I'm a Kitchenation Citizen

The Mira Hotel is a beautiful building in Tahlia Street. Its modern Andalusian architecture and design and warm, creamy yellow orange facade emit a welcoming vibe that speaks of comfort and luxury at the same time. You know when a hotel is a bit intimidating because of all the displays in there that you're afraid to touch? Well, we're not sure if Mira is the same because honestly, we only got to walk down their red carpet in front and enter their sliding doors and turn right to what is probably one of the best not-so-hidden gems in Riyadh... Kitchenation. 

Mira Hotel + Kitchenation

While the sign is right outside the wall of Mira Hotel, you wouldn't be able to see the interiors of the restaurant unless you enter. Kitchenation is unique in terms of its layout and design. For a hotel restaurant, it doesn't look obnoxious and snobbish. It looks inviting. It looks like a place where your creativity can flow all day long. I was tempted to bring out my Macbook, my notebooks, pencils, and Sharpies and invade one of the tables for the whole day, considering how I've been struggling with some sort of a writer's block over the past few months. 

I feel at home!

I like this set-up.

The restaurant is airy and the spaces are wisely-utilized. There's no uniformity but everything goes together so well; from the mix and matched chairs to the nooks filled with books, figurines, and trinkets to the juice bar filled with colorful fruits and beverages to my favorite dessert display where meringues and cheesecakes and candy apples and brownies are arranged in sweet abandon. I honestly felt like I already belonged in this place, even if it was just my first time to set foot on it. 

IKEA sofa and some trinkets

The tables have - get this - a canister of crayons and pens and also a placemat that has a game we used to play in the Philippines. I guess this game of listing famous personalities, countries, animals, plants, etc. that starts with the letter A, B, C, and so on... is a universal game after all. So while waiting for the food, we went back to our childhood and scribbled away. 

Child's play?

Basic colors and wood

Each table has its own knick-knacks which will help you tide the time away. I was also fascinated with this huge shelf filled with books, tin cans, photo frames, and clocks and the nearby roll of manila paper filled with scribbled quotes that stretches from the ceiling to the floor. Even the IKEA sofa sets and colorful chairs are interesting. They all held my attention because looking at the setup, I did not get what cuisine they were serving. If I had to take a guess, it would have taken me a few tries to get the answer (or maybe not at all) because... 

Kitchenation serves a fusion of Turkish and Italian cuisine. 

Weird huh? But I tell you, Kitchenation actually got their fusion right. I mean pizzas with yoghurt and kebabs? Pastas with seafood and Turkish flavors? Yum! There are some items in their menu that look American and Asian to me but oh well. Their slogan says "Turkish Kitchen and Italian Hospitality" and that's a legit thing as far as I'm concerned. 

Here are the food items we truly enjoyed: 

Fresh salad with a hint of sweetness and tartness

This salad is fresh and bountiful... what more can I say? Ask my friends who devoured this for further comments. Haha!

Starting the meal right.

You'll be surprised at how familiar this one tastes.

The Crispy Shrimps appetizer is so simple yet once you start eating one, you can't stop! The succulent shrimps are enveloped in a pillowy cover that is surprisingly crispy. One piece packs a lot of flavor. 

Uhmn, what is this? A solid presentation huh.

Unveiling the goodness beneath.

Tsaraaaaaaan! :)

And here I am again forgetting to take photos of the menu thus forgetting the names of the dishes (why do I do this to myself every.single.time?!?). Anyway, this seafood spaghetti is served in a clay pot and covered with khubz. There goes the fusion of Turkey and Italy. Our waiter took his time showing us how to release the steam of the pasta. He carefully cut the thin, flat bread on the sides and followed the circular pattern of the pot and voila! The wonderful seafood aroma seeped through and we finally saw the spaghetti doused in a pale orangey sauce that is savory and delicious. 

Grandmother's interesting Turk-Ital pizza!

