The Pink Tarha
Showing posts with label King Abdullah Road. Show all posts
Showing posts with label King Abdullah Road. Show all posts

Friday, November 22, 2013

The Fancy Shmancy Le Chateau

This restaurant we're featuring has some case of an identity crisis. We don't know what their overall theme is because the name is French, the food is Chinese, and the decorations are over-the-top futuristic (like in the movie Tron or something). It's an assault to the senses. Literally and emotionally. Seriously. 

Le Chateau - Cuisine de Luxe Restaurant occupies a building along Takhasussi Street. It's the biggest restaurant in Riyadh! During the day, you won't miss this building because it's colored pink and yellow. Yes, like a box of stained glass in the middle of the city. During the night, it has this flamboyant feel to it; you'll be attracted but you'll also feel the need to stare for minutes gaping and wondering if it's a chandelier and furniture store.

Is there a party inside? 
It's a surprise!
The entrance to the Bachelor section

Trust me, our jaws dropped when we stepped into their lobby where a guest relations officer was telling us they're full. The waiting rooms were very interesting. On the left you have a subtle room filled with white sofas glowing under the pink lights. Being Pink Tarhas, we could've stayed put but we wanted to check out the other waiting room. On the right, you have Madame Butterfly's lair. It was so red, yellow and orange I had to blink a couple of times for my eyes to get used to it. I don't think my eyes got used to it but we stayed anyway because this room has a more energetic vibe than the other one.

Madame Butterfly's lair
We didn't know if we entered a leveled up Timezone or an inter-galactic space ship. The escalators are all aglow with bluish lights and running lights. We were excited boarding the escalator. Haha!

Whoah!
We went up the escalators and entered a massive room where the hustle and bustle of Riyadh converged. Okay, OA, but all the booths seemed so busy, the honeybee structure seemed so apt. People flock Le Chateau because of the family booths that surrounds the restaurant. You have a great view of the streets outside from the glass walls. We chose an open table in the middle to get the overall vibe of the place from the center.

Let's get this party started!
Open kitchen.
The middle section has a bar centerpiece where you can enjoy your drinks, non-alcoholic of course, and the shabu-shabu set which we find new in the city. There's also an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs cook and do their thing. And then there's a room with doors taken from the Forbidden Kingdom in China. And then there are larger than life chess pieces. And a horse covered in mirror I can probably skip the bathroom to fix my hair just by looking at it. And the disco lights in various colors that goes over and over the area. My goodness, what is this place? We couldn't understand the theme really but let's just say it's grand and flamboyant. We were in awe the whole time!

Shining, shimmering! You think I can ride that? Haha!
And the food? Well, if you've eaten in Mirage, Gulf Royale, and Diamond, then you will not be surprised with the menu. They're the same because they came from the same company. So if you have your favorites from those restaurants then chances are, you'll see them here.

Crispy, tasty appetizer and condiments
We started with free crackers and a trip of appetizers. I couldn't help but munch one after the other.

Crunchy outside, soft inside
Our friend J likes the Shrimp Balls, a crispy and oily appetizer that's flavorful. Love it!

Dumplings
Soft and warm, these dumplings are a real comfort food. The wrapper almost sags from the broth inside.

Chicken with cheese kebab, beef teppanyaki, and sweet&sour fish
Our main dishes are delicious; they're the usual food we order from a Chinese restaurant. They all came with a way to keep them warm. The chicken and cheese kebab in a grill was tender. The sizzling beef teppanyaki was sweet and savory doused with the right amount of thick sauce. The sweet and sour fish is just right. All in all, we were happy with our orders. However, they are expensive for Chinese food but we understand that we're also paying for the ambiance. Shabu-shabu sets start from SR 200 up per person.

Chocolate cake
It was Eyecandy's birthday when we visited this restaurant. We ordered this chocolate cake for her. The waiters came out to sing her a birthday song and those around our table were singing along too. Fun! The chocolate cake is interesting; it was mousse-like in consistency.

Cream with fruits and jelly
This came as an accompaniment with the chocolate cake. It's a good diversion in between bites of the chocolatey dessert.

Visit Le Chateau for special celebrations. Better call for reservation because they're always full. Yes, they're the biggest restaurant in Riyadh and they're always full. Wow right? But if you don't mind waiting at the colored waiting rooms, then don't. In Le Chateau, you're going for the fun, vibrant, and impressive place. The food is an afterthought. ~ Sundrenched

Le Chateau - Cuisine de Luxe
Takhasussi Street (near the King Abdullah Road intersection)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
T: +966-11-480-5352

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Home Centers of Riyadh

A reader was asking where to buy home decors and what we did during the Eid vacation came to mind.

