The Night We Ate The SR125 Steak

Shoegarfreeruby and I promised we'll treat ourselves when our June payday comes. We had the grand (bonggang-bongga!) plan of eating in a restaurant that originated in Paris where others have to line up for hours. Surely, like us, you'd be dying to eat in Le Relais de L’Enrecote. Say wut?! I have to admit I can't pronounce that. I tried a few times until I had to ask the waiter already. Lol. What I can pronounce, and happily too, is the star of this resto's menu. Actually, the ONLY thing in their menu --- steak-frites. Come again? Steak and fries.

Le Relais de L’Enrecote is known for their steak and fries and that alone. You'd be surprised they're quite famous for it too so dining in here is such an experience we'd be willing to line up for it if needed. Thankfully, all we needed to do is call for a reservation.

The facade is posh and elegant. Blink and you might miss the cursive sign.

R and I spent a few minutes waiting outside the restaurant along Tahlia, just a few steps away from Chili's, because the prayer was still on-going when we arrived (excited kasi!). We thought we had to fight our way in and we were ready just in case people are already blocking our path. Lol. It wasn't necessary because the only table occupied was one. It became two when we took our seats. Good thing we picked the after maghreb prayer schedule because the place is jampacked after 8:00pm.

Branches of L'Entrecote worldwide have the same look and ambiance.

We thought we had to act all formal and sosyal (in fairness, I even wore my best abaya for this!) but the bistro is so simple yet elegant it’s nearly a sin to act pa-sosyal pa. Of course, there's no need to peruse a menu as there's none. We were immediately asked how we wanted our steak done. “Oh medium-well monsieur! Merci!” (Testing lang. :P)

They served us a simple salad first. It was so basic it only had lettuce and pieces of walnuts on it drizzled with their signature dressing. 

The starters.

The only thing I can remember about it is that it was too salty. The mustard dressing was a little bit bitter too. I'm not big on green stuff so I munched them lazily. There was bread too but I hardly glanced at it; just took a photo. 

Bland bread.

I was excited to begin my steak! Good thing, we didn't have to wait long for it. I wasn't really looking for anything fancy but I was still surprised when they placed an ordinary-looking plate in front of me filled with thin fries and a few cuts of meat. R and I were glancing at each other and asking, "this is it?!"

This is it!

I ignored the fries first and went straight to my steak. I sliced a piece and pierced it with my fork (I think I'm holding my breath while doing this). I put the piece of meat in my mouth... there were no fireworks, I tell you. There was no shout of pure ecstasy (I'm still talking about food). There was no "Eureka!" moment. I only managed to chew and chew, quietly savoring the succulent meat; its mild flavor swirling in my tongue spreading a unique flavor ingrained in my taste buds forever but can't describe with words now. 

Perfect combination.

It wasn't anything spectacular... It was amazing in its simplicity. The meat was tender and the sauce was mild and not overpowering. Although I wasn’t really impressed with the sauce. I initially thought it was good of epic proportions because it was a heavily-guarded secret! (O diba?!) Is it because I’m not French and not used to this kind of steak sauce? I dunno. The golden fries, which I ignored for a few minutes, came to focus when I popped a string in my mouth. The crispiness felt wonderful and right. I began eating the meat with a couple of fries and the combo was perfect!

Of course, I was already thinking the fries, even if it resembles a hill on my plate, and the slivers of meat, were not worthy of their SR125 price tag. (I completely forgot about the disappointing salad by now. Did I mention that here?! Really?) Alas, we were not yet finished. There was a second serving of fries and steak. I was already full when I wiped out my first serving but I kept on eating because the steak-frites is really good and not at all cloying!

A menu is only available for the desserts. Because we're delirious and can't quite think for ourselves after the main meal, we asked the waiter to choose for us among their highly-recommended desserts. A tower of meringue and ice cream were put in front of us and it was a wonderful sight. 

How sinful is this?! Vacherin, SR38

The Le Vacherin de Relais interweaves different textures from crisp, coarse, smooth, silky, soft in the layers but the taste is just one – sweet. I’m not exactly raving about this dessert.

