Oops! A case of English gone seriously wrong at Faisaliah Tower Mall

The other day I was at Faisaliah Tower Mall with my husband, and we happen to come across a rather shocking (and amusing) memo printed and posted on one of the elevators in their underground parking area. Have a look to see what we mean:

Least to say both me and my husband couldn't stop giggling. Now my husband's excuse was ''Cut them some slack, it's not their first language.'' And, I'm like really that's the excuse they would use? What shocks me more is that right above it are housed more than a 100 professional international company offices, and at their (Al Khozama Company) own office they don't seem to have a single bilingual person who can write proper Business English!!! This being the case, we're sure to see a lot more 'entertaining' written English communication from them. 

Dubai-based Cocos Restaurant & Bakery – Welcome to Riyadh

After nearly 2 yrs and 4 months of waiting since moving here, my all-time favourite restaurant from Dubai - Cocos Restaurant & Bakery - has finally opened up in Riyadh. The best bit was that it opened in the Olaya area on Tahaliya street, but the worst bit is I no longer live in that area, otherwise at every opportunity I would be dining there.

In any case atleast it’s arrived. Cocos Riyadh opened its doors beginning of April and being their ardent fan, I simply had to visit them (we went there on 10 April 2012...yup I’m a bit late in writing this review), not so much to see what they are like but if they are as good as they are in Dubai. And, least to say I was impressed. Everything was simply perfect – the food, the ambience, the service. We went in just about Isha time, and no surprise the restaurant was practically empty. The restaurant is set-up very nicely with dim purple lights, perfect spacious cabins for Saudi style family privacy with sliding doors, and just like Dubai, they have the bakery in the restaurant itself. Oh! how excited I was from the moment I walked in. When they handed us the menu and tried to explain the top favourites, I announced to them how I was no newcomer to Cocos and how very fond I am of them since my Dubai days. I mean literally every twice a month, me and my friends would dine at Cocos in Dubai. They have 3 branches there – Sheikh Zayed Road, Deira City Centre and JBR – and I’ve been to all 3 of them. They serve all kinds of cuisine - Mexican, Italian, Indian, Chinese and much more. Anyways coming back to Riyadh, both me and my husband ordered our below all-time favourites:

Appetiser:

Cheese Nachos (SR 53) – oh how absolutely perfect these were.

Main Course:

Tortilla Crusted Chicken (SR 59) – served with mashed potato/fries, veggies and black beans. It was as perfect, crispy, tender, and delicious as can be (exact taste like Dubai, no wonder both my husband and I ordered the same dish). The dish also comes with a free treat - soup of the day or salad. Yet again both hubby and I ordered our favourite Creamy Broccoli soup.

Cajun Chicken Sandwich (SR 40)– served with fries

The portions are so big that it would be tough to finish everything on the plate in one go. That said I did try my best :) By the end of it, we were so full that we just couldn’t have any dessert. During our meals, the Chef paid us a visit and told us how he got trained at Cocos in Dubai to perfect the menu for Riyadh. Not to mention even some of the servers/waiters had also got trained by Dubai-based staff. And, it shows.

I’m just so glad that they lived up to my very high expectations. Other than the above, in Dubai I’ve tried, and recommend their Fajitas, Quesadillas, Pastas etc. I’m sure they will be ditto in taste here.  

I wish the Cocos Riyadh team the very best. I’m sure we’ll have more of Cocos branches all over the kingdom soon.

For all you diners, make sure you pay Cocos Restaurant in Riyadh a visit...you won’t regret it. 

Where to go on a Romantic Date in Riyadh?...Head to Centro Restaurant & Lounge

A week back it was our anniversary. And, both my husband and I were lost in thought about where to go for dinner. After the usual cake cutting and gift exchanges, came time for dinner. And, though it is my hubby's birth right to woo me for a date on such an important date, he simply went ahead and asked me "Where would you like to go for dinner?" I was amazed and definitely not expecting that he hadn't planned the evening, but after he gave me the options of the Globe Restaurant at Faisaliah Hotel, I silently thanked God. Coz I wasn't interested in an over-rated experience especially not on my anniversary. I just wanted a quite-some dinner with a romantic ambiance. And, that's when it hit my hubby to try the Centro Restaurant & Lounge on Tahaliya Street. The interiors in this restaurant are all in the combination of red and black and even the partitions between families are simply breathtaking, made of velvety black curtains. We had gone there once before on a very late evening hour and didn't find a decent seat, not to mention, then we were accompanied by little 10 month old who was feeling extremely cranky. Anyways both me and my husband has promised ourselves we would come back some day. And, I was glad it was our anniversary day coz it seem that the whole placed was booked by us....It was empty on a Wednesday evening at 9:00pm! 


