Hello, Food!

What? Who? Who's missing in the blogging action? Haha! Okay, okay, please give us a break for a while here... The weather is lovely yeah? Change topic much? Haha! The cool, calm weather is related to our lack of posts, promise! Because who can write when your brain is telling you to just sleep some more? Or take longer naps during the weekends? Our brains seem to freeze and stop working for a while. I'm not making sense am I? Told you! Haha!

Because we are kind of lazy these days, we're not in the mood to go out and hunt for new restaurants too. It's a good thing I found out about Hellofood.com. It's an interesting way of ordering food online from restaurants that we've always known and from new ones that I might want to try. This solves the problem of searching for phone numbers and being stuck in traffic jams (and you know how horrible the traffic is nowadays don't you?).

Food in your doorstep.

So I went online and visited saudi.hellofood.com. I chose our street/area in the pull-down menu and looked at the list of restaurants it presented that are quite near and are willing to deliver to our place. I chose Taxi Burgers because I've only tried it once and... uhmn, who doesn't like burgers?! I proceeded in making my order by signing up and going through Taxi Burger's menu. I finalized my order and voila! It says my order has been taken and I will just have to wait for the delivery. I will pay with cash when the food gets delivered.

A few minutes after, a representative from Hellofood called me to ask about my exact address. I told him details and landmarks of our place. After that was settled, I waited. And then the rep called again to inform me that Taxi Burgers couldn't deliver because well, Taxi Burgers doesn't have a driver to deliver the food. Uh-hmn. So would I like to choose another restaurant? I thought for a while and settled for Pizza Fusion. I've eaten in Pizza Fusion for a couple of times already but haven't visited the restaurant recently. I went online again and went through the same process.

Ditching burgers for pizzas

Finally after 45 minutes, Pizza Fusion's driver called us... and he couldn't understand me because I don't speak Arabic and he doesn't speak English. I handed the phone to my dad and he was the one who instructed the driver on how to reach our place (our street and building is not hard to find). After 15 minutes, the driver still hasn't arrived so I called him but he wasn't answering. Another 5 minutes and someone called me asking where our building was. I had to direct the man in line (the driver found a person on the street who can speak both Arabic and English). I also had to go down our building and stand in front of it so the driver can see me.

After an hour and a half, we finally had our dinner of salmon pizza and Hawaiian pizza.

While there were slight problems with my first time ordering via Hellofood.com, I can say that it's still a convenient way to order food especially when you're not in the mood to go out or cook. They have a lot of restaurants in their lists offering various cuisines. Whatever you're craving for, they have a restaurant that they can recommend. Pizza? Burger? Shawarma? Kabsa? Sushi? Their call center support staff is also easy to deal with. They have a Live Chat feature in their website where you can connect with their operators immediately just in case you have questions.



Hellofood has an app available for download in the Apps store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android. Hellofood is also available in Jeddah, Dammam, Al Khobar, and Dhahran. So check it out, people! ;) ~ Sundrenched

Hellofood Riyadh
Online delivery service
T: +966-537972303
FB: https://www.facebook.com/HellofoodSaudiaArabia
Twitter: @HellofoodSA

PS. I wish the delivery drivers of restaurants any where in Riyadh can speak and understand both Arabic and English. 

Riyadh Food Discoveries

We're always on the lookout for something new in Riyadh, especially when it comes to food. FOOD. Yes, food. Haha! Looking at the gustatory landscape of Riyadh, I observed that there is a lot more left to be desired. There are so many types of cuisine that is waiting to be seen and tasted from other countries. I'm pretty sure that locals and expats alike would be grateful for some Vietnamese cuisine, Hongkong dishes, and maybe some Mediterranean and Greek. However, we can always make do with what we have for now. It's not that easy to open a restaurant in Riyadh anyway.

Here are three food discoveries over the Haj holiday...

HAMBURGINI

Are you ready to line up?

Hailed as the best burger by print magazine Destination Riyadh, Hamburgini has long been a favorite by a lot of locals. A testament to this is the looong line that's always snaking its way from the counter to the outside creating traffic on the street where it's at. They also halt the ordering way before its closing time because of the many burgers they have to create for those who ordered a lot (and we mean A LOT). My brothers have to line up for more than an hour to get their orders. 

