Saadeddin's Golden Plates of Excellence

I had three cakes during three separate celebrations on my birthday week. Guess where my cakes came from? Better yet, guess what it is... because it was the same kind of cake all throughout.

WE LOVE THIS CHEESECAKE!!! Notice the "golden plate"? It's more than just color.

Yes, blueberry cheesecake from Saadeddin Pastry! It's the most popular kind of cake among expats. I hardly understood the fascination until I had my first spoonful of this creamy cheesecake. It tasted like ref cake! Haha! Which is a good thing. It has thin layers of chiffon and I really like the crumbly crust. It's not too sweet too, a characteristic of most cakes found in Arabic bakeshops here in Riyadh.

I visited the Saadeddin Pastry in Thalateen Street the other day and was surprised to see so many products on display. In my four years in Riyadh, I think this is the first time I'm setting foot inside a Saadeddin store (not counting the kiosks they have in Granada Mall and Kingdom Mall's food courts). I was amazed with the displays of cakes, ice cream, nuts, chocolates, and lots and lots of desserts. What a sweet store!

One of the branches in Riyadh is located in Thalateen Street.

Saadedddin started in 1935 in Akka City in Palestine. It now has over 50 branches throughout Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Saadeddin's golden rule of striving to offer the best products and services to its customer has made it one of the leading bakeshops in Saudi Arabia. Their passion for excellence is symbolized by the "golden plates" they use for their cakes. The golden plates don't only talk of finely-made, high-quality products but also of the excellent taste of Saadeddin in giving their consumers a classic and elegant way to show off their bought goodies. Saadeddin also successfully brought Arabic and Western desserts together in one store.

Saadeddin Pastry offers a lot of products from cakes to chocolates to coffee to nuts to ice creams to pasta... they're overwhelming! If you come to their store with no particular product in mind, you'll find yourself yourself staring for minutes and asking "what's this? what's that?" and undergoing a major case of indecision. (I know I did!)

Because I'm hardly familiar with Arabic desserts, here is another photo dump for you. Don't blame me if you suddenly want to grab a box of their luscious cakes and a tub of their ice cream rolls. ;)

Welcome to the land of cakes and candies and chocolates and so much more!!!

The cake display... look at that gorgeous "fruit cake"!

Ooooooh, so chocolatey!

Did I mention there are a LOT of choices?

If you can't decide what to order, grab these slices first.

Eclairs and tarts

Chilled desserts

More chilled desserts! Haha! Ice cream you scream? Here yah go!

And if you can't decide what flavor to have? Go for the ice pops!

And hey, the sweets never ran out. Chocolates!!!

Perfect for gifts.

Are you nuts for nuts?!  

Ready for take-out; and Arabic pastries too.

I also took one of their fliers and was bombarded with gorgeous photos of Arabic pastries like Baklava (honey/syrup soaked layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts), different kinds of Kunafa (syrup soaked cheese pastry), assorted Mamoul (small shortbread filled with dates, pistachios, and other nuts), Qatayef (sweet dumpling filled cream and nuts), Dates pies, and assorted sandwiches. The choices are endless and I want to taste them all!!! But alas, with all the sweet stuff in there to taste and try, I'll probably go out a diabetic. But hey, a little sweet now and then can't hurt, right? ;)

Saadeddin Pastry has five branches in Riyadh and they have an active Facebook account, which hopefully introduces an English translation of their status updates so we, expats who can't read Arabic, can understand. ;)

What's your favorite from Saadeddin Pastry? Can you recommend so I can trim down my list of cakes and pastries and chocolates and nuts and ice cream to try? :) ~ Sundrenched

Saadeddin Pastry
Click for branches here (maps included).
T: +920017070
www.saadeddin.com

A Visit to Dubai (Mall)

Last June, I flew to the UAE to watch my first ever concert, the MDNA Tour 2012 and found myself in the very cosmopolitan city of DUBAI. Though the concert was to be held in Abu Dhabi, we stayed in Dubai because 1) we had more friends to visit there and 2) the accommodations recommended to us was located there.