Of course this meal is best enjoyed with wine the Le Relais de L’Enrecote in France is known for but should we even dare bring this up? Soooo…

Are we recommending you try Le Relaise despite of its hefty price tag and loner dish? Of course! You only live once right? And it's not every day you get to eat the steak-frites the world is lining up for. This can earn you bragging rights too... only if you know how to properly pronounce the name though. :)

Le Relais de L’Enrecote

Almas Plaza, Thalia Street

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

T: 01-4615058

§undrenched

A Dose of Sweetness at Cakelicious

It’s been raining cupcakes since Sundrenched started ‘wishing’ for cupcake shops to open. Being a sweet-tooth myself, Cakelicious is a sure welcome addition to our list.

We discovered Cakelicious by chance, as me and the hubby drove along Thalateen street. From outside, you can see the colorful cupcakes, cakes and chocolates that are tempting enough for a stop. The cupcakes where the ones that drew my attention. I saw the red velvet ones from afar and wanted to try them first since it’s the variant I love the most. As you enter the shop, the smell of sweet icing welcomes you. It’s time for another sugar-load!

What makes Cakelicious different is that they have brownies! I am a fan of brownies and used to bake them a lot since I don’t find them in any of the local bakeshops here. They have them in two flavors: caramel and cheese.

The caramel brownies are love.

These cheese brownies are loaded.

The brownies come in huge and half slices for SAR 15 and SAR 8.  

Their brownies were not that chewy or moist to my liking. They were a bit dry to my taste. However, I like how they weren’t too sweet even with the caramel syrup on top. They were good enough to satisfy my brownie craving. The hubby said it’s the only brownie he’ll finish, so that’s really a compliment! He seldom appreciates the sweet stuff in general.

Now, onto the cupcakes. I was able to try the velvet, carrot, toffee and chocolate variants. They have them in other flavors too like blueberry and vanilla. So far, these are the only ones I’ve seen in the shop. I loved their velvet and carrot cupcakes the most. In spite of the icing being too sweet, it was the kind of cupcake I was actually looking for. The icing and the cake itself was loaded and compact. You can see that they did not cost-cut with the cakes individually. These are sold at SAR 8 each.

Vegetables are good for you.

The vanilla cupcake is topped with yellow.

Stop counting the calories!

The red velvet cupcake is my fave because it's...red. Haha.

The shop sells some mini cakes (SAR 15) and chocolates too. They also offer made to order cakes for birthdays and other special occasions as I was able to browse their catalog.



Wanna try the layered velvet cake next!




Hyperglycemia. LOL.



Cakelicious sure is worth visiting for those who would love to have another dose of sugar in their bloodstream, LOL. Pampa-hyper! You’ll find their cakes irresistible to try, since we girls just love all ‘nice, sweet and cute’ in one package. Watch out for their other branches opening soon in Tahlia, Alrabwa, Alrawda and Exit 9 in case you’ll miss the one in Thalateen Street.

♥Shoegarfreeruby♥

Brunch at Buffalo's

Probably, there are only a handful of people on earth who'll consider themselves as "morning persons." No, I'm not one of them. Almost everyone though is forced to become a morning person for either work or school. I love mornings only for breakfasts and brunches. Or okay, for the early rays of sunshine in my room and the silence of Riyadh on a Thursday and Friday morning too.

The other Pink Tarha ladies are fond of long breakfasts but I'm sure they don't want waking up early on a weekend. Who does?! But there's one thing we like better to ignore the inconvenience of waking up early... a new experience. Remember when we said one of the mantras of The Pink Tarha is "do something new every day"? Well, we want to experience having brunch on a Thursday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Well, I want to. I just had to drag Eyecandy and our friend J to come with me. :) It's easy to look for a brunch place in Manila but in Riyadh, it's a little bit difficult. But nothing the Pink Tarha ladies can't handle. With a little click in my search button, I found the perfect brunch place... BUFFALO's!

