Weighing Fatburger

I interrupt our travel series for something important: The Pink Tarha blog lacks food posts and so we're bringing you one today. :P

I bet you already know Fatburger. Their stand-alone restaurant in Takhasussi Street was the first one we've seen and we remembered that day when we all excitedly went there, craving for internationally-acclaimed burgers, only to be stupefied by an opening soon restaurant. Hahaha. Excited much kasi. Surprisingly, when it finally opened, it was only Shoegarfreeruby who had the opportunity to go and eat there. Eyecandy and I had to wait for the opening of their stall in the food court of Kingdom Mall, which actually took quite a while to open too, to have a taste of their infamous "biggest, juiciest" burgers. 

Ready for some serious munching!

I'm all for simple burgers.

A drizzle of hot sauce makes this spicy?

Nomnomnom.

Delightful!

The Fatburger table

We know you got quite hungry from the photos (don't deny it!). The burgers are really beautiful and enticing especially for the hungry. However, we just had one thing to say about Fatburger's burgers: nothing out of the ordinary. The patty is bland (I do not favor hamburgers that rely on condiments for taste). And the burger is expensive if you consider paying SR23 for a single patty burger with drinks and fries. I can already get 2 patties from a burger joint in the same food court, sometimes even at a cheaper price. As for the other items in our table... the spicy chicken sandwich was okay. As you can see, the chicken fillet was larger and longer than the bun and it was quite juicy too. The chili fries were loaded with toppings but we left half of it uneaten so I guess the leftover can speak for itself. As for the strawberry milkshake, it was thick and yummy and sweet. They said that the fat fries could whoop any fries' ass so maybe we'll try that next time.

Fatburger is not bad at all but it's not extraordinary too so what shall we do with it? Haha. Well, we will probably visit once in a while. But they should step it up! There's no scarcity of burgers in Riyadh but there are a few more burger joints opening soon! You bet The Pink Tarha ladies will be there to taste them for you. ;)

Fatburger

Al-Bustan Center, Takhasussi Street | Food Court, Kingdom Mall

(soon to open in Riyadh Gallery's food court)

T: 01-215-4176

Sundrenched

Happy Birthday P!

Today is the special day of our beloved co-blogger and friend, Sampaguita Pride! 

We just found out that this is the first time that we'll be greeting her on our blog as last year, she and E were both on vacation in the Philippines at this time and celebrated there together instead. 

Proof of how far back E and P go.

To those just catching up with our blog, P was the most recent addition to our group since M left. She and E actually grew up together in Riyadh and is now working here as well. She is one dynamic lady being a teacher, toastmaster and a recent graduate of a Masters Degree in Development Communication. On top of all that, she is also a dutiful daughter and a loving big sister to her siblings. 

She LOVES being a Teacher!

She's often mistaken to be Korean or Chinese because of super fair skin and chinky eyes, but this lady is a very proud Filipina. She's also eco-friendly, creative and adventurous!

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY P! 

 

You are blessed beyond belief and it only gets better from here. 

Congratulations on your MA! We're so proud of you!

Much love from your Pink Tarha sisterhood! 

E. S. R.

The Jeddah Weekend (2 of 3)

The first thing I did when we woke up on a glorious Thursday morning in Jeddah is to look in our window to see the lagoon. I've been itching to do this the moment we arrived in our room at the Red Sea Palace Hotel but of course, I couldn't see anything at 9 in the evening, or all of the evening for that matter. The view is not that breathtaking but it's enough to make me happy. We don't have this in Riyadh. We may have wadis (rivers) but they're dry for the most part of the year and they're far from the city center. I took photos of our view immediately.

A panoramic shot via iPhone

A peaceful lagoon

8:00AM Starting The Day Right

After preparing for a full day ahead, we went down to the hotel brassierie (Al Bouhaira Restaurant) for a quick breakfast. We chose a spot near the glass walls overlooking a pocket garden. There were lots of bread in the buffet but few viands. I enjoyed the freshly cooked omelet.

Breakfast is ready!

Where's the fried rice?! Diet ateh?