HELLO DUBAI! I almost got tackled by airport security because I was taking this shot. Hihi.

We stayed at a place called Al Raya Hotel Apartments and they have very affordable rooms that can be good enough for at most, 10 people! It doesn’t exactly have the five-star hotel treatment, but it’s just right for what you’re paying for. If I remember correctly, the charge per unit per day was 750AED. There were three of us sharing the unit, which had two rooms, a kitchen, three bathrooms and a huge living room (where you could probably throw a house party!)  Everything was fully furnished, including the kitchen, which had plates, glasses, pots, pans, an oven…the works! But it also meant no room service for us; just a cleaning crew who went in during the day to fix things up. If you’re ever interested in this hotel, just let me know and I can forward some emails.   

With my good friend and fellow Toastmaster, TM James.

My corner of the unit at Al Raya Hotel Apartments.

ANYWAY, this post is about my visit(s) to Dubai...particularly Dubai Mall. I was there almost everyday of my stay in Dubai, I swear I could have lived there instead. It was so accessible to where I stayed in and it was so freakkin’ HUGE. And fabulous.  (But then again, everything in UAE was huge and fabulous). Gosh,  there are so many reasons why you shouldn’t miss out on this mall when you visit…Where do I even begin?

The Waterfall. One beautiful spot inside Dubai Mall. LOVE IT!

Okay for starters, it’s a total no brainer: The Burj Khalifa. It’s protruding right smack in middle of the city center and with it being the tallest building in the world right now, visiting the Dubai Mall is the most affordable way to have a closer view at it. Probably even a photo. 

Taken with just my iPhone.

Of course, we couldn't bend enough to capture everything all the way to the top. :P

In front of the dancing fountains. Catch in during night time for best results!

Somebody tell me the name of this building...Hehe. ;)

If you want to go inside the Burj Khalifa itself, you may want to try the At The Top experience, which may cost you anywhere from 100-400AED. Check out their website for more info. 

There’s also the Dubai Aquarium, which is this amazing indoor aquarium with an underwater tunnel for you to enjoy. You would definitely have to marvel at how they were able to build such a structure filled with all these sea creatures! Amazing! 

Record breaking.

Inside the Aquarium's Underwater Tunnel.

Swimming shark.

Cute fishie.

My first time to see a live penguin! :)

Then for me, there’s Bloomingdales. If you’re a FRIENDS fan like me and have never been able to tote a big brown bag, they’ve got it at Dubai Mall and it’s so much fun! Saw these lil’ pink babies too.

They also have the Magnolia Bakery, which is notorious for their cheesecakes! Guess what I ordered for take out from this famed New York City gem of a bakery.

Inside is a succulent red velvet cheesecake. But because it was for take out, I couldn't get a picture that would do it justice.

Speaking of sweets, there’s also Cold Stone Creamery, which is also a dream come true for me. I only saw it in photos before but when I was there, I finally had my chance to taste it. Unfortunately, nothing too special… except that their ice cream is prepared “funkily” (meaning with matching dance/bartender moves) on a cold granite stone. 

You also should not miss a chance to hit the Reel Cinemas. Lush, comfy and state-of-the-art! I was able to catch the "Avengers" days before it evaporated off from the big screen. :P

On one of my nights in Dubai, I met up with some of my college friends who were already based there. We ate at a hip, dimsum place called Ping Pong. If you're up for some delicious Edemame beans and nonstop dimsums, look for that place. I'd recommend it!

With my blocmates from UPLB, BACA 2002.  L-R: Isabel, Moi and Jaizle.

It was amazing meeting old friends in a different country! Knowing that we all shared a chunk of our history together was heartwarming as we shared stories of how our lives panned out. We even chanced upon anohter batchmate of ours towards the end of our evening who happens to be an FA for Qatar Airways now...special shoutout to the lovely and artistic, Tasha B! Muah! It was awesome seeing you there!