Yes, yes, Buffalo's Southwest Cafe and Restaurant is not at all unfamiliar. It's like Steaky or Steakhouse or Outback or TGIF. Just a little bit dimmer and warm on the lighting but pretty much the same in overall appearance and substance. So anyway, I found out through My Saudi Guides (Riyadh) Yummy Yummy (a very wonderful resource site, if only they can better their website's aesthetics) that Buffalo's is now serving breakfast from 6am to 11am during Saturday to Thursday. I, being the ambassadress of brunches, forced invited the ladies to have brunch with me. Of course, I heard groans when I mentioned a 9am meet-up on a Thursday but the lure of food and coffee is undeniably appealing. So, we woke up early on a Thursday to have brunch at Buffalo's.

We thought we're the only ones who thinks this is such a nice idea. Apparently, a few Arabs enjoy it too. The place is not that packed but they're welcoming a few early risers like us. Speaking of welcome, the welcoming committee for Buffalo's is a waiter who opens the door for you and this large buffalo head hanging in the wall. Ack!

Why hello there, Mr. Buffalo! Please don't swallow us whole.

We had the gall to pose below it (silently praying and hoping the buffalo head won't fall in our heads!) and admire the semi-open kitchen across. As usual, every thing in the restaurantsspells West - cowboys, herds, wood, etc. We rode a narrow elevator to the second floor. Yes, we had to take the elevator. Lol. But there's always the stairs for a little bit of ugh, exercise.

So, let's have some breakfast at Tiffany's brunch at Buffalo's now shall we?

A very welcoming atmosphere

It's a good thing when all the drapes are up and sunshine is pouring in the room. Everything is bright and fresh! What a way to welcome our day! (Rhyming wasn't intended, lol!)

Big Bacon Omelet, SR25

A generous omelet loaded with six strips of beef bacon, onions, tomatoes, and topped with cheese (served with hash browns and a choice if three buttermilk pancakes or toast).

Our friend J enjoyed this. It's also such a huge serving that she had half of the portion to-go.

Fruit Pancakes, SR23

Three buttermilk pancakes smothered with a choice of flavors and whipped topping (strawberries | cinnamon-apple | blueberries | cherries).

Our choice topping is warm cherries but the cherries weren't warm enough. Still, the pancakes are good. Not that exceptional but really good. It's soft, fluffy, and creamy. Lather on a rich layer of their whipped cream and syrup and this is probably the best commercial pancake you'll have in Riyadh (if our tastes are the same).

International Crepe, SR22

Three crepes filled and smothered with any crepe flavor, dusted with powdered sugar and whipped topping (strawberries | cinnamon-apple | blueberries | bananas | cherries).

We tried their crepe because we thought it'll serve as our dessert. Turns out, our banana crepe is not that sweet. A drizzle of condensed milk would have made this a perfect sweet ending. With just a few slices of bananas and ground nuts, the crepe doesn't have a taste at all.

Chicken Skillet, SR33

Seasoned skin potatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, melted cheese topped with tender country friend chicken.

E enjoyed this dish. The generous serving is a winner. The melted cheese added a very unique layer to the dish. Yummy!

Buffalo Passport, SR19

Two beef bacon strips, two beef sausages, served with hash browns (with two egg and a choice between three little buttermilk pancakes and toast).

The picture looks bland and the food there looks dry but don't be fooled with my photography skills. Lol. This is probably the pinaka-sulit dish in their menu. And this is what a hefty breakfast is all about! Greasy, meaty, and protein-filled! Lol. That's a lot of food pieces in one plate and I can't breathe after eating halfway. I had my eggs scrambled and I chose the pancakes over the toast. Get a little bit of every thing and a forkful is definitely a smorgasbord of flavors! And all these for SR19! Highly recommended!

Cutie little pancakes with butter and syrup (an option if you don't like toast)

Mocha and Cappuccino, SR8 each

Refillable Coffee, SR7

Orange Juice, SR10

We ♥ these cute honey and strawberry jam jars.