Centro is basically an Italian joint and they have the usual gamut of all the possible Italian cuisine.  The prices though, are at the higher end but hey I don't mind paying an extra couple of 10s for the striking romantic ambiance. We ordered our traditional red and white sauce pastas. Below is a breakdown of what exactly we had:


Appetizer
Japanese Style Shrimps Tempura & Spring Rolls Platter - The shrimps were simply out-this-world. Cooked to perfection!

Main Course
Hubby: Fettucine Al Fredo - the usual white sauce pasta with chicken and parmesan. Asked to remove the mushrooms. 
Me: Penette Alla Marinella - the usual red sauce but asked them to make it extra spicy and asked to add chicken to it. Got the eggplants removed for sure!

P.S - The main course pics were taken half way after we began eating ;)


There was simply no room for dessert considering we had a 2 pound cake waiting for us at home. The total bill came out to be under SR 300 which includes fresh juice and water, not to mention the service charge. All in all, had a lovely evening. 


Definitely recommend this place for a romantic date, especially with the handful of choices we have in Riyadh for any romantic spots whatsoever!

For finger-licking chops & ribs...head to GAD Restaurant in Riyadh

The other day both me and husband were craving for some lip-smacking ribs and that's when my hubby remembered his all-time favourite Egyptian joint that serve the most delicious finger-licking chops & ribs that one can dream off. Grilled to perfection, not only are they soft and succulent but seriously tasty! Its not the first time I went there with my hubby. This was the 3rd time actually and each time around we leave feeling thoroughly and completely satisfied! 

We usually go to the Malaz branch and between just me and my husband (my husband being a die-hard beef/meat lover) we order for 1/2 kilo of ribs and 1/2 of another absolutely favourite and must-have ''Tourb". Tourb are basically meat with parsley patties that are basically cooked with fat, so for anyone who's on a fat-free/low calorie diet, this is NOT for you. Despite being grilled, these chops and meat patties are quite fattening yet full of flavour. The total with a couple of soft drinks comes out to SR 110 only. Though some might argue this is on the expensive side, I'd say its worth paying for. So if A) you're a meat lover and B) you literally have a BIG appetite head to GAD for an amazing experience. 

Ladies: It's time to rejoice...FINALLY they get it!

I'm absolutely thrilled with the new initiatives that the Saudi government is taking to get more and more women involved in their workforce. Even if its Saudi women, and not expat I'm still really very happy. I just hope that the magic spreads to places like Riyadh too where we are dying to see some lady workers. Not to mention I feel like dancing at the announcement that all lingerie shop owners have been give 12 months to replace their male attendants with female ones. FINALLY! they get it, if you know what I mean. Though I never got a chance to be involved in the Enough Embarrassment campaign that drove this point home for the Saudi authorities, I just can't seem to thank them enough. No wonder recently I saw a Saudi woman clad in full hijab/abaya at Centrepoint's lingerie section, not to mention the section has a special partition and has been made Women Only. Yippie!

Saudi Arabia has a Human Rights Commission! REALLY What for?

The other day me and husband drove past this building which had a human rights commission board on it. Needless to mention, I was shocked that it existed especially here in Saudi Arabia. With the lack of protection granted to expat workers especially domestic servants/maids, labourers, etc. I really wonder what real work the so-called Human Rights employees would be doing here. 

It saddens me each time I read a news-story about a maid being abused, raped, and assaulted in the paper. The worse is when these very women who in an attempt to save themselves end up killing their attackers are sentenced to death or worse have to pay blood money. I would like to ask these so-called human rights people that when a maid dies here because of an attacker, how many a times has a significant amount been paid to their families as blood money. Why are they exempt from this rule? Just because they are considered worthless in the society?!! 

I’ve personally heard and read so many horrific tales & cases of exploit and sexual assault on these women that I just can’t bring myself to side with their sponsors’. Everyone seems to complain that their are alot of runaway maids here. Yes! there are those who runaway for better money elsewhere but I wouldn’t be surprised  if 50% of them run away from their sponsors because the sponsor misbehaved with them, or made sexual advances at them (I do personally know of some who did so to escape being raped). I don’t know who these sponsors are but I sure hope and pray that they rot in hell for treating these women with such insolence.