The single burger

So what makes these burgers worth the line? First and foremost, it's just SR 9. It's small but it's really worth it. The bun is soft and buttery and the patty is beefy and savory. The tomato and lettuce are fresh and the sauce has a bit of sweet and sour mixed into it. One bun is not enough so yes, order A LOT! And go there early. They are so confident of their burgers that they only have three main items in their menu: Single, Double, and Triple (and by that they just mean the number of patties in your burger and nothing else). You can only add fries and soda. That's it.

Hamburgini

Al Muruj District

Prince Turki Ibn Abdulaziz Al Thani

(in front of Othaim Market)

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

See map here.

T: +966-11-4103330

FB: www.facebook.com/HamburginiSA

Twitter: @HamburginiSA

*****

MR. DAINTY

Cafe Mr. Dainty in Avenue Mall

I am a huge fan of bubble teas in the Philippines. I have no excuse for the amount of bubble teas in various flavors that I consume when I'm in Manila so I am quite disappointed that Riyadh hasn't gotten into the bubble tea craze. I've been waiting for years! (Naks!) Enter Mr. Dainty in AlQasr Mall and Avenue Mall...

Uhmn yup, all mine!

I love their simple Assam bubble tea. It's what I always order. It has a mild sweetness and the tea flavor is not overpowering. The bubbles are chewy too. Try the chocolate flavor too. A large order (SR10 + SR2 for the bubbles) makes me so full I couldn't eat any thing else. Except if it's Mr. Dainty's delicious breads. They have an array of breads that are soft and flavorful. My favorite includes the tuna bun, custard bun, and egg&mushroom bread. The AlQasr branch delivers for a minimum of SR 100.

Mr. Dainty

Second Floor, Avenue Mall (Lulu Hypermarket)

Olaya, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

***

Food court, AlQasr Mall

Suwaidi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Timing: 12:30pm-12:00am

T: +966-11-4574116

*****

BESTBITE DONUTS

AlQasr Mall branch

There are so many donut brands in Riyadh that makes this city probably the sweetest ever. Haha! (Really?! *cough*) Or the most diabetes prone. :P Who doesn't love donuts? I love donuts but not the kind smothered with sugar or syrup. That's why BestBite is a refreshing alternative. It's so refreshing it's not an American brand! It's Chinese!

Less sugar, more flavor!

The bread is what I like in this donut. It's pillowy soft and not at all sweet. It's not covered and glazed with sweet syrup like other brands (*cough* Krispy Kreme *cough*) and not oily. The toppings and fillings give it its distinct taste. I especially like the ones with blueberry and strawberry jam surrounded with whipped cream. Classic flavors include Choco Star, Oreo, Snow White, Black Forest, Almonds, and Pop Corn Flakes. All flavors are SR 6 each. Best Bite also offers hot drinks like espresso, hot chico, tea, cappuccino, and Turkish coffee that goes well with their donut. Not for hot? Then cold drinks like Oreo, Mockha, Corn Flakes, and Mocha Oreo are available too.

BestBite Donuts

Tahlia Street, Sulaimaniah

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

T: +966-11-2937307

***

Food court, AlQasr Mall

Suwaidi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

T: +966-53-4468859

Sponsored Post: #HelpAChildReach5

The importance of proper hand washing has never been this significant in the modern world. With the onset of the Mers-Cov virus in the Kingdom, proper hand washing takes a vital role in preventing the spread of this disease. However, it's not only viruses that is being prevented from spreading when proper hand washing is done. There are a lot of other illnesses… like diarrheal diseases which we featured before in a video following Gondappa and his first child.

The village of Thesgora

Gondappa is a resident of Thesgora, an Indian village with the highest rate of diarrhea in the country. He is now celebrating his first child's fifth birthday as the world's 20 million people celebrate Global Handwashing Day. 

Global Handwashing Day, endorsed by various governments, international institutions, NGOs, private companies and individuals, focuses on children who suffers more from diarrheal and respiratory diseases. Our children, ever energetic, enthusiastic, and open to new ideas, remain to be the hope that will uphold the world. They need to be protected from diseases. 

And that is what Lifebuoy has done for the past 10 years, and is still doing today. Lifebuoy soap, launched in England by the Lever Brothers in 1895, has tried to prevent diseases and deaths by teaching children the simple act of washing their hands with soap. With their projects, they help children reach the age of five. You too can support this campaign by visiting the Lifebuoy Facebook page and pledging your support! 

Happy birthday to Gondappa's son… and happy Global Handwashing Day to all! 