Delicious, filling, and affordable food! Everything was amazing! Buffalo's breakfast menu is good reason enough to wake me up early on a Thursday morning. Actually, it's also a good reason to forgo lunch. Click here for their breakfast menu to avoid staring at it for an hour and changing your mind countless times in the resto. Pick tables with nice views of Tahlia St. You'll never see Tahlia this empty if you go out at usual hours.

A view of nearby Hediard, a coffee shop in Tahlia St.

Wait, of course you didn't think Buffalo's is for breakfast only, right? Buffalo's is perfect for dinner also. We're just not saying this. We ate there for dinner too. Thank goodness, not on the same day we had our big brunch. But we can do that. :P Dinner at Buffalo's saved us from an epic fail in Fatburgers. We'll tell you all about it in our next entry on Buffalo's.

So, who's with us in doing something new every day?

§undrenched

Lusin: An Armenian Deluxe

IMAGINE ARABIAN SUNSETS meeting the European flair. Think of the aroma of a bustling grill amidst a palatial rendezvous. Discover and have a taste of a culture that has long been subdued. That is how I experienced the newly opened restaurant in town called, Lusin.

The Opening Soon sign beside The Noodle House was up for quite some time and it was to my delight to find that it was finally open for business! Lucky for me I had the chance to peek in before the actual opening which I featured previously here. This time around, I was able to check out more of the fantastic view that this restaurant had to offer:

The maroon-like colors showered by the bright yellow lighting reminds me of an Arabian sunset and yet the sparkle of gold accents and brass interiors brings about a certain "bling" of the 21st century.

The veranda is still hoping for some touch-ups during the time I visited, but at this point, I could honestly say that standing from this view, it looked simply marvelous.

Sitting in the restaurant during the soft opening, I was not sure what to expect. Outside, the sign read, "Lusin: Armenian Cuisine" - but I wasn't anywhere near familiar to what Armenian food really is. The good thing is that the manager and crew were hospitable and kind enough to introduce us to what Armenian food is all about. Starting off with our drinks, we were offered the Pomegranate juice - which we were told, was the national fruit of Armenia. It's color is also

the binding theme of the restaurant, and you will notice that the crew's uniform is also adorned with this symbol. Too bad I wasn't able to take a photo of both the juice and the men in uniform but I can assure you that both were delicious and a delight to look at.

:)

Let's move on to the starters shall we?

We were paraded with an exquisite line-up of all the kinds of dips one could imagine. Now, I am a Filipina and I naturally did not grow up to homegrown Middle-Eastern cooking despite growing up in Riyadh, therefore from here on end, do take into consideration that I have more of an Asian-tempered palette. Nevertheless, I am a hummus lover and being exposed to at least four different kinds of hummus (or at least I thought they were hummus) was indeed, beyond my imagination (and consumption):

Some Khubz bread to wipe off the hummus with. Note: Bread is "refillable."

A parade of starters. From Top to Bottom: Itch - Traditional Armenian burgul red salad with parsley. Yalanji Grape Leaves - Stuffed grape leaves served with Armenian matzone yogurt. (Four sets of dips to be identified in next photo) Mohammarah (The red one) - Traditional Armenian red pepper paste with grated walnuts. Taboulah - Traditional Lebanese Taboulah from parsley, burgul and tomato and lastly, Beetroot Salad with sesame cream.

Clockwise from Top: Mutabal - Traditional Lebanese grilled eggplant mashed with sesame paste, (Forgot the name) but it's practically hummus but with bits of meat in them; Hummus - Traditional Lebanese style; and Tajin Samak - Cold slices of fish fillet with sesame paste and onions.

Now from this set of cold starters, I must say that in general, they all tasted delicious. But what stood out for me was the Mohammarah and the Tajin Samak. The texture of the pepper paste coupled with the right amount of sour and a kick of the spice worked wonders with the Khubz bread. Also, it was my first time to try the Tajin Samak and it tasted like an Armenian counterpart to our version of a tuna salad, if I may say so.

As for the rest, the Taboulah was freshly made and the Mutabal and Hummus were richer than the usual ones I'd have on a regular basis (i.e. a weekend snack from our local diner). Like all fine restaurants such as these, it was obvious that the choice and quality of ingredients does make the difference.

