What's New in the Menu, Cafe Ceramique?

FOR THE CREATIVE and hungry alike, Cafe Ceramique could very well be your niche. But you have to answer the question, "Would you like to eat or paint first?"

The centerpiece of the table lets you determine the course of your stay. :)

In our case, we decided to eat first.

Cafe Ceramique is a one-of-a-kind restaurant in the sense that they offer ceramic-painting activities for all ages while you're dining in their restaurant. A very family-oriented place, it is nestled on the corner of the 3rd Floor of Sahara Mall, which caters an all-day breakfast menu, pizzas, pastas and sandwiches. We've featured them a couple of years back, but now they have a bigger and brighter menu for you to try out. 

The ladies and I (except Sundrenched, who was already vacationing in Manila at the time) went to taste their new items one December evening. Interestingly enough, S was also not with us in the first entry on this resto. :P 

We were treated to plates and plates of salads, sandwiches and pasta. We browsed through their new menu which they have recently launched and these piqued our interest.

One of their newest drinks, the "Catalina" for 22SR. 

Even though it was December, we tried out the summery drinks in the menu. The Catalina hits the spot if you're looking for the right combination of sweet and sour. It's a mix of orange juice, strawberries and honey. On the other hand, as you know, Mojitos are known for their refreshing taste, and this surely leaves a lasting, fresh impression (made up of lemon, mint and brown sugar). 

Mojito, 22SR

I am a big fan of rocket leaves (girgir) in salads so I immediately ordered the Casablanca Salad, which was made up of fresh rocket leaves in pomegranate dressing mixed with couscous and grilled halloumi cheese. R on the otherhand, ordered the Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad which had grilled chicken breast, romaine, tomatoes, corn, beans and BBQ ranch dressing topped with crispy onion rings. 

The Casablanca, 42SR.

Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad, 42SR

It may look like the price is too much for a single salad order but in fact, one order can actually feed two people. Interestingly enough, I enjoyed the Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad more than the Casablanca because I was hooked on the flavors of the latter. The Casablanca can be a good pair to a grilled dish or something, but the second salad can already qualify as a full meal (consider the chicken, beans, corn, greens and onion rings altogether!). And since they're both priced the same, I'd recommend the Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad for more value for your money and your tummy.

Trio CC Burgers, 36 SR

A pink bun! ;P

Now I don't know why someone invented teeny, tiny, burgers coz really, I don't get it. But the kids might find it amusing, especially since Cafe Ceramique is serving them in colorful, miniscule buns. In an order, you can find a cheeseburger (orange bun), a BBQ burger (pink bun) and a regular beef burger (yellow bun) plus some french fries. These lil' items can do a little mayo or something to moisten it up. But taste-wise, it was okay.

Now, if you're a sandwich person (I know several people who are, including my brother), hold on to your seats as the next couple of pictures will be an assault on your sandwich-loving taste buds. 

Beef Steak Sandwich, 45SR

This one is made of grilled beef fillet sauteed in onions, laid on top of a bed of arugula and topped with dried tomatoes which can easily be categorized a the hungry man's sandwich. You have to have an appetite (and belly) big enough to finish this as it can be fill you up easily (or you can share). The whole grain mayo in between ties up all the ingredients wonderfully in this tasty sandwich. 

Now the next three items are my personal recommendations as a must order. First up...

Chicken Quesadilla, 42SR

In third place is their Chicken Quesadilla. The chunky slices of chicken in melted cheese goes well with the salsa, cream and guacamole in this dish. But if I'm being honest, I'd say the guacamole is the piece de resistance in this one because while the chicken is smokey and the cheese...well, cheesy, the guacamole gives it a tangy twist that dipping the wrap in it makes me want to eat more and more of it (ergo, we ended up asking for another dollop).  

Mushroom Swiss Burger, 42SR

In second place is this flavorful piece of meat, with swiss brown mushrooms (which where this type of burgers get its name) and hot melted cheese. I particularly enjoyed having the Mushroom Swiss burger done medium-well as it left enough tenderness to every bite. I also liked the bun, which was fluffier than those of the mini-burger trio. If you like hot sauce, this is the perfect sandwich to douse it with.