That said by far I have only heard one good sponsor story here in Saudi Arabia, and many a times I have thanked God for whoever he is and pray that there are or could be more like him in this country.

Anyways I’m glad with the recent announcement of both Indonesian and Philippine government about not sending any more maids to this soil until better measures are taken to protect their people. We can only hope and pray for the best. 

The other day I thanked God for the fact that the Pakistani government never lifted its ban (since the 80s) on supplying women as domestic servants/maids to countries outside. Though it would ease the life of many Pakistani expat families living abroad including here in Saudi Arabia who have to go through the tantrums of Sri Lankan and Indian maids, but any of these problems are acceptable but certainly not exposing and endangering the life of the Pakistani maids in such countries. 

All that Glitters is in Riyadh!

Seriously! Cars dusted with Gold glitter!!!!!!!! See for yourself. I don't know what was worse - seeing a SUV pasted with Louis Vuitton paper all over it (couple of months back) or this!

Anatolia Turkish Grill...A Diner’s Delight!

I honestly cannot even begin to describe what an absolute delight this Turkish restaurant is. My husband and I have been here 4 times already which clearly explains how fond we are of the place, the service and the quality of food. I thought it was time after our 4th visit to give them a review that they truly deserved.

That said the only trouble with the place is that it does not have a spacious family hall. It’s quite tiny actually and possibly can serve upto 10-12 families of 6 at a time only. Perhaps that is a reason why I’ve noticed lots of people coming in and ordering takeaways. Either way these guys are very busy and much in demand. We’ve tried them on weekdays and weekends but have never once been disappointed.

As you walk in you are greeted pleasantly and made to sit on the only waiting sofa. They hand you the menus and give you time to select what you would like. Once ready to order, they take your orders and seat you comfortably at a family table. Once seated they bring in their steaming hot (literally out of the oven) bread, with the most delicate butter slice and a cheese slice. To be very honest this itself serves as an appetiser but still we can help order some of our favourites listed below:

• Humus – was kind of average. We ordered it only the 1st time around, other 2 times didn’t need to.
• Peynirli Pide (appetiser)– a kind of cheese manakish, but simply superb.
• Adana Kebap – long kebabs like seekh kebabs but they are simply irresistible. I claim these to be the best seekh kebabs I have ever had in 30 years. They are not spicy but you will feel with every bite a rich blend of distinct flavours of herbs and spices in your mouth. Meat lovers cannot leave without trying this.
• Tavuk Papyon – these are long kofte kebabs rolled and stuffed with smouldering cheese and mushrooms.... umm!!! an absolute must for cheesy lovers!
• Peynirli Kofte – similar to the Tavuk papyon just that this one is made out of beef/meat and has no mushrooms in it. Another delight!

 You can view their menu here http://www.anatoliaturkishgrill.com/menu.php. 

Both I and my husband love Anatolia Turkish Grill located at the Granada Mall. Even the waiters/attendants recognise and welcome us with a lovely smile each time around. I just hope they can open more of their branches around town with much spacious family quarters. From my side they get a thumbs up for everything!

El Chico Mexican Restaurant: Unbelievable bad experience!

Before I start this post let me tell you that our so-called lunch this afternoon has completely ruined my weekend. This restaurant has been opened only 7 days and definitely having an upset customer is not good for their business. And, though the General Manager Talal refused to let us pay, and he and his team apologised to us (husband and me) a million times, it still can't do away the bad taste the restaurant has left in my mouth. The reason why I'm so flipping upset is because I've been to the one in Dubai, and their service & quality was simply impeccable while here in Riyadh it was a complete 180 degree.

Husband decided to surprise me this afternoon (I had said many good things about El Chico in the past week that he decided we should try it). We land there at 2:30pm and it was jam packed (like any other new restaurant in Riyadh). However, thankfully we were seated immediately. We ordered the following:

• A mixed platter (chicken wings, chicken nuggets, mozarella sticks)
• Chicken Mushroom Fajita (specifically requested for without mushrooms)
• El rancho with fries and refried beans

What we got:

• A mixed platter with cold chicken wings and cold soggy mozarella sticks - we asked them to replace the soggy mozarella sticks which they did
• Chicken Fajita filled with mushrooms - we asked them to replace. My husband was flipping pissed by now).
• El rancho - my husbands' order arrives, and then my order arrives 3 minutes later (mind you we waited almost an hr before we got our orders). And, guess what my order is not as hot as it is supposed to be. Furthermore, the manager Rami tries to humour us by informing that he got me extra fries...which needless to mention were again all cold.