Although, I wish I could say the same for the hot starters (featured below), for me, they were okay. But it isn't something to rave about. I would rather order another round of Mohammarah and Tajin Samak.

Cheese Bourak - Fried pastries stuffed with cheese.

Beef Bourak - Fried pastries stuffed with minced beef.

As we were enjoying the starters, I could already catch a faint smell of the grill coming from the kitchen as the crew were preparing to serve the main dishes. It's a good thing that I was preoccupied with the good conversation I was having with my family that it was just a matter of time that another parade of plates invaded our table.

The main course:

Mixed Platter of Shish Taouk and Meat Kebab garnished with grilled pepper and tomato.

Grilled Lamb Chops

Kebab in Cherry Sauce

If I am not mistaken, I believe this dish is called "Manti".

It has meat-stuffed pillows of ravioli, blanketed by rich yogurt cream.

I don't know how I was still able to down any of the main courses seeing that I was already stuffed with all the appetizers we had. Nevertheless, the scenery of grilled meat was too enticing to ignore. Out of all the main courses we had, I just have to give a standing ovation to the Grilled Lamb Chops. (clap, clap, clap) It was tasty, soft and such a simple dish that was made elegant in my mouth. Second place would have to go to the Kebab in cherry sauce as I have never tasted such fine pureed cherry so far in my life. The fine-ness of the sauce meshed well with the coarse, ground meat. I can't say that there was anything special with the mixed platter of shish taouk and kebabs, although it would be a safe choice for those with a less adventurous inclination when it comes to food. The Manti, for me, was a bit on the sour side - as it should be. However, sour taste is not particularly my soft side.

I didn't think we had enough space for a desert round, so my family and I settled for a shot of what they call "White Coffee."

It is actually a herbal tea made from orange blossom water. We were told by our waiter that it aims to help one's digestion, particularly after a heavy meal. It may look like a shot of vodka to you, but it's not. :P The scent is calming and holding the warm glass with your fingertips is actually relaxing.

As we were getting ready to leave, the restaurant was already packed and most of the guests were Saudis and/or Middle-Eastern. I can tell that the restaurant was off to a promising start. In general, the ambiance of Lusin is nothing short of luxurious and I believe that it is best to put in your reservation before heading there. It may be easy for most people to assume that the food they offer is similar to other Turkish or Lebanese restaurants, but as the name suggests, they have dubbed it as "Armenian Cuisine" and thus it is the Armenian experience that awaits you at Lusin -- a culture that is as ancient as Rome and Arabia and yet, not as known to the world.

No Lusin, Thank You!

For reservations and inquiries:

LUSIN

2nd Floor, Centria Mall,

Olaya St., Riyadh

T: 01-293-9800

E: info@lusinrestaurant.com

Their website is currently under construction but can be primarily viewed at: http://www.lusinrestaurant.com

The Top 5 Malls in Riyadh

We're introducing a new section in the blog where we list five favorite any thing. Just the Pink Tarha ladies' choices orayt? Feel free to add yours in the comment boxes. :)

For the first entry in this section, we write about something dear to our hearts (lol). Since we're still high from shopping, why not write an entry that involves our favorite past time?

One of Riyadh's allure to women is its being a major shopping destination, especially during the sale season. The mall is the main destination of women who are seeking respite and therapy from all the day's work (or non-work). The mall is the oasis, the first refreshing frontier in the ongoing life of Filipinas in Saudi Arabia. It's wide, air-conditioned, and the displays are endless and dazzling! Filipino men can settle for Batha but we women can hold our fort in Riyadh's huge malls. The Pink Tarha lists down our five go-to malls in the city with their matching pros and cons.