Chicken Salad Bagel, 42SR

And as I save the best for last, I present to you the Champion of all the sandwiches we tasted that night...(drumroll please!) the Chicken Salad Bagel! It gets the top spot in my list because of all the sandwiches we tasted, I believe this one will sit very well on Filipino palates. Imagine our usual chicken salad na palaman, only 10x better! There must have been some magic mixed in to the dressing because man oh man, it was finger-lickin' good! A perfect 1-0. :)

--

Fetuccine Alfredo, 42SR

You would  think that we would be SO FULL by now after having the salads and sandwiches, but no, we still indulged in tasting one of their pasta dishes (and dessert). For their Fetuccine Alfredo, it had aldente noodles, a creamy base and chunky chicken bits for texture...everything you expect in a basic white-sauce pasta is here. But I'm afraid at this point, we were too full to finish it. So we just packed it for take out. 

Why hello there Chocolate Fondant! 32SR

Now if you're just a recent reader of our blog, it would amuse you to know that I am a die-hard consumer of chocolate fondant. A spoonful of the best kind makes poems come of out of my mouth. Past readers have bore witness as to how I would describe an utterly delicious plate of chocolate fondant. Anyway, as for Cafe Ceramique's serving of this dessert, it still stands as one of my Top 5 chocolate fondants in town. It's cooked right, with enough gooey chocolate in the middle and it's one of those desserts that makes you hum 'm-m-m-m-m-m-m-M!' after a taste. Another must try if you haven't yet. :)

Their new menu is artsy and filled with many quotes about eating and painting (albeit there are some typo errors). And while I did say that we wanted to eat first then paint later, unfortunately, we didn't have time left to take some of the ceramics and exercise our creative prowess. I would suggest that if you'd like to undertake the painting activity, make sure that you have nothing else scheduled for the rest of the night (or day) so that you can spend some quality time painting and talking with your friends or family members after a hearty meal of course!



xoxo,
Eyecandy

#Foodie

Cafe Ceramique
3rd Flr, Sahara Mall
T: 01-452-0677

The BBW Wonderland

And so the wait is over... the Bath and Body Works Store in Riyadh is open! 

My friends and I saw it this weekend. We giddily entered to see if our favorite scents are available and what other treats await us. (I was like this girl lost in a candy store.) We went from one shelf to another like giddy school girls spotting a crush. Lol. This time though, it's a different "candy" we're ogling at. Smelling too, instead of tasting. 

A wonder land!

We asked a salesman politely if we can take photos in the store. He said yes with much enthusiasm. We took photos as close to the products and shelves as possible to remain discreet and avoid taking photos of people inside the store. There were a lot of people that night but not enough to restrict movement. 

SWEET PEA!!!

Of course, I looked for my fave fragrance first. I didn't have to look hard because this is at the front. Sweet Pea has always been my favorite BBW scent. It's a soft, delicate fragrance of sweet pea petals and watery pear with freesia, raspberry, and musk. I can't get enough of this! I still have the body spray and lotion now so I didn't buy any thing from the line. Well, nothing yet! Humanda ka kapag ubos na. Hehe. Shoegarfreeruby likes the Warm Vanilla Sugar scent, which is currently on a Buy 1 Get 1 promo. This combination of vanilla, basmati ice water, and sandalwood is so sweet and comforting. 

Carried Away

A few of their newer scents are also available. Among them, I like Carried Away, a blend of jasmine, raspberries, and vanilla. And isn't the packaging adorable? Might get this next time so love might sweep me off my feet. ;) Other scents we saw are Country Chic, Island Colada, Japanese Cherry Blossom, and Midnight Pomegranate, which they seem to be highlighting to cater to the Arab market because of its dark, sensual scent (like oud maybe).

Gift sets

Your gift list solved.

You won't get stumped on what to give your family and friends now!

There are gift sets available for SR225 each, or maybe lower depends on what you want to include.

Water cans!