I left 70% of my meal (see image for proof) because I had lost my appetite. They only thing they managed to get right was our drinks...lemonade for my husband and a diet pepsi without ice for me.

The staff was confused, and literally the restaurant floor seem in complete chaos as each time we asked them to replace something, they would check with 5-6 people, the computer machine, the kitchen staff etc. to ensure they've gone wrong.

The icing on the cake came when we received the cheque. My husband informed me jokingly that they charged us 26 riyals for service. That's when I literally lost it. I asked the attendant to call his manager and Mr. Rami arrives, and that is when I unleashed the severely disappointed customer in me. Fortunately the General Manager Mr. Talal was around and happened to hear everything. He came over and apologized (like I mentioned before too) on behalf of the team. And, tried to offer us a free meal apart from not letting us pay. But, I could not be won. I left the place with a frown. And, apologised to my husband for the absolute f***-up.

Let me add here I already told the Managers that I will be writing a review about this regardless of their apologises, so I'm not being a stabbing-them-in-the-back bitch. I'm just being a bitchy disgruntled customer.

NEVER going to El-Chico in Riyadh again. And, please God I hope none of our friends ever decide to treat us to dinner there.

P.S - Thank you Mr. Talal for hearing me out then. And, thank you for not charging us the lunch, which you know should not have been billed to us anyways because of what we've experienced. But appreciate your professionalism.

Someone please tell KSA-2 TV that its Pakistan, NOT Pakistatn!!!

 Cannot believe this is a local channel from Saudi Arabia!

Three cheers for the Brave Tunisian People

The last couple of days have been full of surprises. The videos (aired on various newschannels) about how the tunisian people finally revolted against their dictator and finally chased him out of the country are simply awe-inspiring, atleast for the Muslims. Or may be just for Pakistan.

As an expat, I rarely get affected by the shit conditions prevalent in Pakistan but that doesn't mean I don't feel the pain of fellow Pakistanis living there...and this would hold true even if my family wasn't based there. Like Kamran Khan (Geo TV) I wish there was someway all the Pakistanis would get together and throw out all the corrupt so-called leaders of our country, just the way the Tunisians did. In any case three cheers for the Tunisians.

But, a rather shocking event was when I found out that the country that has given refuge to the Tunisian suppressor is infact Saudi Arabia. Really don't know what they are thinking...why is that when a former Pakistani Prime Minister's government was toppled and he got exiled, it was Saudi Arabia that openly welcomed him. Wondering which leader will next become a long-temporary-citizen of this land. Any guesses?

Strange(!!!) but True - Things about Saudi Arabia

• Possibly the only place where you can find a junk food outlet located within a hospital, case in point Dunkin Donuts @ Olaya Medical Centre
• In some Western-dominated compounds women are not just expected but infact required to remove their Abayas
• Women apparently can actually buy cars (yes! register vehicles on their names) BUT just not allowed to drive them (haha!)

Note: This post is most likely going to be another work in progress as I'm confident that I will surely discover more 'strange' and funny things about this place.

(Blogger) Perspectives from Another Planet

I've lately been a bit under the weather, not to mention busy attending to some private matters, and hence missed commenting on some Saudi newstories that were published recently and not-so-recently.

Regardless, some blogs that I read regularly wrote some interesting posts on the subjects and I felt that they were worth mentioning here: 

Saudi Arabia: Breakthroughs on Marriage Contracts -
>> What's it about - New marriage contracts with bride's age

Saudi Arabia with no Make-up
>> What's it about - MTV's True Life series episode titled Resist the power! Saudi Arabia

What's front page news in Saudi Arabia?
>> What's it about - Gender segregation (Psst. -this one left me speechless to the point of disability...!)

Happy reading (and thinking)!

Saudi Humour at its Best: "...sports are corrupting and satanic for women"

A senior cleric on Sunday urged the Saudi government to uphold a ban on women's sports in the kingdom in the face of increasing demand to ease the restrictions.

Sheik Abdul Karim al-Khudhair, member of the Council of Senior Scholars said in a statement that sports are "corrupting" and "satanic" for women. Instead, he urged women to stay at home.