1. Riyadh Gallery
This mall located at the end of the King Fahad Road tops our list. It might be far to a few but we say it's location is just right. Not too near and not too far. The distance is compensated by the King Fahd Road, which is a relatively wide highway with little traffic. But the most important reason is that it's a one-stop complete mall. It houses three of our favorite department stores - three! - Debenhams, Centrepoint, and Citymax. It also has a famous one-stop beauty shop, Sephora. Eyecandy says it also resembles a Manila mall the most (say Trinoma) because of its wide space and nature (albeit faux) landscape in the center. The coffee shops are rightfully (and tastefully) placed in the nooks of this mall garden. The lack of in-house branches of popular restaurants is compensated with a brightly-lit, colorful food court with interesting eating stalls that we like. E likes Indian Garden in the food court which serves a mean Chicken 65 while Mary likes the no-fuss pasta at Pastalita. Overall, Riyadh Gallery is the Pink Tarha's main retreat.

Shop with nature in Riyadh Gallery (photo from here)

Pros
Relaxing ambiance (nature landscape in the middle)
Department stores (Centrepoint, Citymax, Debenhams, Sephora)
Popular brands (New Look, Zara, H&M, New Yorker)
Specialty stores (Konad for nail art and Stokes for funky kitchen tools)
Hyper Panda
Huge parking lot
London cab
Huge amusement center

Cons
Far location (at the end of King Fahd Road)
Death-defying high escalators
No in-house restaurants

2. Granada Center
Surprisingly, even if Granada Center is far from the city center, we are placing it in second because of a somewhat unique reason. Granada Center is probably the most men-friendly mall because most of the brands here carry their line for men. Like Topshop and H&M. So it's a pro for our fathers, husbands, and brothers. Pro for us too because they become more willing to drive us around. We also consider its distance a breather from the grinding, busy city life. It also proves to be an advantage because we still find our sizes here, especially during the sale season. Granada Center is like a walk in the park. It's spacious but not too huge to enjoy a stroll. It also has the must-go-to stores in our list like H&M, River Island, and Debenhams. Also, we don't encounter the muttawas here as much compared to other malls (not that we're hiding from them).

Far but worth it (photo from here)

Pros
Department store (Debenhams)
Popular brands (Topshop, H&M, New Look,)
Brands for men (Topshop, H&M)
In-house restaurants (Steakhouse and a Turkish grill)
Carrefour
Entertainment center
Huge parking lot
London cab
For women only food court area

Cons
Location
Limited variety of stores
Limited eating stalls in the food court

3. Sahara Mall and Hayat Mall
We decided to combine these two together because once you're in one, you can't help but go "ober da bakod" to visit the other. And you can also go to Sahara Plaza, the home of Zara and La Senza's liquidation stores. If not for the ongoing construction on the roads surrounding these malls, we could have placed it in the number 1 spot. But times and places have changed. The traffic in this area is a killer and you'll waste precious minutes in the surrounding intersections, U-turns, and detours. Also, it was a breeze before to cross the road to go from one mall to the other but now that a fence has been installed in between, the walk outside is a strain (unless you enjoy walking like we do... sometimes). Overall though, Sahara and Hayat offer a huge variety of brands and stores combined. What you can't find in one mall, you can find in the other. You can buy everything here from your clothes, groceries, books, cellphones, and appliances. It's a one-stop gigantic shop... which you can reach after having a headache from the road hassles.

Shoppers' [twin] delight (photos from here and here)

Pros
Location (near the city center)
Popular brands (Hayat: New Look, Zara, Lacoste, Al-Sawani, Paris Gallery | Sahara: MNG, H&M, Miss Selfridge)
Lots of food court choices
In-house restaurants (Hayat: Tony Roma's and Applebee's | Sahara: Fuddruckers, Cafe Ceramique)
Supermarkets (Hayat: Dabube Hypermarket | Sahara: Tamimi Market)
Sahara Plaza
Jarir Bookstore and Best Electronic Store
Entertainment centers

Cons
Major traffic in the area
Long detour in between malls
Always full parking lots
No London Cab

4. Kingdom Mall
Though we love this mall for the unique brands it carry, we find the stores very limited. What we love though is the ladies floor where we can step out of our abayas (which curiously, we keep) and relax with other women who love shopping and having coffee. We are also catered by women who know our wants and needs and whom we share the same interests. What goes on in the ladies' floor is our own dirty little secret. Lol. However, the prices are somewhat too high. Salon services cost twice or triple than salons outside. Kingdom Mall has an upper-class clientele and this mall gives off that ambiance. The food court, though, feels otherwise. The available eating joints are scarce and not as varied as other malls. One major point when being in Kingdom Mall is the opportunity to go upstairs and visit the Skybridge where a glass wall is the only thing that separates you from a panoramic view of Riyadh.