This post has been sponsored by Lifebuoy, but all thoughts are our own.

Top 5 To-Bes During The Haj Holiday

What will you become during this Haj holiday? Last year, The Pink Tarha gave you ideas on how to spend your "staycation" in Riyadh. This time, we give you ideas on how to spend your vacation on the great outdoors. Ehrmn in Riyadh, "great outdoors" basically mean outside your housing or flat. So find your personality in our recommendations because Riyadh (and Saudi Arabia) has a lot to offer if you only venture out. ;)

1. CULTURE VULTURE

You should have been here by now. ;)

So you're into arts, culture and heritage? The National Museum of Saudi Arabia is open this holiday so it's the perfect time to visit it and see its eight halls of interesting history and artifacts. You can also visit the museum inside the Musmak Castle near Dirah Souk. Recently, Riyadh has also seen the rise of art galleries and most of them are in the area of Oruba Road. So why not hop from one to another when you have the chance? Try Alaan Artspace which features a contemporary multi-functional art gallery, library, restaurant, and coffee shop. Lam Gallery is located outside the Al Mashreq Boutique Hotel in Oruba too. Visit it and have a sweet ending in Maya La Chocolaterie.

2. LAID-BACK LIKER

The famous fountain of King Abdullah Park via AlRiyadh.com

Like the culture vulture, you're just not into the rushing yourself into thrills. You like strolling and walking and biding your time to keep calm and relax. Well, it's a good thing that the King Abdullah Park in Malaz is now open for you and your families. It has a fountain that dances and lights up during the night to entertain you and the young ones. It also has paths that you can walk in and grassy areas where you can have a quick picnic. If you're weary of the crowd in the newly-opened park, then head to the classic Salam Park, one of the biggest parks in Riyadh. It has a pond where you can ride small boats. The Wadi Hanifa and Wadi Laban, Riyadh's longest rivers, are also home to picnic pockets where you can spend the cool mornings or nights. The areas around Prince Sultan University and King Fahd Medical City are also quick fixes to your cabin fever. Walk around the area early morning or evening when the weather is cooler.

3. ADVENTURE SEEKER

The once in a blue moon blue waters of Al Heet Cave

You're not like me. You're more of the thrill seeking Riyadhizen who ventures out into the desert in need of life's next adventure. The outskirts of Riyadh holds these places where expats go to when they want to climb sand dunes or rock mountains. I'm quite sure you've been to the Red Sand and Hidden Valley. You can rent an ATV (or are these banned already?) to explore the dunes beyond. Have you been to the Al Heet Cave? Or to the Eyes of Al-Seeh in Al-Kharj? Like I said, we expats are the mothers of tourist spots: where there is none, we find something.

4. HEIGHT JUNKIE

 Riyadh from above.

Here's a challenge for you: see Riyadh on all view decks available in the city. And that means three to our knowledge: the Skybridge in Kingdom Tower, the Globe Experience in Al-Faisaliah Tower, and the Water Tower near Batha. These are the highest places in Riyadh where you can see the city in its grandeur (wow grandeur?! hahaha!). Well sometimes, it's good to see the city from above and not from the ground, which we always see on a daily basis. And for those who have acrophobia (fear of heights), you think you can conquer it through these places? If you know any other viewing decks we haven't visited, please feel free to suggest in the comment section.

5. FUN FOODIE

Burger Box, opening soon.

And yet another challenge: try five new restaurants or food stores in Riyadh that you haven't tried. There are a lot of restaurants that have mushroomed in the city and we're all dying to try them just because. I was telling The Pink Tarha that we should venture out to the streets we haven't been paying attention too because we're more focused on the usual Tahlia Street, Takhasussi Street, and Olaya Road during the past few years. We have our sights on King Abdulaziz Road to try Just Felafel and Burger Box, Al Muruj for Hamburgini (the best burger according to Destination Riyadh's food issue), King Fahd Road for Antica Roma, and Khurais Road for Forchetta. Do you have a list of restos you want to try? The haj holiday opens up an opportunity for you to try them.

I have other "personas" in mind like be a Mall Rat where you go to malls you haven't visited, mostly the ones away the city center like Al Qasr Mall and Salam Mall. But since there are no sales yet, we don't recommend being a mall rat nowadays. You can also be the Out of Towner, the one who goes to nearby cities and towns like Al-Khobar, Dammam, Taif, Jeddah, etc. But I'm pretty sure most of you are already there. You can also mix and match your activities. It's your choice and you have a week to do what you want. Whatever you decide on, take care, have fun, and ENJOY!