In its neighbouring country (aka UAE), local women are graduating as cadet pilots, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and embarking on Mount Everest amongst other things, and here in Saudi Arabia women are being discouraged, not to mention being asked to stay at home!!!

And, what a revelation - sports are devilish!!!

Seriously what will become of this nation? 

Facebook’s Ban in Pakistan: Bold and Beautiful

It’s been 4 days since Facebook’s so-called ‘Draw Mohammed Day’ that invited people to create drawings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on 20th May 2010. As a Muslim (no matter how liberal) I just refuse to not comment on how utterly disrespectful and pathetic this whole exercise was. I openly admit that I was amongst the many people who boycotted Facebook that particular day. Many of my friends and family members (much more religious and brave!) who were frequent users of Facebook have actually gone ahead and even deactivated their accounts.

What came as a pleasant surprise that day was when I learnt that due to this drawing nonsense, Pakistan had actually blocked Facebook altogether (well atleast until the 31st of May 2010), unlike other Muslim countries (including Saudi Arabia) where only the particular Draw Mohammed page is blocked. The most entertaining (and may I add totally preposterous) statement that came from Facebook in the wake of this ban in Pakistan was: "We are very disappointed with the Pakistani courts' decision to block Facebook without warning, and suspect our users there feel the same way," Facebook said in a statement to French news agency. "…we want Facebook to be a place where people can openly discuss issues and express their views, while respecting the rights and feelings of others.” Take note…respecting the rights and feelings of others…really!!! Certainly promoting such an act is Facebook’s way of showering respect on Islam and the feelings of all its Muslim users around the world. Right?

First these people ridicule and challenge our beliefs, and then they mask their actions with such lines - ‘freedom of speech’, ‘respect for all’ etc etc. What a load of crap!

Hai'a staffer beaten by Saudi woman!!!

Fresh from the oven: A Saudi woman actually punched a Hai'a (Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) official. Read the full story.

My inital reaction to this was: NO WAY!!!

2nd reaction: You got guts girl (with a wink)!

3rd reaction: Shoot! Whats going to happen to her???

No points for guessing that this wasn't the best news piece I've read this morning. It certainly is petrifying.

Visit to Kingdom Mall (Mamlaka Mall) II - Night time

My 2nd visit to the mall didn’t fail to surprise me (seriously!).

On my 1st trip there were some items that I really liked but I needed a VIP’s input, so on my 2nd trip my husband accompanied me (Wednesday evening). Well to say the least this time the scene in Kingdom Mall was a complete contrast, or may I say a complete black -all I could see were fully veiled women (headscarves, veiled faces, veiled bodies... basically the complete 'black' package) with their families in tow. Not a single woman without a headscarf!!! And, no single men either (not sure if that’s a policy for evening time or only weekends).

Anyways, after sorting and buying what we wanted, me and hubby headed to the food court downstairs for some quick supper. While deciding and queuing at the House of Iranian Cuisine counter (accidentally I was standing with my husband in the men’s section of the counter), we were very kindly interrupted by the-oh!-so-talked-about ‘religious police’ aka Muttawas. They called my husband to a side and after the initial confirmation of whether I’m his wife and that we’re Muslims, the Muttawas told my husband that my abaya was a bit tooooooo fitted!!! And, that as a Muslim husband he should ask me or rather make me cover/veil my face, as if my already covered hair was not enough! Need I say how utterly surprised (and #$ @%#&*) I was after learning what they had said? By the way allow me to clarify, my abaya is NOT at all tightly fitted even my husband vouched for that, though not really to the Muttawas (and no! I don’t blame him...you just never know with these guys).

Well, if you’ve read my Visit to Kingdom Mall (Mamlaka Mall) I - Daytime you must wonder like me: where on earth were these Muttawas on that day?? Coz had they been there, it would’ve been one helluva busy day for them, not to mention for the partially-veiled beauties too ;)

Visit to Kingdom Mall (Mamlaka Mall) I - Daytime

It’s been 5+ months since moving to Saudi Arabia, and I’ve got to admit that I’ve been waiting for the chance when I’ll get to see what young Saudi Arabian women/girls look like, in fact while lunching or dining out I’ve even tried to catch a glimpse of any Saudi woman eating close by (they sometimes remove the veil from their faces while eating) but rather unfortunately haven’t had much success thanks to the barriers/separators at their tables.