Freshly-fried omelet

Our first agenda for the day is to buy abayas. We know, you might be wondering... "Bakit sa Jeddah pa? Ang dami naman sa Riyadh!" (Why buy in Jeddah? There are many in Riyadh!) It piqued my curiosity too when I first heard Filipinas going to Jeddah whose main purpose in going there is to buy abayas. They said that Jeddah's abayas are cheaper and their designs and styles are different from the other parts of Saudi Arabia. Since they're less conservative and more tolerant, their abaya designs and styles are quirky and fun: more embellishments, colors, and drapes. Of course, black is still the overall color.

Free wifi at the lobby while deciding where to go next

9:30AM Abaya Hunting in Bawadi Souk

We were supposed to be driven around by a Filipino taxi driver that was suggested to us but he claimed over the phone that we can just go to the nearby Balad Commercial Center and be done with it. I had to disagree because I know Eyecandy, who was in Jeddah two weeks before we did, said that the popular abaya souk was quite a drive from the center. R and I decided to hail a cab outside the hotel and asked the driver to take us to "Badawi souk", as E mentioned. He eyed us curiously and asked, "Badu souk?!" "No, Badawi souk!," we chimed in. Our driver is a Yemeni who has a friendly face and mild demeanor. He proceeded in telling us, in his halting English, that the abayas in the nearby Badu souk is not worth it. If we want, he'll take us to Bawadi souk a few kilometers away from Balad. And that's when it hit us that it was indeed "Bawadi" instead of "Badawi." Haha.

Hey, we have this mini bus in Riyadh too! 

On the way to Bawadi, our driver (Maher) got to talking. He asked where we came from and when he heard "Riyadh," he immediately tsk tsked and said "Riyadh mushkila, Riyadh mushkila!" over and over. Without even an explanation, we already understood his thoughts and sentiments. Anyway, he was nice enough to slow down at roundabouts so we can see and take photos of Jeddah's famous street installations.

Larger than life bicycle

Is this science-related? Hehe.

These sculptures make Jeddah one of the biggest open-air art galleries in the world. Their roundabout pieces are bigger than those in Al-Khobar.

Morning is not the best time to visit Bawadi. The street sellers who sell their abayas at cheaper prices were not yet around. Only the air-conditioned stores were open and their abayas are priced like the ones in Riyadh. But since we're already there and there were few people around (which makes shopping easier), we can't back away now can't we? 

An area of the Bawadi center

Lots of abaya on window displays

We chose to pick abayas with unique designs instead. We're very particular with the fabric. We want the thick kind that doesn't need to be ironed. Interestingly, I went for the still conservative almost all-black type knowing that I (and my friends whom I'm buying these for) will be wearing them in Riyadh. The quirk I mostly got was from the stones and beads and the newest style that hugs the waist slightly. I got a onesie (like a dress that doesn't need to be buttoned or zipped) that has a glittery design on the chest and I got my mom an abaya embellished with little rosettes. R bought a few more than I did.

Oh what to choose?!

Embroidery galore!

For The PINK Tarha! :P

12:00NN Eating The Famous Chicken

Maher waited for us and took us back to the center after an hour or so. He egged us to go and try Al-Baik, the infamous broasted chicken of Jeddah. R and I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to eat the chicken hot off the broiler in the comfort of our hotel room. He took us to the Balad branch.

Finally!

After getting our lunch of crispy, hot Al-Baik chicken, we went back to the hotel for lunch. After packing the black robes away, we took our seats near the window and ate!

What a perfect location to have lunch!

Yuuuuum!

The aroma coming off our order of Al-Baik was heavenly; it covered the entire room in minutes. Al-Baik has a distinct taste that is coming from the red orange tint in the chicken meat. The skin is crispy and it went well with the fries and bun. I love it piping hot! Okay, I know I'll probably be heckled (please don't throw stones at me) if I say that I didn't find Al-Baik outrageously delicious. It is delicious, yes, but I can live in Riyadh without it (come to think of it, we're living in Riyadh without it). There are many broasted chicken in Riyadh that are quite good too. But anyway, we enjoyed our Al-Baik meal and saved some for dinner. R and I were contemplating if we ought to bring back Al-Baik for our families and friends in Riyadh.