We were smitten with these water cans. Surely we don't have any need for it but it's just too cute and refreshing to see them here. And in green too!

Here's the price list for the fragrances. Some scent lines are more expensive than others so check the tags first. The salesmen are really helpful too so inquire! Hindi bawal magtanong, sabi nga ng friend ko when I became too shy to ask, lol. We'll put in the prices in USD from the BBW website so you can compare if they're worth buying here or you'll just have to order from online sites.

Body Lotion (237 ml) - 45 SAR | $10.50

Fragrance Mist (8 oz) - 25 SAR (small) | 55 SAR (large) | $12.00

Eau de Toilette (2.5 oz) - 100-120 SAR | $29.50

Shower Gel (8 oz) - 45 SAR | $10.50

Body Cream (8 oz) - 50 SAR | $12.00

Hand Cream (2.5 oz) - 40 SAR | $10.00

Bubble Bath (8 oz) - 50 SAR | $12.00

Smaller versions are 10-20SAR less than their big counterpart.

A combination of small bottles of lotion and shower gel are perfect for gifts.
30 SAR each set.

They don't only have the fragrances. They also have lip glosses and lip balms. They have the color lip gloss, sheer lip gloss, and mentha lip gloss. They also carry C.O. Bigelow's popular all-around rose salve used to soften the lips, face, cuticles, elbows, knees, etc.

Lip treats galore!

Lottsa choices and flavors! 

We didn't get any thing from their lip line though 'coz we found the 35 SAR (each) too expensive. These lip treats are only $7-8 a piece in the US. Hmn, maybe we'll get one or two if our curiosity gets the better of us tomorrow. :P

Cute hand sanitizers

The pocket-sized hand sanitizers are so tiny and cute! They go for 15 SAR each and comes in your favorite fragrance. They also have a line that signifies your horoscope sign and the traits that come with it. For example, I'm a Virgo and it says in the bottle that I'm witty, perfectionist, reliable, and helpful... oi, so me! LOL. They have the holder which you attach to your bag so it's easy to pump a little into your hands any time any where but they're pretty expensive at 20 SAR.

They also have a range of face care and aromatherapy products which I didn't get to know further because I became attached to their home fragrance line. I looove scented candles, tarts, and linen sprays... basically anything that gives my room the smell that coincides with my emotions (emotera kasi! haha!). 

Yummy scents!

Their Slatkin&Co. candles look so sleek in their glass holders and they also have very lively colors. I like the Sweet Pea variant of course... and the Frosted Cupcake (so sweet and ahhhhh nakakagutom!) I like their Strawberry Patch, Island Margarita, and Warm Vanilla Sugar. I hope they bring Salty Caramel, Homemade Cookies, and Mint Chocolate too (puro pagkain talaga?!).

Lovely candle holders!

Candles (4 oz) - 45 SAR | $9.50

Candles (14.5 oz) - 95 SAR | $19.50

Candle holders/sleeves - 65 SAR up

Their Wallflowers also piqued my curiosity. For those who don't want lighting candles in their houses , especially those with children who are malilikot (aren't all children?!)... then these are for you. They're pluggable home fragrance devices. Just put your favorite single bulb refills and plug! The salesman said a bulb can last up to 3 days. 

Can serve as decors too!

Look at that egg container for four bulbs! So kyot.

Wallflowers Starters - 35 SAR | $6.50

Wallflowers Single Bulb Refills - 25 SAR | $6.50

For those who are avoiding anything with flame, plugs, and batteries, then they also have these egg-shaped home fragrances but I wasn't able to check them out further. Oooh, also the nifty Scentportables.

Eggscents! Cool!

So there you are... I'm sure I haven't featured every thing but that's about most of the items you can expect to see in the newly-opened Bath and Body Works in Sahara Mall and Kingdom Center. For years, I've been buying Victoria's Secret body sprays as pasalubong for my sisters and friends. I think it's time for a change. ;)

§undrenched

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!

Malling 'Til 2AM

Ok, has the Ramadan schedule cramped out your weekend night outs?

We've sure been feeling the pinch.

