and shouting 'Yummy Yummy' would not be appropriate).

A couple of years ago singing the 'Happy Birthday' song in restaurants got banned in Saudi by the Fun Police.  The creative types in the country came up with alternatives to the actual song, so now in some establishments you can get a Happy Birthday clap rhythm with associated rap lyrics - something along the lines of

'[clap, clappity, clap, clap clap]
Happy Happy Birthday
[clap, clap, clap. Clap, clappity, clap, clap, clap]
Have a Happy Birthday
[clap, clap, clap],
 Happy Happy Birthday
 [clap, clap, clap],
Happy Happy Birthday [pause] to you'. 

 (Obviously the creative types aren't into original lyrics).

Those new to Saudi who don't realize that celebrating birthdays by singing little ditties is frowned upon are slightly baffled at the rap version of Happy Birthday that accompanies their birthday cake as its carried ceremoniously through diners, with candles ablaze, and placed in front of the surprised and blushing recipient.

Never having been a fan of the rap genre, there is something missing from all the clapping and chanting - oh yes, melody!   And we outgoing types who usually like to join in such festive musical interludes, because its great sharing other peoples joy, happiness and positive vibes, find contributing to the clappity adaptation a little difficult because each location tends to serve up its own rap version.  Anyway, in lieu of the singing Happy Birthday experience or the rappity clappity, I'll settle for Yummy Yummy and marvel at the fact I'm still in Saudi when, once again, I turn 38 - or thereabouts.



Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Hello, Hello Food

Have you seen Hello Food?
Have you tried it?
If you have, what do you think of it?
I can tell you, I'm impressed!

I'd noticed HelloFood ads popping up on Facebook and, apart from registering the fact that someone was doing a persistent advertising campaign, I didn't pay them much attention.  That is until an email landed in my business inbox asking if I'd heard of them.  'Well', I had to say to myself, 'yes I have'.

Then I read they were a food delivery website.
I've always wanted to start a food delivery business, so clicked over to take a look.
They deliver takeaways.  (Or Home Delivery as the folks in these parts like to call it!)

Now, it just so happens that, a couple of weeks back, Hubster and I were discussing, yet again, the need for someone in this country to take the current home delivery service by the neck and give it a good shake up. And Hello, what do ya know, it looks like someone had the same idea.

Any non-Arabic speaking expats who have ever ordered home delivery in Riyadh know what I'm talking about.  It's a bit of a process.   Here's how things usually go for us...

Home Delivery Saudi Style
If we don't have the contact details of the particular restaurant we fancy ordering from saved in our mobile, or their brochure isn't stacked in the kitchen sideboard with the rest of the food menus, then we have to look the place up online.  Chances are the home delivery numbers are not apparent on the home page.  (What's with that!).  So, being persistent types, we dig into the depths of the website and, Hey Presto, there's a phone number.  But, Unpresto, it's the number for head office.  (Saudi's love advertising Head Office for some reason.)  

Obviously, Head Office doesn't answer their phone around dinner time! 

Finding the right number is only the beginning of the 'Saudi Home Delivery' saga.  Then, we have to hope whoever answers the phone speaks a smidgen of English.  Or understands our very badly pronounced Arabic, and speaks slowly.  

(Note to Arabic speakers answering phones - when we say 'Arabi shway shway' - that means PLEASE SLOW DOWN.  We have no idea what you just said in your rapidly spoken native tongue.  Work on the premise we are imbeciles.  Go - one - word - at - a - time.  Not one sentence at a time.  One WORD at a time).   

Of course the process isn't helped when Hubster, who knows not to ask for anything outside the square, because communicating it can be excruciating, always does!  (I just roll my eyes...) 

 

 We have discovered that the English speakers at the other end of the line have usually only learnt the English for the menu they are responsible for.  Outside the square requests result in 'One minute', silence, a click and then 'Your order please' - meaning, the operator is starting from number 1 on the 'How To Take An Order' checklist he/she has in front of them.

And that's only for places that utilize dedicated call centers with a script. Many don't.  Usually you're just talking to the guy at the counter, busy with other customers and sounding harrassed.

Once you've ordered the food, you then have to explain your location.  The larger food franchises have a system in place for identifying repeat callers and their addresses. 'You live The Compound?' 'Yes, we live The Compound'.  Fabulous. Issues only arise when we aren't calling from The Compound and instructions for a new delivery address have not only to be given, but understood!

For smaller companies, Caller ID is non-existent and getting our message across is a real art...or extremely frustrating depending on which one of us has the phone! But we are nothing if not persistent, so persist we do. Orders are made, words repeated, and repeated again, and corrected and, when the phone is hung up, we wait to be surprised by, and pay for, what actually arrives.  (Yes, we do pay if the order isn't quite right because we have chosen to live in this country, to not become proficient at the language and to order takeaways over the phone - so who's fault is it really, if weeny bits of information are lost in translation!)  