2:00PM Mall of Arabia

After a bit of rest, we called Maher again and asked him to take us to Mall of Arabia for the only store we came here for: Forever 21. Hahaha. The design of the mall is beautiful and the interior is spacious and airy. We immediately went to Forever 21 and got lost in all the cute, affordable clothes. Excuse us for a while...

Mall of Arabia!!!

Love the wide, airy space great for events

Levels of stores

An indecisive me among accessories in Forever 21.

The only sale sign we saw is from H&M

With our plastic bags of clothes from Forever 21, we roamed Mall of Arabia and found this gem of a bakery cafe on the upper floor. It's called Chapter. The display of cakes and large macaroons is beguiling. We settled for slices of red velvet cake and rainbow cake.

Macaroons from Chapter Bakeshop

Huuge macaroons

Love our colorful slices

Then we saw the entertainment center from above and it was so much fun watching the kids ride the rides that R and I were afraid of trying. Haha.

A water ride inside the mall? Amazing!

We settled for a quick snack at the Tonino Lamborghini Cafe. There is a branch of this cafe in Panorama Mall in Riyadh and we haven't tried it. We were just enticed with the location of this cafe. It's perfect for an afternoon coffee. We can see the roads outside and the soft afternoon sun rays flooded the clean floors. I went for a dark chocolate frappe while R ordered a latte. We added a plate of pasta with white sauce and took bites of our cakes after.

Great location!

Wonder if the service here is fast. :)

The view from where we're sitting.

Perfect for sipping on a hot afternoon

Cheesy and creamy merienda

6:00PM Corniche Road In A Flash

Maher came back for us around 6 in the evening. On our way back to the hotel, he chose to pass at the corniche road so we can see that area. We passed by a few known Jeddah spots like the floating mosque and the dazzling hotel lane by the Red Sea but we didn't stop and took photos. We just enjoyed the scenery and it was really fun seeing families gathered at the shore having picnics. So laidback!

We stopped on the side of the road to take photos of the King's Fountain. It was too far from where we were at but that's okay. This fountain is best admired from afar anyways. It's the biggest seawater fountain in the world.

Jeddah's pride

8:00PM Too Early for Curfew

Deep inside I know that we're too early to be back at the hotel. I mean, we shop until the wee hours of the morning during Ramadan for goodness' sake! So what are we doing holed in our hotel room at 8pm?! Haha. Well, good thing, our blogging friend Mr. Kenji of Thoughtskoto saved us. He and his wife, Sheila, called to say that Mr. NJ of DesertAquaForce, another friend from the blogging world, will come to pick us up for dinner. And thank goodness, he did!

10:00PM Crossing The Border

He and his friend, Mr. Jun, drove us to On The Border, a Mexican-themed restaurant that is not found in Riyadh. Kenji, his beautiful wfe Sheila and their adorable kids Hevyn and Galei, followed after a few minutes. The Solis family gave us a lovely bag with some cosmetic products and perfume (thank you very, very much!). I ordered salmon; the first time in years that I picked fish over meat in a steakhouse. R went for the tacos. 

Hand me some watermelon margaritas!

Salmon+mashed potatoes+beans

I first personally met them in the Philippine Expat Blog Awards 2009 ceremony in Manila where The Pink Tarha won our first award (ahhh memories...). They were friendly and kind people. It's a pleasure to be seeing them in their turf this time. I admire these men's passion for their family, career, and advocacies. We talked about PEBA, OFW issues, and the differences among Al-Khobar, Jeddah, and Riyadh. The Thoughtskoto family, as they're fondly called, lived in Al-Khobar for a few years before settling in Jeddah. NJ is based in Al-Laith and he told us he's a little bit scared every time he had to go to Riyadh for some business matters. We're not surprised that they have reservations about Riyadh (heck, all expats do, haha!) but we promise that when they'll be in the city, we'll show them what makes Riyadh nice on its own (wow, ambassadresses to Riyadh lang ang peg ng Pink Tarha ladies?! Lol.)

Photo from Kenji

We decided to go home around 12 midnight... but not without Mr. NJ's nice surprise. He gave us a huge white styro box that weighs a ton (ah, kilos pala, hehe). We had an idea what's inside because we know the nature of his work but I was still surprised when I opened it at home (more on this on the third entry). Thank you very much to the Solis family and Mr. NJ Abad for the lovely evening in Jeddah.