EID MUBARAK! ~ Sundrenched

Fabulous #NLAW13

The Riyadh event landscape is changing. I'm not sure I'm supposed to reveal that out loud just in case someone who's not supposed to know discovers it. Haha! But there is nothing wrong in the events that are held by various brands in the city. They're fun, lively, and very stylish. It proves that Riyadh is actually the "it" city right now. Whoops, did I just claim that?! Haha!

One of the recent events we attended was held by one of our favorite fashion brands... New Look! This brand is our go-to fashion brand when we're looking for stylish yet affordable pieces. We do not leave a mall without going to New Look. Except of course when there's no New Look store in it. Otherwise, we just go to the stand-alone New Look branch in Olaya Road. 

New Look began in Taunton, United Kingdom in 1969 and has grown to over 1,100 stores worldwide. They're pretty popular in the UK and Europe. New Look has 30 stores in the Kingdom and they're opening their 31st branch in the Eastern Province soon. New Look offers clothes, accessories, bags and shoes that are trendy and easy-to-wear. Most of the items in The Pink Tarha ladies' closets are from New Look. What can we say? We love it!

A flawless, classic welcome for NLAW13

The New Look Autumn Winter 2013 Collection

The event last week was New Look's launching of their autumn 2013 collection. It was held in Maison Bo-M, also one of our favorite places in Riyadh, located in Nujoud Mall beside the Intercontinental Hotel. We were warmly welcomed by the New Look marketing team which flew in from Dubai, UAE. We were toured by the lovely Robyn to see the various collections and the bestselling pieces they have.

Here's a look at one of the best events we've been to this year:

The Baboushka Collection

Be on the lookout for the Russian-inspired collection. The accessories featuring matryoshka dolls are so cute! Love the black pullover too.

Blues, whites, and blacks... 

Who can get wrong in this combination? I love this collection the most because it doesn't only have my favorite colors, it's also my style.

A mix of casuals

The reds.

The primary colors red and blue are highlighted in the collections. I love the stripes and patterns too. You know the usual rule right? Patterns against solids makes a good combo.

Preppy chic

The collection above is for the sweet and adventurous. The florals and pastels lend a cuteness that's hard to resist and the denims gives off a fierceness that balances the whole look.

The formals and the semi-formals

I have a love for New Look's formal wear. They're affordable but glamorous and anyone can pull of the "prom" or "red carpet" look effortlessly with their long gowns and mini dresses. I was telling Robyn that I have one of their dress style in 3 colors because I really look good on that kind of dress (at least I think I do! Haha!). Remember my violet gown here? It's from New Look and I bought it when it was on sale (only SR160!). A lot of my friends said that I look 'expensive' on it. ;)

LOVE New Looks accessories and shoes

No one can argue that New Look boasts of the some of the best accessories, bags, and shoes in Riyadh. Half of our accessories and shoes came from this brand. And they have every kind for all occasions. Pair the ones above with the formal wear and you're on your way to the next glam event.

More bags and shoes

On to my wish list!

I appreciate the way they displayed the items on Maison Bo-M's shelf and cabinets. I wanted to point out all the shoes and bags that caught my attention and buy them all (okay, more of ask for them if possible, haha!).

Dashing!

The guys side

Oh look, the guys have their corner too. New Look are offering other brands in their label lounge. For guys, they have Tokyo Laundry.

After going around and checking out the items that we liked, we sat down in Maison Bo-M's cafe to enjoy the food. I must say that I am truly impressed with the appetizers and desserts that were served. They're all so good! Kudos to the chef!

Yummy! 

Love the chicken satay and the peanut sauce!

Congratulations to the team of New Look! You all did a good job launching the new Autumn/Winter 2013 collection.

Next event please!

So what are you waiting for, ladies and gents? See you in New Look? ;) ~ Sundrenched

NEW LOOK

Hayat Mall

Riyadh Gallery

Granada Mall

Othaim Mall

Al Qasr Mall

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

(other branches and contact details here)

The Challenge of Al Heet Cave

So, let's talk about Al Heet Cave (also known as Ain Heet). It’s a place that was discovered by I don’t know who and I don’t know when but it proved to be “different” and interesting because it has something not seen in Riyadh so it became an instant “tourist spot.” You're probably thinking of going there after seeing it in our Facebook page.