That evening, I spent a couple of more minutes adoring the Burj Khalifa.

And on my last afternoon...I still stared at it again.

I may have seen the Burj Khalifa more than one trip to Dubai should muster, but really, everything about that city's infrastructure (and societal habits) amazed me. It really dawned on me how far away Riyadh has to go before they can achieve what I was seeing and feeling right there, sitting outside a cafe, sippin' on some iced tea and mesmerizin' at the buildings, the surroundings and the people. It would be an understatement to say that it was in that moment, on the promenade halls of Dubai Mall that I found myself falling in love with Dubai. It is seriously inches away from how much I love Riyadh, and deep inside, I found myself wishing that Riyadh can be something like this too someday.

Dubai was dynamic, urban and really gave you a sense of independence. Though I am sure there are known advantages and disadvantages living there as compared to living in Riyadh, but I just wanted to put it out there. Considering that I haven't even visited Abu Dhabi thoroughly just yet! Haha.

As for Dubai Mall, which what this post should be about (:D). It is EONS away from the kind of malls that we have here. I particularly featured some of the stores/sights that we don't have in Riyadh so that you can see the difference, but really, what I have posted here is only a "katiting" (miniscule) of the truly wide array of shops, sights and services that you'd find there. One whole day would not have been enough to justifiably feature Dubai Mall. Consider this then as a peek through a peephole! :)

Anyway, that's all for my Dubai report. I am definitely going back there!!!

Up next in our travel diaries would be Sampaguita Pride's tour of the European Union just last month!


'Til then dear readers...


xoxo
-Eyecandy

Random Thursday {September 13}

What time is it? I know, I know. It's late and I'm still typing this entry away. The Pink Tarha is getting busy for the upcoming workshop. It's our first time to hold it so imagine the rush. That's next week, folks! And we're excited!!! 

Anyway, on to this day's random finds and photos...

Oh breakfast, what would we do without you? Chos. One of the most popular breakfasts in the city can be found in a furniture store. IKEA's SR6 breakfast is composed of two long sausages, beef breakfast, loaf bread, eggs, jam, and butter. Plus coffee and tea, of course. In my case, I pair it with cold iced tea. Greasy, cheap, filling... what more can you ask for? 

Posting photos of malls in Riyadh proves popular in our Facebook page. A few OFW kids who grew up in the city and are now back in th Philippines, or somewhere outside Saudi Arabia, are the ones who share these photos and say they miss it. The Faisaliah Mall's Ramadan decor proved to be popular garnering more than 50 likes and 30 shares. I'm sharing you Riyadh Gallery's fountains this time. It's a little oasis in the usually crowded shopping center.

Homaygahd, Jollibee's chicken joy! JOY, JOY, JOY! What more can I say? :)

This is the popular King Fahd Road. (Ehrmn, this Random Thursday entry is becoming a compilation of "popular" things. Hehe.) I took this one Ramadan morning and I couldn't believe it... the road is empty. EMPTY. This doesn't happen on an ordinary day. If you go out now, you'll be stuck in one of the worst traffic you'll ever be in the desert city. Oh well... let's charge it to a day in the life of a Riyadhizen. :P

Add caption

Eyecandy and our friend, KSA-born and raised Jamila, loves the kunafah, a traditional cheese pastry soaked in sweet syrup. The one above is from Kusebasi and it's quite good. The cheese is chewy and the long threads of "noodles" were crunchy. I'm not fond of Arabic sweets because they're soooo sweet! Proof? How about soaked in sweet syrup? As in soaked?! Haha.

That's it for today. Hope to be churning more entries this week! :) ~ Sundrenched

Sweet Treats By Cielo

A friend once said that I look like someone who bakes. Maybe it's the way I carry myself or my mannerisms perhaps or just my love for anything baked. I don't get it either. Unfortunately, as much as I want to invent a "Sundrenched, the baker" persona, I'm not a kitchen person. I just go there to get food. And eat food. That's why I have so much respect for women who cook and bake, on top of being housewives/mothers and/or career women. Salute!