Our third and last day in Jeddah is up next! :)


Sundrenched

Father's Day 2012

To our fathers and to yours, we greet the great men in our lives on their special day... Most overseas Filipino workers are fathers and we salute them for their hard work, perseverance, and sacrifices.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

Let's drink to that! And by drinking, we just mean this: 

The Jeddah Weekend (1 of 3)

Jeddah... the bride of the Red Sea, the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, the gateway to Islam's holiest cities, Makkah and Madina, ... the city that captured our hearts in more ways than one. Jeddah is known as one of the most cosmopolitan, diverse, and tolerant of all Saudi Arabia cities. It had us at the word "tolerant." 

It's my first time to travel to Jeddah and the second time for Shoegarfreeruby. I'm really excited for this trip because aside from Al-Khobar and Dammam, I haven't been outside Riyadh. I'm not saying that I want to leave Riyadh; I'm just saying that a tolerant city in Saudi Arabia is something that I would love to see. I've been hearing that Jeddah is very different from Riyadh -- the people are friendlier, the weather is humid, the muttawas are less active, the women have greater freedom, and the atmosphere is more forgiving. Now that's a city I'd want to see with a passion; plus we have friends from the blogging world there that I want to meet again. So, Jeddah it is!

Summer lang ang peg!

But first, being the OC traveler that I am, I prepared an itinerary for the two days, three nights that we'll be spending in Jeddah. I'm the kind of traveler that doesn't want to waste a single minute of a very short journey but I also don't want to compromise comfort (naks!). Both R and I are simple travelers. We do not wish luxurious stays and amenities. We just like comfortable ones that we can afford. Haha. And we want to make the most of our time. So, here's the itinerary that Shoegarfreeruby and I followed and if you want to discover Jeddah in two days, then join us! I might talk about our budget along the way so you have an idea on how much to spend more or less.

6:00PM And We're Off!

As you would have known by now, we flew via Saudi Airlines to Jeddah. The flight was pleasant with minor inconveniences along the way but nothing to be stressed about. What I was stressing about was a toothache that suddenly came. Considering my toothache when I first came to Riyadh, I was already thinking if traveling in Saudi Arabia was sort of like a curse for my teeth. That, or I have another pesky cavity that hurts at the most convenient times. I will not let any sickness cancel my travel plans (except when I couldn't move already!) so from work on a Wednesday, R and I proceeded to the King Khaled International Airport Domestic Terminal. We purchased our tickets weeks before from our travel agency at the workplace (Al-Fursan). Fare is SR600 roundtrip. (It's SR40 cheaper when you buy online.) Flying is better than being on the road for 12 hours. Nakakapanis ng beauty ang road trip! Haha. Checking in was a breeze so we spent an hour in the waiting lounge  snacking Dr. Cafe's iced tea and muffin and plane watching (as opposed to people watching which is awkward and frowned upon on this side of the world).

Snack time

Taxiing the runway {taken from my window seat}

Goodbye for now, Riyadh.

8:00PM Touchdown JED

Hello, Jeddah!

We reached Jeddah around 8pm and our limo driver from the hotel where we were booked at was already at the arrival area holding a sign with my name on it (yeee!). We were billeted at the Red Sea Palace Hotel in Balad. 


When we got out of the airport into the night, my first thought was I couldn't breathe properly (Wow, OA! Haha!). I'm not used to humid air. Riyadh has dry air and the hot weather is plain hot. In Jeddah, it felt like there's moisture in the air... well, hello Red Sea! We hit a snag at the airport's terminal so we had to wait for a few minutes. As the seconds ticked by, our idea of going to Mall of Arabia after checking in the hotel was fading. 

Our ride. Coolio!

I think of driving through (or passing through because we are mere passengers) the roads of Saudi Arabia as a kind of practical adventure. I catch a glimpse of the place without actually immersing myself into it. In Jeddah, the ride going to our hotel was fast; hindered by traffic snarls in some tight spots but nothing like Riyadh's rush hour and after eight traffic. Mecca Road, its main thoroughfare, runs all the way to the city (think King Fahd Road, Riyadh dwellers, minus the high-rise buildings). 