When the delivery guy is close he gives us a missed call, we call him back and, if he's at the gate, delivery is achieved, payment is handed over and that is Home Delivery, Saudi style. 

Occasionally though, things just don't go to plan.   

One night, after two hours, we gave up waiting and calling to see where our food was and walked up the road for a burger.  Our ploy to get Arabic speaking neighbors on the phone didn't work this time either as, not only did the guy on the other end not understand English very well, neither was he too hot at Arabic!  

The final call was the last straw.

What number? he asked, when I called again.  I repeated it, again. 'Where you live?  he practically shouted down the phone.  I told him, again, with what I believe to be perfectly clear, pigeon English/Arabic instructions.   'Coming' he said.  Fifteen minutes later, I get a call on my phone from someone I presume to be the Delivery Guy (woohoo), only to be sweet talked by some Arab bloke who stopped sweet talking and muttered something about 'delivery' the minute I handed the phone to Hubster who, not surprisingly, bellowed down the line.  (Companies who give out my phone number to their desperate and dateless mates won't be getting our patronage again!)

So it was, with that checkered history of home delivery in Riyadh on my mind, that I examined the HelloFood website with interest, and was impressed enough, hungry enough and lazy enough, to try it. And OMG! It's simple. It's stress free. And it works!

Basically, with Hello Food you order your takeaways online (or you can use their app), no fuss, no hassle, because they contact the diners and restaurants.  Their website is extremely simple to navigate and there's a huge range of restaurants participating, most preferring cash payment once the food arrives.  It's a bit of a wait (about an hour they reckon), however, the process is seamless.

Here's how our Hello Food home delivery went, last Tuesday.

At 19.20 I signed up online and placed my order - I know because they sent an email, in English, telling me that's what the time was.  (When you sign up you get to choose your language - Arabic or English). 

At 19.23 I received a phone call from a very well spoken, pleasant chap who introduced himself and laughed at my obvious surprise that, one he spoke English very well and two, he'd responded so quickly.  He was checking the address, and directions to it, that I'd written on the form.  (One gets used to giving directions with ones address when one has lived in Saudi long enough to know that one should).  

At 19.29 a text message told me that the company whose food I'd requested was aware of my order, and would be at my door in about an hour.  

At 20.53 said company delivery guy gave a missed call.
I responded and Hey Presto - Dinner!  Delivery was a bit longer than the hour stated, and I was about to give them a call to say, 'Hey, what the?, but fortunately the food arrived before such a measure had to be taken.  And it was still hot! 

It sounds ridiculous, but tonight when it crossed my mind to order in again, I actually sighed a huge sigh of relief thinking, 'Crikey dicks, I can do this the easy way' - no boning up on my Arabic, no attuning my ear to thick accents, no guess work at all.  And over I clicked to the HelloFood page to peruse their Home Delivery options.
If you think I sound like I've become a fan overnight, you'd be right.
Try Hello Food.
See what you think.



Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Dining at 11A on the Eleventh Floor

We went to 11A restaurant on the recommendation of a Saudi friend over two years ago.  As I haven't been for a while I can only presume it is still there.

 Eleven A, if it still exists, is on the eleventh floor of Faisaliah Tower.  The veiw was lovely, decor not overstated and middle eastern buffet style food quite nice.  You could even sit outside on the balcony if you fancied, though the day we went was a little windy for outdoor dining.  My shots of the place leave a lot to be desired but give you an idea what to expect.  Those of you with vertigo issues might not want to sit next to the windows.  You can feel as if you'll drop through.

My only shot of the food. Isn't it terrible!  I must have been wanting to get at it.  Note to self - do not take pictures of food when hungry.

Now that I've dredged these photo's out of the folder on my computer, I may have to make a return trip to 11A  to see if anything has changed.


Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Anatolia Turkish Grill

Anatolia is a fabulous Turkish restaurant just off Tahalia St. If you did'n't know it was there you wouldn't know it was there.  We had the most delicious meal at Anatolia.  I would have loads of pictures, but I was far too interested in eating.  Here's a few shots I did get.

The Menu.  Very colorful.

Smiling Staff

Opening Hours, very important.

One of the many dishes we shared.

Dessert with shay on Turkish tiles.

Anatolia is bright and open with a great menu, excellent food and good service.  (Ok, so I can say that because we went at normal eating hours, not Saudi eating hours and were the only ones in the Family Section for quite some time).  Finding it behind Tahalia is your only issue, but once you do, you'll be back.  There is also a branch of Anatolia Turkish Grill in Granada Mall, though I prefer the one here, at Tahalia.

Directions to Anatoalia Turkish Grill, Tahalia St.