Another successful creation that fuses both countries' bestselling dishes is this pizza that features a light tomato sauce, tender beef cuts, and creamy yoghurt sauce in the middle. I slathered my slice with the white sauce and ate with gusto. 

The famed mini burgers

The mini burgers garnered a lot of raves in Foursquare but I didn't find anything special to it apart from the kebab, almost sausage, they used as patty. And also the generous heaping of french fries on the side. 

There's always room for salmon.

We're ready for dinner!

The salmon didn't taste quite as fresh as we imagined it to be and the sweet chili sauce was a bit off-putting. We're not too sure they go well together. If you order this, have them put the chili sauce on the side instead of pouring it in the fish. 

Lemon + Melon = A bit too sour for my taste but that's what lemons do.

They also offer interesting beverage mixes. Try their mojitos. Or if you can't pick just one fruit, make your own kind of juice! We didn't have the chance to try their desserts but I'm leaving you with photos of some sweet treats that made my eyes full. Let me know if you tried any and I'll surely go back to try them out. 

Spell TEMPTATION.

Berry good!

Be still my heart. 

This looks yummerz!

Macarons with cute canisters

A tray of sweets

is there anything more chocolatey?! 

These are not your ordinary macarons. They're huge!

I really felt like Kitchenation is a home that just transformed into a bigger venue and welcomed more people in. I felt like I belong in one of their table sets because it's so whimsical and boho, almost like being outside Saudi Arabia for a moment. Their staff are friendly too. Kitchenation is open from 7:00AM to 11:00PM. Can I be a citizen on this nation? Haha. ~ Sundrenched

Kitchenation

Mira Hotel

Tahlia Street, 

Riyadh Saudi Arabia

Twitter: @kitchenationm

Instagram: @kitchenation

Directions: Mira Hotel is the same building where Elevation Burger and Zaatar Wa Zeit are located. If you're coming from Olaya, turn to Tahlia Street and make a U-turn when you reach the Chili's intersection. It will be on your right. If you're coming from Dabab Street, just go straight, pass the signal light and you'll see it in your right. (Map photo from Foursquare)

The Pink Tarha For You 2/2

It's been a hiatus of two months and up to now, I don't know how to restart writing. There'sTa huge writing block boulder on my path. Maybe I need an iMac. Haha! Okay, what's the connection?! that's a running joke between my friends and I. When I was thinking of The Pink Tarha Mornings, the ideas in my head won't come out... until I got my hands on a Macbook Air (which I've been using since then). I got really productive thus The Pink Tarha Mornings happened. So now, when I got back in Riyadh after a two-month stay in the Philippines, I had a feeling I wanted an iMac. So maybe I need an iMac to recharge my creative side. What an expensive whim. Impossible too since I'm broke. LOL!

Anyway, I owe you a lot of restaurant features and how-to guides. But I need some inspiration right now before I can even begin writing those. So, I look back at the beautiful feedback some of our readers gave The Pink Tarha during our fifth anniversary celebration. You've read the what the winners have to say (with a funny feedback from by brother too) but I haven't published the second part. After all, it does say The Pink Tarha For You 1/2. One of two. It needs the 2/2 NOW. 

Reader Catlyn, one of the first who replied, said "Your blog is very influential. Your feature on food and restaurants makes me want to try the experiences you've had. My husband would always ask me 'Is this the new restaurant you've read from The Pink Tarha blog?' Thank you for sharing your experiences." 

One of these days, we'll probably receive an official complaint from a husband of one of our readers asking us to stop publishing places that their wives suddenly drag them into. Hahaha! But it would be better to have husbands turning Pink tarha readers because of their wives. Like what happened to Adnan. He said, "Your blog is really amazing. My wife told me about The Pink Tarha and I thought it will be very girly… but hold on guys. Even men find your site very, very informative. I really enjoy reading it now." Meanwhile, Enelyn shared that before, her husband was always wondering where she gets her ideas. When he learned about The Pink Tarha, he's now the ones telling her to check the site! Hahaha! That comment just gave me an extra dose of happiness. I love our guy readers! I love men who appreciate pink. Hahaha! 