One housewife and baker I admire is Cielo Algaeed, a Filipina married to a Saudi and has two daughters. She began baking months ago and she's venturing out into a small home business now. We met her in one of the coffee shops in the city last Eid vacation so we can ogle at and sample the pastries she baked. 

50 of these, please!

Among the pastries she presented, the coconut macaroons won my and Eyecandy's hearts. WE LOVE THEM! The macaroons are moist, chewy, and sweet. It's packed with grated coconut but it's not crumbly. It has traces of the famous Goldilocks' butter macaroons but Cielo's are not too sweet and it has that raw, undercooked taste to it. In a good way, because it doesn't taste commercial. It tasted and looked fresh underneath its thin plastic cover. Even after a day (because, yes, we got to take home most of the stuff), the macaroons remained moist and yummy.

Mango cheesecake

Oreo cheesecake

The cheesecake bites were delicious also. It was just the right size for one, just enough to enjoy the creamy and cheesy consistency without being cloying. The Philippine mangoes used in her mango cheesecake was the highlight of the cake for me. I wouldn't have probably enjoyed it as much if she used the kinds of mangoes available here in the city. We like the Oreo version too.

Cream puffs

The cream puffs were good but I find the pastry used different from what I am used to. It's almost like soft bread instead of the crunchy, hollow one I am familiar with and where are the hardened caramel strings on top? Hehe. The cream tasted like the Bavarian filling of donuts. It was a little bit fragile too as it can lose its shape with a slight of the hand. This is not to say we didn't like it. We did! It wasn't too sweet and we lost count on how many pieces we finished in one sitting. 

The Toffee Bars

Chocolatey, nutty

The Toffee Bar was the weakest link of the bunch. It was too sweet and the base was a little bit bland. I'm also not fond of nuts in pastries so I might be a little bit biased on this. A tweak in the amount of sugar might make this one a winner.

Cielo has more stuff in her pink Celine mini luggage that we wanted to steal haha kitchen that you might want to try. We recently saw her chocolate cake in her blog and it was a sight to behold. She offers tarts, mousse, and other baked goodies. She can also make dessert and candy buffets for your parties. Check out her blog for more details. 

TPT xThe Algaeed ladies

If you want something really home made and made with love, then try Cielo's Sweet Treats. She's one of our featured home bakers in The Pink Tarha Marketplace (that we will formally launch soon). A bonus when you order from her is the chance to meet her equally adorable and pretty daughter, Rania. Oh my goodness, you have to meet the little girl! She's sooo cute and witty! Her husband, Abdul, is nice and friendly too. We were honored to meet such a lovely family. :) ~ Sundrenched

Cielo's Sweet Treats
cielo.p.algaeed@gmail.com
thefashiondomain.blogspot.com

Disclaimer: Pastries were all provided free of charge by Cielo Algaeed. Comments and opinions in this entry are mine (Sundrenched) with input from Eyecandy.

Random Thursday {September 06}

It's another Thursday again! Yes! 

We'd like to thank everyone who signed up and showed interest in our women's workshop, The Pink Tarha Mornings. We received an overwhelming response and we wished we could accommodate all of you but we'd like to keep the workshop small for now so we can focus on the subjects. Who knows there might be a second one? Haha. And for those who emailed us good things about the blog, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! We appreciate them and we promise to make the blog better.

So how are you this fine Thursday morning? I'm sure most of you are still asleep. Let me guess, it's the men who are snoozing overtime. Haha. As for yours truly, I'm having breakfast while typing this. How I can feed myself spoonfuls of sinangag (Filipino fried rice) while tapping away in my keyboard is beyond me. But hey, a Pink Tarha lady's got to do what a Pink Tarha lady's got to do. Haha!