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Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Ketchup

Ketchup is another eatery on the strip after turning right at Mussah ibn Nasser.  The first time I went, which was a while back, I thought it was a little on the pricey side, however they currently have a rather tasty looking menu,
one of their 'Signatures' being New Zealand lamb.

It's the only place I've found Pear Salad in Riyadh.  A few too many greens were piled into the plate for my liking, but I admired them for the concept.  And it's one of the first (and few) places I found that offered Kumara (that's sweet potato to you other fullas) chips.  They were quite more'ish.

The family section is up top.  Ketchup bottles hang suspended from the ceiling as you traipse up the stairs and there's a huge red tomato at one end of the restaurant continuing the saucy theme.  The red lighting over the window seats gives the place a pinkish hue.  The windows are nice and large too, affording quite a view of the street if you have a mind to stand up and gaze out that way.   Its quite open a upstairs.  Lots of read and white decor.  And there's a tiny outdoor verandah too, though it's not for dining on.

Along with the Pear Salad I ordered a Pizza.  The lamb would have to wait for another day.  The pizza was quite delicious.

Not many people were in the restaurant this week night, though I believe on weekends they get quite busy.  Although Ketchup is close to home, we usually walk past it to the main drag.  They have toned down the 'dramatic' red colour that used to make the place shine out like an ambulance siren and which, I have to admit, is one of the things that turned us off going there for quite some time after our first experience.

This time was much better, though there is still something cool about the ambience that I can't quite put my finger on.  Ketchup to me says warmth and fun and spice and good times, tucking into left overs with your mates and making mums Roast Beef into huge tomato and meat sammies.  (Actually, Watties Tomato Sauce has those connotations - can't help it, I'm a Kiwi).  Ketchup just seems to have missed the mark for me, at the moment.

If, of course, you don't care about ambiance and want to try Ketchup for what's on the menu, then ignore anything I've just said and give it a go.  Will be interesting to hear what you think.

Directions to Ketchup

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Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Piatto

Piatto is another Italian Restaurant located along the Northern Ring Road.  It's huge sign is not easy to miss. We've been here a couple of times. It's quite roomy, set up like an Italian piazza, but indoors.

Little water fountains are spread throughout the open areas, upstairs and down.  The brickwork reminds me of a pizza oven
and the greenery growing out of it gives a nice touch of the outdoors, too.  There were even a couple of wayward birds flitting around in the very high ceiling one evening.

It's almost possible to fill up on the bread and salad they give you before your meal.  Don't eat too much though, the rest of the food is perfectly scrummy.

Piatto is worth a visit if you're feeling hungry.  If it wasn't so far away from us (taxi fares seem to be on the increase) we would probably go more often.


Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Tiramisu at Bateel

Being a bit of a Tiramisu freak, I tend to order it whenever it's on the dessert menu.  Yes, the Saudi version does lack a drop of liqueur, but I still have difficulty looking at other desserts when Tiramisu is around.

The other day, I enjoyed a deliciously creamy Tiramisu for breakfast at Cafe Bateel.
A great deal of control was exercised not to order another.  Plus Hubster was giving me a 'Don't you dare' stare.

Tiramisu probably isn't the best dietary choice for breakfast, but 'Hey', I said to Hubster, 'we only live once'.  He gave me that 'Chin Down, UnHappy Jowls, Whatever' look.

There is a reason he's less than pleased with my Breakfast Tiramisu.  We have promised ourselves (though it wasn't a 'Pinky Swear' which is why one of us may be having problems committing) that we would trim down after our food and beverage indulgent trip home recently.

It crossed my mind, with Hubster's critical eye frowning at my almost pout, that if I fancied Tiramisu for breakfast at Bateel in the future, I may have to go alone!

My friend K makes a delicious Tiramisu too, and last time I called round to her place she had whipped it up for our breakfast, along with a number of other treats.  She's a great cook K.  We also had cake with strawberry's and cream, cassava, an Asian chicken dish and blueberry muffins.

Hubster's query about my day with K didn't go into detail about the mouth watering, home baked delicacies that came out of her kitchen because I didn't want him to feel bad that he went to work and only had fruit for lunch.  (I'm fairly certain he appreciates me being so concerned about his dietary sensitivities like that).

The other day, when he suggested spoiling ourselves with Bateel for breakfast I didn't hesitate in agreeing it was a brilliant idea.  It had been a while since we spent the morning at Bateel and it was nice to see the place had plenty of patrons at that early mid-morning hour.  Many restaurants in Riyadh start with a whizz and a bang, then fizzle out in popularity because there are a huge number of eateries to choose from in this city when thoughts turn to food.  There are so many, in fact, that I heard talk the Foreign Investment Authority was thinking of cutting back on the number of licences it would dish out for food places.

It's good to see Bateel is still popular - probably owing to the quality of the Tiramisu.