I love our readers who can't get enough of our articles because despite of their hectic schedule and almost non-existent day off, they manage to read our blog. Glenda wrote us, "The Pink Tarha is interesting! A day without reading Pink Tarha articles, even the old ones, is not complete. Sometimes, I keep on reading and reading until I don't notice, I'm already asleep!" For reader Zhariya, the blog is already a part of her routine. Her browser's default page is The Pink Tarha! Yey! 

The blog's how-to guide category is my baby. If you notice, I mostly write the guides and how-to entries because it's what I have envisioned for this blog: to be the ultimate guide for expats (and locals) in their journey to and around Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. When I thought of creating The Pink Tarha with the girls, I imagined the days before I went to Riyadh in 2008. I was lost and could not find any information on what it's like for women/expats to live in Riyadh. So I vowed to share my experiences and learnings. Hence, the guides. I'm feeling happy that some people actually use them! Loulwa, a blogger like us, who moved from Beirut to Riyadh in 2012 shares, "I was an active blogger and social media trainer/consultant back in Beirut. Yet when I came to Riyadh, I found no "blogging" activities and gatherings. When I googled, I found your blog on the top and was quite amazed by the quality, consistency, and innovation of your blog. It is quite unique. And it truly beats up all the blogs I follow in Lebanon and worldwide! The writers/bloggers have a very optimistic and happy tone that brings a smile to me each time I read!" 

Optimism and positivity has always been the central theme of this blog. It's our core, so to speak. The Pink Tarha was the first one to blog about happy happenings in Riyadh. Reader Medylene said, "The Pink Tarha blog and its social media sites gave rise to a new kind of blogging and information-sharing among its viewers. The fun, giggly, unconventional, and comical (witty), way of presenting topics is already an art in itself. An art that is never boring!" while reader Malou said "You have made us realize that living here in Riyadh is fun too if we just open ourselves to the possibilities and opportunities this place has to offer." Reem said that the blog is very helpful especially for those coming to Saudi Arabia who are thinking that they're burying themselves aline in going here. This made me laugh out loud. HAHAHA! 

We're glad to spread some happy vibes! We're actually amused to find some bloggers in Saudi Arabia who were writing rants, complaints, and negative comments before jump into the positivity bandwagon by writing about food and travel entries already. Amazing how looking for the good brings about the good isn't it? 

Reader Ameera is like Eyecandy and Sampaguita Pride who grew up here in Riyadh. She said that growing up in this place is not exactly fun that's why when she came across the blog, she thought it's an amazing blog that is exciting and informative and written by her kabayan. She considers The Pink Tarha as her oasis in the desert. Hannah, who also grew up in Riyadh suggested we add a list of fun lived experiences of expat children who grew up here because in her words, "I think it would add to the things that might give awareness. Your blog has been really successful in sharing information that cnages the stigma towards Saudi Arabia." On the other hand, reader Madeleine sees The Pink Tarha as a one-stop shop because of its content. Rahma thinks that The Pink Tarha is the solution to all girls' problems. Hahaha! She refers to our page before she goes shopping. 

One of the sweetest comment we received is from 14-year-old Gen (wow 14!!!). "I started reading the blog just a few years back and I have to say, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The blog and writers are very friendly and hospitable." Reader Nabiha even went as far as declaring The Pink Tarha as the best blog in Riyadh. Woot, woot!