Here's a round up of interesting things this week...

Abu Bakr Ar Razi Street, the street going to Military Hospital from Dabat Street, is my neighborhood and from what I'm seeing, it's becoming a little Batha. From having branches of Enjaz, Telemoney, salons, and popular Filipino restaurants and bakeries, this street is the mini "place to be" for Filipino expats. The opening soon Jollibee branch is also here and Skyfreight for cargo and TFC transactions. Wow, I'm glad I live in this area. Although I might have to rethink that once traffic and the huge crowds get in.

I was cleaning my closet when I chanced upon my stash of Bath and Body Works, which I got from the sale a few months back. These are my favorite scents, along with Sweet Pea. There's a new line in B&BW with the theme, "Paris". Have you seen it in the stores yet? But before hoarding again, check your closets and cabinets for B&BW products that you might have bought before. I'm sure you have them in there. Use them first, or better yet give them away as pasalubongs. I'm sure my sisters are already eyeing the babies above.

Have you tried Lush's Emotional Brilliance cosmetics line already? You should! They have it in this cute containers that remind you of art supplies or a medicine bottle/dropper. Haha! There are words in there that speak about and match your personality. They sure pack a lot of colors. See my mini review below.

Beauty reviews

I've had these amazing products for a few weeks already and have used them a couple of times. The Tito Nail Polish came from one of our favorite nail spas in Riyadh, Four Nail Spa and Salon. They come in 99 vibrant colors. Macau, a gorgeous and elegant blue green color with shimmers, caught my attention immediately. The nail polish itself was easy to apply and goes on smooth. It doesn't hurt that it's perfect for the dry weather in Riyadh. It doesn't chip easily and the color stays vibrant for days.

The liquid lip color Believe came from Lush's Emotional Brilliance line and dare I say it? It is indeed brilliant. A little drop goes a long way. It really packs a wallop of that solid raspberry ice cream color. So pigmented! I had the mistake of putting too many in my cheeks (yes, it can be used as blush) and my driver looked stunned when he saw me. Hahaha. So now, I just use a small drop for my lips and cheeks. The color is good and it lasts longer compared to the usual lipstick. I suggest you put a balm on your lips first before swiping it on. Oh, and use a proper lip brush.

You know what's good to eat on a Thursday brunch? Fresh pizzas and bruchetta! Piatto, our venue for the Pink Tarha Mornings, have these! Don't they look so good to eat right now? Oh yes, we are excited for our first workshop and it's great we have a very good venue for it. I mean, how refreshing will it be to learn something new in a courtyard and having a nice brunch after?

Speaking of eating, I'm reminded of these "sporks" our boss got for us via online shopping. He does know how much we love to eat. Haha. And this is more than a spork because if you look closely, it even has a "knife" in there. Genius! Perfect for guerilla eating! Hehe. I wonder if this comes in pink?

Yesterday, the ladies and I were going gaga over Solestruck's SALE. Hello, shoes!!! And I remembered we haven't shown you what we bought from the last Solestruck sale a few months ago. So here it is! Or them. Our friend got those patented purple, okay shocking purple, boots from Ego and Greed. She loved them! I got the fuchsia gladiator sandals from the To Be Announced line. You won't believe how many times I had to wrap the black lace on my legs before I was done putting them. Hahah. But they're nice and definitely a scene stealer. The Michael Kors box contains a pair of black boots and the girl scout box? It's a Jeffrey Campbell pink Moochie. Oh you just have to wait for the ones we ordered yesterday. You'll be shocked. Hahah.

To end this random Thursday entry, I bring you a photo I snapped on the way home. Yes, that is still in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia even if it reminds me of somewhere else. We just know Riyadh as that hot, stifling, strict city that doesn't have much to offer aside from sand when it comes to "nature". But if you just know where to look, you will also get to see glimpses of the other side of Riyadh - simple, bright, hopeful - from time to time.

Have a nice weekend, everyone! ~ Sundrenched