Random Thursday {September 27}

Good morning, beautiful people of Riyadh! How are you feeling today? Well, I'm feeling upbeat this Thursday despite of a tooth extraction done to me last night. Haha. Although I can't eat solid food just yet, I'm happy to say I now have the license to eat ice cream and fro-yos... as much as I want! 

We didn't have Random Thursdays last week because of The Pink Tarha Mornings but it's back today. I'm bringing you scenes from the city and random snacks (as if I needed more photos of food to tease me from not being able to eat them). 

Here's a very good morning photo I took of Tahlia Street. It was taken one random Thursday morning when the ladies and I were having brunch in Buffalo's. I'm reminded once again of how Riyadh has changed for the last couple of years. The traffic nowadays is horrible but you can get some respite from all that craziness when you go out on a bright Thursday morning and drive by Tahlia Street (or any street for that matter).

What's a morning without coffee? When we don't have moolah for store-bought coffee (Starbucks and Dr. Cafe anyone?), we drink 3 in 1 coffee in sachets and one of our favorites is Kopiko Java Coffee. It has the right amount of sweetness. Our ultimate favorite is Nescafe Brown but it's not available here in Riyadh so we settle on what's here. Kopiko is available in leading grocery and supermarkets. 

And what's drinking coffee without some sweets to go with it?

Have you tried Dixie Cream's donuts found in Tahlia Street? While we applaud the addition of another donut store in Riyadh, we're not too impressed with Dixie Cream. There's nothing new with their donuts. But hey, we all want to taste something new every day right? Grab a donut here in case you're in the area.

You know how much we loved macaroons, yes? While our heart was definitely taken by Laduree, we also sample those which are available in the pastry shops here in Riyadh. Like this macaroon from our recently-featured Saadeddin Pastries. The colorful rounds weren't exactly uniform in size but they were good on their own. It has a crisp outer layer and chewy center, a consistency I really like in a macaroon. But the almond scent was a little bit overpowering that my brother was bothered in eating something so fragrant like a flower or a perfume. Haha.

Another sweet treat we couldn't get enough of is Taco Bell's Cinnamon Twists. No, they're not bread sprinkled with cinnamon but crackers (like prawn crackers) with cinnamon powder all over them. They're crunchy and sweet and salty... we're addicted!

And now we go to heavier snacks...

The first pizza chain I've ever eaten in Riyadh is Pizza Company. I got to revisit it again with a friend last week and we enjoyed their personal sized Hawaiian pizza (basically with pineapple and shrimps). The pizza as thick and chewy with gooey cheese to boot. We love the sweetness of the pineapple chunks and the plump shrimps that went with it. Busog!

Ahhh Coke. Who doesn't drink it? (Okay, please do not start a Coke vs. Pepsi war in here.) I personally am a Coke fan. (I was a Pepsi fan when I was in high school... I didn't know what happened.) So I'm glad to find this "sakto" size in Alrajhi Supermarket. And it was so cold too! Perfect thirst quencher  on a scorching hot afternoon. 

And so I end this entry with a night photo...

Taken from one of our favorite coffee hang-outs in Riyadh... Cafe Lenotre in Centria Mall. We like the ambiance on their terrace where we get to see Olaya Road along with glimpses of the Olaya Twin Towers, Faisaliah Tower, and Kingdom Tower. It's fun to catch up with friends in this cafe... only when it's not too crowded. ;)

Remember that tomorrow is Mc Donald's A Day Offline. Can you handle the challenge of not being able to use your gadgets like phone, computers, and television to spend more quality time with your families and friends? Can we? Let's see. ;)

Have a fun, fun weekend everyone! Don't hesitate to share fab finds and your desert city adventures to us! ~ Sundrenched

Fine and Kitschy

Kitsch Cupcakes. For the first time, it's not the cupcakes in the store's name that got my attention first. It's the "Kitsch" that made me look twice, thrice... If you look in the dictionary, which I did because I had to get what I know of it straight, kitsch means "something of a cheap design or appearance." One dictionary even go as far as defining it as "a tacky or lowbrow quality or condition." Now, this is not an adjective I would want to name a cupcake store after, or any store for that matter. So how does Kitsch Cupcakes use this name and give it another meaning? 

For Kitsch Cupcakes, kitsch means uber-trendy, original, and out-of-the-box. This cupcake store, one of the most popular in the UAE, enthralls with 14 flavors. FOURTEEN. From the popular and classic Red V (red velvet+cream cheese frosting) to the contemporary Skinny (low fat, low sugar cupcake) to the signature Kitsch Special, a death by chocolate combination of chocolate cake and Nutella icing. It also offers cupcakes for those allergic to eggs (The Chick Friendly) and dairy (The Cow Friendly). 

Finally open! 

It's been a long time since I first saw the sign of Kitsch Cupcakes in Tahliya Street but it's only recently that they opened their doors. I'm there on the first week! (Yeah, I'm still not over cupcakes… are you?) I'm a little bit surprised to find their cupcakes priced at 10 riyals each. It's quite expensive, especially when the ongoing price in most cupcake stores I've tried is between SR6 to SR8 for the standard size. Kitsch Cupcakes' is not sized out-of-the-ordinary so why the SR10 price tag? It must be the taste then. Buying a box of 12, though, will make the cupcake's price go down to SR8 a piece. 

Did you ask for more choices?!

Yum, yum, yum!

Red velvet, did you call my name by any chance? :)