If you may recall, we had ideas on how to spend your "staycation" at home. Those weren't just suggestions for you. We also did them, especially the organizing and decorating of our rooms and the many things on it. Eyecandy who acquired a new room was excited to paint and decorate it according to her "bohemian" theme. Being the supportive friends that we are (haha, "enablers"), we spent one day with her looking for decors and lightings for her room. We went to two of the biggest home centers in Riyadh and did we find what we were looking for? Yes and more! Er, except one.

First up, from 10am to 3pm, is IKEA in Exit 14. This one needs no further introduction. We featured it a long time ago but for today, let me show you the items that got our attention...

We love this bed, with a pull-out bed. And the floral sheets.
For the vibrant colors snob. Love the mirror.
Huge painting for your bare walls.
More paintings...
A neat bathroom fixture. Love this for a condo unit.
I saw this polka-dotted sofa so I decided to put my polka-dotted bag too. HAHA!
Not ordinary plywood. These are tables, minus the feet. 
The warehouse... now where do I find (fill in the blank)?
Our filled trolley
IKEA has fabulous, modern, and minimalist items that are affordable. I would not divulge how much Eyecandy spent in IKEA that day. It's enough to elicit coughs and throat clearing from all of us but what can we say? She has a fabulous room now. Also, she got me the Vika Amon table for my birthday. With a chair to boot. Yey! Ever since I first set foot in IKEA, it's been my dream to get one but I somehow manage to evade buying it. I had to organize and re-arrange some of my stuff too just to accommodate a "study corner" in my room. Lovely!
PROS:
- Modern, functional designs
- Inspirational and kid-friendly showroom
- Easy to take home in slim packages
- Easy to assemble products
- Delivery and assembly
- IKEA restaurant and snack bar 
CONS:
- Limited themes
- Far from city center
- Flimsy products (some)
There's one thing missing from our IKEA trip that Eyecandy needs badly and that is a lamp. Yes, a LAMP. So, we asked our friendly driver Mr. Joy to take us to Home Centre in King Abdullah Road.

Glass wares and candles
In different themes like this red/black Japanese style
Floor lamp with an Arabic feel
Solo chairs and pillows in vibrant, bohemian designs
Ball decors perfect for Xmas trees? Hehe.
Who uses these?
The pink tarha sofa. HAHA. 
Who doesn't need flowers in their homes?
Home Centre is Centrepoint's lifestyle home store. It has a variety of home decors, lighting fixtures, kitchen wares, pillows, and furniture sets for the living room and dining area. It's a complete shop that will give you more designs and choices according to the theme you're envisioning. Bohemian? Mod? Oriental? Wood? Their prices are affordable too. E got a few pillow cases to complete the look of her room. Unfortunately, we still didn't get the table lamp she was looking for.
PROS: 
- Lots of choices and variety
- Products/stuff organized according to theme and colors
- More than one branch in Riyadh; one is in city center
- Assembly and delivery
- Centrepoint Department Store and Lifestyle
CONS:
- Limited space
- Narrow aisles for furniture sets
- Can't try some products/furniture
All in all, we enjoyed visiting these home centers. They gave us more insights and ideas on how to re-decorate our rooms here in Riyadh, and our own future homes in the Philippines (ehermn). If the choices in IKEA and Home Centre aren't enough for you, you can also check out Abu Riyalin and Haraj. You might wonder why do we even put so much effort in decorating a room in a house that we're just renting? Hey, even if that's not our own room, we still spend more than half of our abroad life in the rooms and flats. We like to claim it as our own for the time being and lend our personalities to it. You should too! ;) ~ Sundrenched
IKEA Riyadh
Exit 16, Eastern Ring Road
See map here
T: +966-1-2442233
E: infoRyd@ikea.com.sa
Store Hours: 10:00am - 12:00mn (Sat-Thu) / 4:00pm-12mn (Fri)

Home Centre Riyadh
King Abdullah Road
T: +966-1-4554879
Exit 9, Imam Saud Bin Abdul Aziz
T: +966-1-2786452
Othaim Mall, Khurais Road
T: +966-1-2338214
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