Again, thank you very much for all the readers and feedback! Some of the responders are not mentioned here because of the lack of space but be rest assured that we're grateful and we love you! Now I realize I have no reason at all to whine and complain about a writer's bllock. Pffft writer's block, whetevahhh. Hahaha! Now I realize that The Pink Tarha is one thing I've always been passionate about. Which brings into mind what we discovered a few days ago... Arab News publishing photos from the blog (particularly this entry on Buffalo's) in their newspaper without permission! We got the shock of our lives... especially when we saw that they even printed the photos with our watermark on them!!! What an unethical and irresponsible act from a major news organization in the Kingdom. (I mean don't they check the proof before they go into the printers?)

Like what I told them when I wrote them our email, we respect Arab News for their service in the community. It is hard to write news and features everyday. We can't do anything like that ourselves. But as bloggers and writers, we also take pride in what we're doing. It is never okay to steal someone's hard work. We're still waiting for the official reply of the editorial team of Arab News. Well, I hope we get it because if not, well that's a shame.

Anyway, The Pink Tarha has changed my life and I wish that we continue changing or improving the lives of others with our experiences. With these comments, I am reminded why I write and blog. So, yes, expect more entries to come. And some improvements. It takes quite a while for the updates and changes. Probably because I was spoiled with what our reader Hina answered when we asked for suggestions to make The Pink Tarha better. She said, "Nothing. YOU ARE THE BEST. Perfection can no longer be improved. Love you." Awwww. My heart melted right there. ~ Sundrenched

Sharing Passions at IgniteOruba

Imagine talking about something you really love in just 5 minutes? Sounds crazy right? But that is exactly what happened at IgniteOruba last April 26, 2014 at Al Oruba International School. More than 20 speakers and artists performed in front of an enthusiastic crowd to talk about their passions and endeavors and The Pink Tarha was proud to be a part of the speakers for that event!

If you’re familiar with the popular TedTalks, then you’ll have an idea of what Ignite events are like. However in Ignite events, speakers are tasked to dish out their stories in a series of twenty slides that automatically progresses every fifteen seconds. That's a total of five minutes for the entire speech. For the past two years, the school supported and organized TEDxOruba events. But this year the organizers wanted something new and fresh and decided to organize IgniteOruba, in hopes of sparking new passions and developing awareness of one’s talents and skills.

Sundrenched was in the Philippines when she asked me to give a talk about The Pink Tarha at IgniteOruba. I was excited, elated and terrified about the whole idea. How can I resist? So I prepared my slides and my speech the moment I got the confirmation from the event coordinator. I then realized how hard it was to sum up five amazing years into five minutes!

On the day of the event I was accompanied by my husband and our friend Jou. The event was held at the school auditorium with the men and women’s seats segregated. The school auditorium is just perfect for this kind of event. It’s a shame I wasn't able to take photos because our camera phones were collected at the reception. Oh well, you’ll just have to take my word for it! Kidding. Here are some photos from the event organizers.

Hosts Hussam Galal and Ahmed Salah

Seeing the stage and the red curtains gave me the jitters. But all that was forgotten when the show started. We watched a mix of young students and adults talk about their various interests and passions. And it wasn't limited to speeches, some presented their musical talents and another student rapped in Arabic. One of the speakers talked about overcoming stage fright and another urged her father to quit smoking.

While most of the speeches were in Arabic, we could tell by the way the students presented their talk that they truly prepared for this moment. Kudus to the school faculty and students who worked really hard on this endeavor!

Dr. Mohamed AL-Saadoun on Staying Positive

Moumen Afandy on Life Obstacles

Dr. Safaa Mahfouz talked about Self-Improvement

Abdullah Aqily talked about his journey as a Fat Fighter

Sampaguita Pride talked about The Pink Tarha

My takeaway from this experience? I think the jolt of excitement of being on stage boosted my morale and has inspired me to pursue and tick off a few items from my bucket list. I realized that the things we do can turn into something great if we pour love, dedication and patience into everything that we do. IgniteOruba has indeed ignited a new passion in me, a new lease on life as a writer and artist.

To the organizers of IgniteOruba thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to share our passion with everyone that night. More power!

Cheers!
Sampaguita Pride