But my very recent visit to Kingdom Mall (aka Mamlaka Mall) during daytime did not disappoint me in fact it became a strange surprise. Me and my (girl) friend decided to go in for some shopping to Kingdom Mall on a weekday (by the way it was my 1st visit to the mall). So we get there and lo behold! what do I see...I see young beautiful Arab women strutting their Gucci, D&G, Cartier accessories (and whichever other highly priced brand you want to add to the list). Now you must think: are these so-called brands my way of judging their beauty? Well, of course NOT. The thing is these young girls or women though were donning their designer black robes aka abayas they had no veils on their faces, not to mention they weren’t wearing any headscarves either. That’s how I could tell their elegantly styled locks and their even attractively painted faces. What I couldn’t decide was if they were expat Arabs or of Saudi origin, though from their Arabic accents they did seem Saudi. Regardless, I was pleased.

I’m sure anyone else who would’ve or could’ve caught a few glimpses during lunch hour would’ve been pleased too (mind you! there are separate sections for single men and families/women).

P.S- my husband is of the view that there is nothing called free speech, and I can't help but agree. That's why I had to edit alot of details of this post despite having seen alot more. Like they say: somethings are better left unsaid...

Review: Buffalo Southwest Cafe, Tahaliya Street Riyadh

The newly opened Buffalo Southwest Cafe on Tahaliya street is a real treat for all those who love spicy buffalo wings. My husband and I have been there twice in 2 weeks – first time to experience the food for ourselves and the 2nd time around we invited friends for a chatty dinner. Thankfully our friends mirrored our sentiments about the food and the all-smiley quick service. In fact let me add that the service was so quick (during both our visits) that before we were even half way with the appetizers, our main orders had been served, within say 10-12 mins. 

Tried and Tested:
World Famous Buffalo Wings – smokin’ hot! For me and hubby trying anything less than the Scorching level would’ve been a shame (P.S - don’t leave without trying them).
Chicken Del Rio – the 2 chicken breast pieces were larger than most I’ve had, and were perfectly juicy and tender. Requested them to replace the yellow Mexican rice with mashed potatoes...ummmm! The queso verde sauce (along with all mentioned earlier) has made this item my personal favourite from their menu.
Blackjack Beef Burger — my husband liked it so much that he ordered it on both visits. Though the beef bacon strips looked a little burnt on both occasions. 
Total Bill – SR 158 including drinks & 15% service charge

3 things to keep in mind (if you’re thinking of dining at Buffalo):

1. It is jammmmmm-packed - If you’re looking for a quiet peaceful meal, don’t go here.
2. Get ready to wait (during the after-7:00pm peak time)- Like any other new (and instantly popular) restaurant in Riyadh, this one has queues of people waiting to be seated, especially those with families of more than 4.
3. No serving food during the prayer break – They’ll take your order but will let you know that they can only serve your drinks and possibly chips with salsa during the half hour prayer break (P.S- order for the chips with salsa ONLY if you are totally famished AND have arrived 5 mins prior to the prayer break)

Review: Friday Brunch at Marriott Riyadh

I’ve come to realise that a very common occurrence-cum-ritual presumably all across the Middle East - is the Friday Brunch. It was seemingly popular in Dubai and looks like Riyadh is certainly no different. Here I’ve actually seen families even as big as 12+ people at the most popular brunch joints.

(To say the least, I certainly support the late Friday brunches, for the simple reason we women for a change don’t have to ‘plan’ what to cook).

So in keeping up with that ‘noble’ tradition, a couple of weeks back my husband and I were invited by family friends for a Friday Brunch at the Marriott Riyadh. And, oh! what a brunch it turned out to be. Imagine walking in and having yummy delicacies spread all around, and I mean literally. We stepped in around 12:30pm, which need I mention is the best time to get the seat you want by the window overlooking a mini garden. The international buffet was one of the most lavish I’ve seen ¬- 40 to 45 assorted salads, 12 to 15 main course dishes, and close to 40 different kinds of desserts. Not to mention the Live Cooking Stations - Shawarma (Beef, Chicken & Fish), Italian Pasta, and Saj. They also have on a week-by-week basis the Mexican Fajitas and Quesadillas cooking stations too. I can still smell the fajitas!

In short, the food was great and the service was nothing less. A must-visit if you’re into Friday Brunches. This one opens from 12 to 4pm and costs SR 115 per person (including the 15% service charge).

Update: Had completely forgotten (my husband just reminded me) that we saw George Kurdahi, the all-famous host of the Arabic version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Man sa yarbah al malyoon) feasting at the brunch too. Didn't get to see his plate though!