Go luxe! (photo from here)

Pros
Location (city center)
Luxury brands (Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Tiffany and Co., Saks Fifth Avenue)
Luxury hotel (Four Seasons) and restaurants (Spazio, Quattro, The Grill)
Ladies' floor
Spacious, wide, brightly-lit areas
London Cab
Skybridge

Cons
Limited variety of brands and stores
Only 1 in-house resto (Planet Hollywood)
Attacks on women outside the mall were 'reported.'

5. Faisaliah Mall
We love Faisaliah Mall but it doesn't offer as much as the other malls. It is the nearest mall to our work and home but we only find ourselves drawn by the food court which has our favorite food (Subway, London Chips, and Samurai). We also love their selection of desserts (Cheesecake Factory, Baskin n' Robbins, a cookie stall, etc.) Their food court and Water Lemon have a nice view of the Olaya Road. It has a nice array of familiar brands like MNG, Zara, and Promod and has the only branch of Juicy Couture in Riyadh. It is also the home of upscale department store, Harvey Nichols. When done shopping, going to the view deck in Faisaliah's globe is a must. For SR25, you get a nice 360 degree view of the city and limitless number of photos using your camera (Kingdom's Skybridge prohibits the use of mainstream cameras; only mobile phone's).

Shop and dine with a view at Faisaliah Mall (photo from here)

Pros
Popular brands (MNG, Zara, Promod, MAC)
High-class brands (Juicy Couture, Coach, Roberto Cavalli)
Department store (Harvey Nichols, Al-Sawani)
Good variety of food court choices
View deck
Ample parking space in the basement

Cons
Busy intersection of Olaya and Thalateen Sts.
Filled parking lots outside
No London Cab

There are still a lot of malls in Riyadh and we cannot count the possibilities of fab finds and experience. These five, however, are our go-to malls but we also visit Panorama Mall (for their amusement center... lol!), Al-Akaria Mall, Al-Nemer Center, Othaim Mall, Khurais Plaza, etc. but not as frequent. If you have raves and rants on the malls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, do let us know in the comment box.

Happy shopping in Riyadh!

Oh, Pain D'or!

Why hello there, November! 49 days to go 'til Christmas, people! The Pink Tarha ladies are currently avoiding Christmas songs and carols because they tend to make us nostalgic. Eyecandy tried listening to them one time and she got teary-eyed. Oh, Christmas! Anyway, speaking of Eyecandy (and I'm segway-ing now to the true subject of this entry)...

It was Eyecandy who tipped me in buying a loaf bread from Pain D'or when we were at the newly-opened branch in Suleimania (across Jazeera Supermarket). And I fell in love with the bread because it was like the brand Gardenia. We also got a scoop of their delicious cheese cake ice cream. Heaven! We ogled at the bread, pastries, and sweets displayed at their counters and before we walked out with breads and cups of ice cream, I grabbed one of their leaflets. Just in case I get bored at home and need something to look at and read. (Yes, reading leaflets, brochures, and catalogs is a habit I have.)

This weekend, the mother and I can't go out of the house because the father is out of town. I can but I'm too lazy to call a private cab and go somewhere. Plus the mother won't let me out with all the recent news we've been hearing about missing Filipinas. (One hearsay is that a Filipina was snatched in our area. In our area!) I have no problems being at home during the weekend *cough* but we're running low on groceries and supplies. Ergo, we don't have anything decent to eat. Sure we have our canned stash and processed meats but they get pretty lame after a while. And so I thought of having something delivered. At home, I'm the delivery queen. A week will not pass by without me ordering something and having it delivered in our doorstep. Having most Pinoy restaurants and fast food (McDo, KFC, Pizza Inn, Caesar's etc.) within our neighborhood helps. Lol. And so I perused my stack of menus when I suddenly remembered Pain D'or. It's something new and maybe they deliver?