Jeddah is more colorful than Riyadh. They have billboards and ad signs glowing in neon lights and I was thinking, "Why don't we have those in Riyadh?" All we have are small, unappealing billboards, electronic yes but boring, in the sides of the roads; nothing like Jeddah's bling bling. Even if we were a hundred miles away, Riyadh's formality seemed suffocating already. Jeddah is more welcoming maybe because of its history as a transit port for the spice trade and its present status as the Kingdom's major seaport. This city welcomes a lot of nationalities in its salad bowl. 

Fast cars; bright lights

9:30PM Home Away From Home

The Red Sea Palace Hotel is old; even the amenities inside the double room were already from lush times gone by. The interiors were a little bit too manly for our taste, maybe because it was supposed to cater to businessmen. What I love about our hotel though was the view from our window, which we specifically asked for. The lagoon was a breath of fresh air and even if it was already dark when we arrived, we still had a good view of the glittering buildings at the other side of the bank. I like the location of the hotel because it's in the old area of Balad, considered as the "city center" with the historical district practically just a stone throw away (I wouldn't know this until the next day). Holiday Inn might be taking over this hotel soon so expect more improvement. We paid SR370 per night for the room. Of course we could've had a very good view of the Red Sea in the hotels near the corniche but admittedly, their prices are hell high! Too expensive for a short weekend getaway. 

The Red Sea Palace Hotel's lobby

Spacious lounge area with free internet, yey!

Taken from our room's window: Inside and out!

An old world feel with R's Paul's Boutique bag adding a modern flare.

We couldn't go to the mall anymore (yes, the mall is a priority, lol) because it was almost 10pm when we finally got settled in our room so we looked for a Japanese restaurant that will satisfy our hunger. Japanese because R and I are very fond of this cuisine and if there's something that would make our first night in Jeddah, it's this. 


I consulted the website Jeddahfood.com, a very popular restaurant guide in Jeddah; the "older brother" of RiyadhEats.com, and found Sakura, the newly-opened Japanese restaurant of Crowne Plaza. We hailed a taxi and off we go! In our ride to Crowne Plaza, we saw Jeddah at night again and we can definitely say that Riyadh is brighter, in terms of lights, but Jeddah has a homey feel to it which we also like.

10:30PM When In Doubt, Go Japanese (Food)!

One of Jeddah's many hotels

Our first restaurant in Jeddah

Classic Japanese interiors. Clean and sleek!

We arrived at the very posh Sakura restaurant, thankful that we didn't look haggard from the flight. The menu was bursting with favorite dishes and it was my aching tooth that held me from ordering too much. Being indecisive that we were, we zoned in on the basic fare: California maki, salmon sashimi, Japanese curry, and gyudon. I loooove the Japanese curry! Okay, everything in our table is delicious! Prices are not that high too, considering this is a hotel restaurant. The kabayans who served us were nice and polite. Prepare for a feast...

Miso soup, anyone?

Our favorite!!! Love the orchid. Lol.

California maki loaded with caviar

The green version

Beef Gyudon

Japanese tonkatsu with curry on the side

Complimentary ice cream

The Sakura Restaurant is small but there were no divisions. Those who wanted privacy can opt for removable wall dividers. After an hour or so, we were already full and satisfied so we went out of Crowne Plaza and hailed a cab. We had a nice glimpse of the King's Fountain from where we were standing.

I was just reading about you in Saudia's Ahlan Wasalan.

It was amazing how confident we were taking cabs in Jeddah. I mean if we were in Riyadh, we would think twice or thrice (or never) in riding taxis but as I said, Jeddah had this friendly, homey feel to it that made us trust strangers, in a good way. However, the first cab driver that took us was annoying. He demanded SR40 for our trip to Balad when he wasn't even sure where Red Sea Palace is (and for the record, we only paid SR20 from the hotel to Crowne Plaza) so we got out of his cab immediately and hailed another one. This time, the driver was more knowledgeable. Not friendly but he knew the way. So whew!

1:00AM Hitting The Sack

*zzzzzzzz*

The next day is bright and sunny and perfect for discovering more of Jeddah. Stay tuned. ;)

Sundrenched

PS. All observations are made as a first-time visitor in Jeddah so pardon me if I describe things way off the mark or are different from your view. Our comment box is open for you. :)