Location of Bateel Cafe

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Sent from my Iphone wishing you a fabulous day :)


Ka Kite
Kiwi

Pauls For Lunch

Enjoying a turkey and Brie sandwich at Pauls on the outdoor verandah.
Awaiting my coffee and planning to order sweets.

As per my first visit to Pauls on Tahalia soon after they opened, the only truly disappointing aspect of my meal this day was the salad. Old brown lettuce leaves make you frown and go 'mmnnnooooo' and the offending leaves are picked up gingerly and flicked aside while a careful search is undertaken of all food on the plate for any other faults. There weren't any. Sandwich was munched while Arabic was studied.

It was interesting to note that, come salah, we diners were not left to our own devices as all staff made a mass exit to sit around outside, a practice we have come to expect at dining places. Instead, a skeleton crew was left behind to clear dishes from our tables and cater to some of our whims.  Its little things like this that indicate the little ways that Saudi is changing.  Having wait staff on hand today made me realize how abandoned we had been in previous years.

Although I'd intended to order sweets the sandwich was filling enough so I decided to do my waistline a favor and go without.  The tasty treats lined up in the display case near the door would have to wait for some other day, and I made do with coffee while contemplating what a good job Pauls had done creating their outdoor area.

The  verandah at Pauls is quite pretty lined with various plants and, though the large white umbrellas hide diners of the tender gender from view, they are still rattled by an occasional breeze to remind us we are enjoying an outdoor experience.


Sent from my iPhone because my computer is refusing to compute today!




Ka Kite,
Kiwi

The Villa Restaurant - Thai, Pinoy, Asian.

Mr Finland loves The Villa Restaurant in Aruba St.  He is of the opinion that The Villa Restaurant serves the best Thai food in Riyadh.

Not being a Thai food connoisseur I couldn't tell you if he's right about that, but the meal we had, which was considerable, was certainly consumed rapidly enough, always a good indication of whether or not the food is up to par.

My favourite because I love prawns

Hubster is a rice kind of guy.

Mr Finland had the rest.  Seriously!

The Villa Restaurant resides in a rather unassuming building located a long way from the main restaurant and shopping strip of Riyadh.  It reminds me of the busy Vietnamese restaurants you can find down Victoria St in Melbourne - a small place with hardly enough room to swing a cat,  very little attention to decor  (it's certainly not fancy), busy, quick turn over of customers and great tasting food.

Our meal all on a small table squished on a corner of the family section.

I'm guessing The Villa Restaurant  used to be a workers local and has undergone a huge surge in popularity over recent times  Their increased fame, however, has not gone to their heads - the place still looks like a local and, though the food is presented simply, its flavours continue to please the patrons, as do the prices.  In fact, knowing Mr Finland as I do, if this place didn't provide value for money, he wouldn't have a bar of it.

Mr Finland is actually a bit of star at The Villa Restaurant.  We discovered that he usually rocks up on his loudly revving Harley, gunning the engine, just a little, as he parks outside the singles section.  The night we tagged along with him the waiters were calling him Mr Broom Vroom and were rather surprised to see him in the Family Section with guests, as opposed to taking up space in the Singles Section.   As I mentioned earlier, he loves this place and is a frequent visitor.

The Villa Restaurant has the typical separation of the sexes to be expected of a dining establishment in Riyadh.  The Family Section spans through two rooms with the tables being set so close together you have to wind you way through the narrow passage, and you get the impression that increased volume of patrons required knocking down a wall into the neighbours place.  If the Family Section is a little crowded, the Singles, according to the boys, is more so.  Both can get very busy, especially on weekends.  But don't let visual impressions of the place put you off your goal.  Dinner.

The staff are kept on their toes filling orders, carting meals and piling the dish trolley to the rafters as they scurry about clearing away tables.  Even being so busy, they still manage to crack a joke, smile and wave as they realise they're in the line of fire of my point and shoot camera as I'm taking pictures of the opening hours sign.

Yes, if you are looking for a change from the glitter and cost of Tahalia St dining but don't want to miss out on tasty food, then The Villa Restaurant is definitely worth a visit.

Directions To The Villa Restaurant.

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Ka Kite,
Kiwi

Pear 'n Date Temptation at Bateel

Last night I enjoyed a delicious main meal of lamb loin on fava beans and artichoke in jus followed by a sweet pear 'n date temptation dessert.  The lamb was so tender and cooked to perfect medium rare - exactly as I'd asked.

Hubster ordered a seafood risotto he described as lovely, and the small sampling I snuck from his plate did make me go mmmmmm (yes I'm one of those terrible people who likes to try what everyone else has ordered) and then he devoured his dessert without having a clue what it was called, but it looked big and creamy which explains why it was the dessert that caught his eye from all those in the sweets cabinet.  He has a weakness for creamy things.  And big things.

With meals like these, and scrumptious desserts to follow, Bateel continues to be our dining experience of choice in Riyadh.


Ka Kite,
Kiwi