Most stores are open during the day at 1PM to 4PM...but expect food chains to be closed. Last Thursday, S and I, along with our friend, A, had to get our repressed shopping souls free after restraining ourselves after the SALE Season. S called the phone nos. of malls like Granada Mall, Sahara and Hayat just to know what time they'd be open (Yes, we're addicts like that. But wait, there's more). For some reason, S got hold of the info that Hayat is open by 6pm. So, we scooted off as soon as we could arriving to the vicinity at around quarter to seven. This is what we found.

Abandoned.

An empty parking lot in both Sahara and Hayat Mall engulfed us. I have NEVER seen this place so empty as this is always jam-packed with cars and heavy traffic. But lo and behold, you could drop a penny in this place and hear it hit the ground a hundred yards off. We couldn't do anything but laugh at ourselves really. Half-funny, half-scary. Half-funny 'coz of the absurdity of it all, and half-scary because the whole place was like a scene from Dawn of the Dead horror flicks. I mean, look at that trolley! lolz.

But hey, we're hardcore Pinays right? So what do we do? Kodakan na! Hahaha.

E-M-P-T-Y!

Mas empty pa sa Empty Quarter.

S and E.

Jump shot!

Feeling nasa EK?

We were able to have dinner at Tony Roma's in Hayat, [By the way, if you're ever there, don't bother ordering the ribs (they've been out of ribs for 2 months!) and they also don't have corn (which S and A were craving for but na-dah!)]. Srsly, TR at Hayat, if you're reading this, your service has gone waaaaay down, bordering on underground since I first ate at your branch there. Better close your branch if you don't carry your supposed MAIN course items. DOH!

Anyhoo, we had to endure the place until stores opened at 9 PM. And by then, we were like a bunch of rats scrambling for the shops! Oh yeah, and we were scrambling and strolling til half past 1:00 AM! AND, naisipan pa namin pumunta ng Kingdom! Gawsh, the last time I was out THIS late was during my party days in college...in the Philippines! We mainly bought make-up and beauty products from MAC and The Body Shop. But take note, the main goal of our trip was supposedly help our friend find a dress! Haha. That is what you call diversion.

There you have it folks. We opened Hayat Mall and closed Kingdom Mall (at 2:00 AM). We plan to make this past-midnight rendezvous a weekly habit this entire Ramadan schedule. Next week, we hope to hit IKEA. All night long baby, all. night. long.

How's that for shopaholics?

Cheers!

-ec-

Checking Off Cafe Ceramique

Last year, S and I made a list of the restaurants we'd like to review for the Pink Tarha blog. Much to our "easily-distracted-at-malls mode" whenever we go out, we haven't exactly crossed half that list off. Cafe Ceramique was a part of that list. Unfortunately, upon my visit of the restaurant, S was already on vacation (Sorry S! It was unplanned! I didn't expect that I'd go there, I swear!). It only goes to show that some things are better left un-planned. :P

Cafe Ceramique sits on the 3rd floor of the Sahara Mall here in Riyadh. It's quite hidden from the main walkway of the public but their wall advertisements are visible throughout the mall. I've always wondered why it's called "ceramique" as it seemed to be an odd name for a place of food. Obviously enough, the entire restaurant is actually filled with hundreds of ceramic figures for patrons (along with their children) who can pick and paint these ceramics before or after a meal.

Here is a view of the place:

Welcome.

Who likes Arts and Crafts? Seen above is the main area of the restaurant where you will see all the ceramics being displayed on shelves, as well as the tables where the patrons dine. On every table is a set of brushes and even a "placemat of palettes" to refer colors to.

I was with my friend J (a previous guest blogger of ours) and we were intent on filling ourselves up because we had a whole day of shopping ahead of us (note that we stayed at the mall for more than 8 hours! We arrived there at 9am on a Thursday and left at around 7pm). Once inside, we were courteously welcomed by the staff to our seats and were even offered organic hand sanitizers after ordering. Pretty neat huh? The rest will show you what we had:

Love Potion. Who wants to be intoxicated with the "Love Potion"? J did. This has all the fruits you want in it and you can tell by drinking it that any health-buff would go gulp it down. Though I did think it was quite expensive for SR20. I ordered my usual glass of H20.