And indeed they do!

I called immediately (excited much) after poring over their not-so-long menu. I want to order everything just so I can taste test them but of course, that's impossible (running low on cash too, hehe). So I ended up with the following:

Chocolate pastry (SR6) and apple strudel (SR6)

I wanted the almond pastry but they were not available so I settled for chocolate. It's good for those who like a little dark chocolate on their pastries. The pastry is flaky and crispy on the outside and chewy and moist on the inside. That's how I like my pastries so they're right on spot! The apple strudel was heaven-sent. It's in my dreams until now. The filling is just in proportion with the yummy bread. I loved it so much I had another batch delivered! (More on this later.)

Lasagna, SR30

The anatomy of Pain D'or's lasagna.

The lasagna is oozing with cheese and meat. The top was crusty and a little bit hard but that's orayt because I like it that way. The layers below were cheesy and soft. It could have been better if it's more meaty. The serving is good for two.

Almond Crispy Chicken Breast

+ Potato Gratin

I ordered this one out of curiosity. Maybe it's like Ketchup's pistacchio-crusted chicken breast too. They're not. I'm surprised to find two chicken fillets with strips of veggies and a little bit of sauce. Where's the almonds? Well, the almonds were pounded and mixed with the thin breading coating the chicken. It made it crunchy! The chicken was a little bit hard but the whole dish combined is flavorful and delicious. The potato gratin was a first for me. It looked like lasagna, only harder and studier (and made of potatoes, of course), but it's great with the chicken. Bet it's great with steaks too. It's a different take on side dishes made with potatoes. At least it's not fries or baked potato this time.

Tiramisu

I don't hate tiramisu but I don't love it either. The mother ordered this for some sugar rush and I only had a small bite. I can taste the too bitter coffee syrup and it just didn't sit well in my tongue. Love the personalized Pain D'or chocolate though.

And so we enjoyed a hefty dinner of Pain D'or. The next day, the apple strudel was still haunting me. It was so good I phoned another order again. This time, I want my strudel to be a la mode so I tried ordering their ice cream. The crew taking my call already knew me and he remembered that I asked about their ice cream the first time I called. He said then that he cannot deliver ice cream because it might melt on the way so I left it at that. But because I really, really want an apple pie a la mode, I tried asking him about it again. The guy was irked that I'm asking again. Lol. He said that my ice cream will turn into "soup" if I persist. But persist I did! Hahaha. I calculated in my mind how far Jazeera was to our place and concluded that hey, it's not that far! (I'm not so sure about this but WTH?!) The crew told me, "mam, it's your responsibility if the ice cream arrives as soup." I laughed and said, "I'll place it in our freezer." He sighed and said okay.

Well, my ice cream arrived looking like it came fresh out of their freezer! It didn't melt at all. See, you shouldn't give up when it comes to cravings. :P

Cheese cake ice cream, 05.kg SR25

Donuts, SR3 each

I don't fancy their donuts much. The filled ones don't have jam fillings. The donuts were dry compared to Krispy Kreme or Dunkin.

And more apple struddels, yey!

I like it sooo much! They arroved hot and fresh from the oven. The delivery was late for a few minutes because the strudels were still being baked when I phoned in my order. I'm not complaining! Love the warm strudel with the cold ice cream!

One major disappointment is their Alfredo pasta with aged parmesan. I'm so disappointed I didn't even bother taking its picture. It's bland, bland, bland. I remembered that Tony Roma's chicken alfredo was bland too. Why can't they get it right?! Oh well...

So, that's my weekend adventure with Pain D'or. Their delivery is good. They found our flat fast (thank goodness for delivery guys who know how to speak in English fluently) and they keep a record of it so the next time I called, I didn't have to repeat. Oh and going back to the first product that I loved in this bakery... the loaf bread is very good for your sandwiches. It's good to be eaten on its own too. They're widely available in supermarkets and groceries. :)

How was your weekend?

§undrenched