A group of photographers introduced the Cave of Al Heet to me and my brothers. They were shooting there for half a day and the brothers decided to tag me along. I am not new to "caves" having been introduced to it the hard way in Sagada's Sumaguing Cave in the Philippines. It wasn't a "walk in the park" and it's one of those things I know I wasn't made for. Obviously, I am not athletic and I am not outdoorsy, except if you count traveling outside the house as that. But knowing that this is Saudi Arabia, I don't know what to expect for a cave. Maybe it would be easier. Maybe it would just be a small opening in one of the rock mountains somewhere and there would be a straight path inside the cave. Easy much? Hmn.

The road to Al Heet: 50 kms, 30 minutes away on a not-so-busy day.

Al Heet is a town on the outskirts of Riyadh wehere most industries are. Going to Al Heet is quite easy especially if you know the way to the Industrial City 2. You just have to go to the North Ring Road, exit to Al Kharj Road and exit in Exit 11 where it clearly says Al Heet. From there, it gets quite a bit tricky. The only thing I remembered is we turned left after the Al Jazeera Pharmaceutical Industries, saw a bunch of buildings, turned on a few streets, crossed a rail road crossing, turned again, saw a small camp of camels, and headed towards the "mountains." A few tight spots on the way and we were there. (Map below.)

Free fresh powder for all when you open your windows. :P

Just outside the cave's entrance.

Reached it!

The thing about "tourist spots" in Riyadh that I learned of for the past five years that I've been here, you have to manage your expectations of them. I had really no expectations of Al Heet Cave and when I saw it, I was uhmn hesitant to go. The place is littered with garbage and the place is filled with people and vehicles. Of course, I wasn't expecting this because I thought it was a new discovery, haha! The opening to the cave was a bit small from above and the worst part? I have to traverse a steep incline to go down there. It was rocky and sandy at the same time. Most of the rocks move when stepped on. And the cavern looks like it's about to give in. Not fun and enticing at all.

Uhmn, that's the entrance?!?

Are you saying I have to go down there?!?

And pass through this unstable rocks?!

My companions were just in slippers and I was thinking, no one told me it would be this friggin' hard (even if I'm the one in a more suitable Crocs)! I was screaming bloody murder to my bros (in my head): "Look at me and you want me to do what?!?" Hahaha! It's quite funny now that I think of it considering that every one in our group and the group after us went down any way even if most of them were complaining at first.

I mean seriously?!? I have to go down that?!?

And so after that downward path, a natural pool filled with crystal clear water welcomes you. The water is in parts deep, you couldn't see its bottom but the area near the rocks are manageable. So this is the part that's more or less worth the travel. It's something new in Riyadh. It's rare. So rare that the water here is not always present. It just so happens that there's water inside this time. And it's not always as clear as this. So plan your trip to Al Heet Cave accordingly.

Wooo, it looks like a lap pool!

The cave's natural pool and the very happy kabayans enjoying the cool water.

Who has the time to write graffitis on the wall?!?

It gets crowded around 9 o'clock in the morning. So it's better to go there early so you won't have to battle for spots in the pool area. And also, you get first dibs on the cool water. Otherwise, by the time you go in, every other person has already taken a bath there and you don't even know if the water gets replaced. Haha! Also, I don't recommend bringing your kids with you. They wouldn't be able to navigate the incline. My tips: Wear rubber shoes, don't hold on to any thing (ex. hand bags), and bring water. BE CAREFUL!

Hello, outside world!

The view from an abandoned outpost outside the cave's entrance.

So will I be back? No. Do I suggest you go here? If you're clamoring for adventure, yes. If you're a homebody like me, stay in the comforts of your houses. Is it worth the trip? Personally, I would have to say no. But then again, it's something off the beaten track and it's still a discovery. However, since it's fast becoming popular, the authorities might be alerted by the volume of people converging to the place so be aware of the circumstances. Ultimately, going there is entirely up to you. ~ Sundrenched

Al Heet Cave

Coordinates:
N24 29'07.50"
E46 59'50.41"
Al Heet, Exit 11
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Map:

Click for a larger version.

PS. Thank you to my younger bro and SIL for the natural pool photos. Thank you to my older brother who prepared this map in a hurry because I was accusing him of giving me the wrong coordinates in our Facebook page because someone complained that they got lost. Apparently, the coordinates are correct.