We almost ordered this since it looked like a decent deal. Pictured above is their lunch promo of any meal+salad+Pepsi w/ refill for only SR35. I think the meal in the photo is their Shawarma.

One fabulous thing we loved about Cafe Ceramique is that they have an ALL-DAY BREAKFAST menu! I have always been wondering where can I find a "Pancake House" look -alike here in Riyadh and alas, I have found it! Even happier was my friend J, who is a sucker for waffles (day or night!). Since we already knew we'd be sashaying in and out of department stores the rest of the day, we knew we had to pack in the pounds. And besides, breakfast is the most important meal kaya!

Wahhhhfles! (say it like you're Oprah). This was actually on the Kiddie Menu and is supposed to have M&M's over them. Light and delish with their chocolate dip, it's good enough for only SR19.

Traditional Breakfast. For only 33SR, I'd say this is worth it! It's made of two grilled sausages, two hash browns, two eggs (cooked to your liking), grilled veal and tomatoes and two slices of toast with a cup of coffee/tea. Imagine that! I could not even finish off this platter with all that's in it! My only comment is that the veal seemed to be too burnt on the edges and the sausages were a bit salty (but dipping them in ketchup helped).

They have other All-Day Breakfast items like Freshly-baked Croissants, Cheese and Mushroom Omelet, Morning Glory (Two eggs Benedict with bagels and sauce) and Arabian Treasure (which is their version of an Arabic breakfast). All of these are under 35SR.

We also tried their "Quick Bites" which are mostly starter items. We're happy to report that they did not disappoint:

Fiery Buffalo Wings, 28SR. Deep fried chicken goodness smothered in a sauce that I can only say tastes like spaghetti sauce. Not that it's a bad thing, I actually enjoyed licking these babies off my fingers. Some may find the sauce too sweet, but the creamy white dip on the side (I'm pretty sure that wasn't blue cheese) evened out the taste. Having said that, I didn't find this dish to be spicy (or fiery at all). But then again, the level of spicy food that I can endure is way up the charts, so don't exactly take my word for that bit. The chicken was tender and did not require a wrestling match with my dentures. Kidding! :p

Spiced Calamari, 28 SR. Another tasty dish that did not fail to disappoint. The breading wasn't overdone and the squid was actually a treat to chew on (no, it wasn't tough at all). Served right off the pan, I suggest to eat it while it's hot.

Vegetable Lasagna. This actually under their main meals menu (not from the quick bites). J thought it was interesting, so we tried it. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me as I have never really been a fan of vegetarian food (though I enjoy eating vegetables). The dish was tasty overall, perfect blend of cheese and baked pasta and vegetables. I would definitely recommend this to my friends, even to the non-veggie-eaters.

Can I just say...BURP!?! All these meals for just two people. Yes, apart from being lakwatseras, matatakaw rin kami. Too bad we weren't able to try out the selling point of their restaurant, which were the ceramics! From what we've learned though, you purchase the ceramics (prices range, depending on the size and design of the ceramic you choose) and the paint for use is free. You give the 'art form' back to them after painting it, and after seven days you can claim them once they've polished and varnished the ceramic for you. This activity can churn out a memorable experience for the diners as the ceramics serve as a memento of their time at Cafe Ceramique. It's also targeted mostly at children, (and those who are children-at-heart) so that they may have something to do while their mothers and/or sisters are going about the mall. Some of the patrons we saw were father-children tandems. It is indeed a cleaner and more creative space for their children to spend their time than the arcades or the public playroom. Yes, I'd reckon that Cafe Ceramique is a place to bring the family to.

So what more can families ask for? Good food plus creative activities is a big fat check in my book. Next time I'm there, I'll definitely do a plate art showing off The Pink Tarha blog. I'll show it here once I get it done. S, I'll wait for you to come back so that we can both check off the restaurants in that list.


Cheers!
-ec-


PS.
The Pink Tarha Anniversary is coming up! Watch out for it! ;)