Arabian Nights.

The long absence from my last post is attributed to the summer here in Jeddah. It has started. It is getting really hot here, so much so that we have been avoiding stepping out most of the week. But finally we decided to venture out as I felt a part of my life missing without being able to taste some of the wonders that Jeddah restaurants have to offer and to be able to post it on the blog. So 4 of us decided that we needed some local flavor to soothe our systems and the unanimous choice was Montazah Al Nakheel (Palm gardens) located along the Jeddah cornice.

We were introduced to this place by our Saudi friends in Jeddah, a wonderful couple who appreciate the finer things in life. From the first time we were there, we have been going there at least once every fortnight. Nakheel is basically an outdoor restaurant and a huge one at that. Going by the crowds that gather here every evening, I presume that this is indeed one of the most popular joints in and around this area.

The food they serve is predominantly local, with Lebanese cusine also sharing a fair part of the menu. There is a sparkling of pizzas and pastas on the menu but honestly we have never felt the need to try this out here. Our order here is mostly always the same. Foul Hijazi (Chick peas ground to a paste form which is from the hijaz region of the kingdom), Moutabbak (something like a stuffed pizza) which is usually made up of finely chopped vegetables, egg and meat. On our request, they make it without the egg and meat and substitute this by more of the veggies. This time around, since we had company, they did try the one with meat and absolutely loved it. We also ordered the moutabbak with the banana and cheese filling but that did not add to my fav food list. Mahmara (A tomato and nuts paste) but the Mahmara at Belajio resort is much better in taste and texture. On every table you can see people smoking shisha and they make it pretty well here. The foul hijazi is the dish that makes me want to come to this place again and again. A testimony to the fact that simple things can be wonderful and tasty as well.

Moutabbak

The Inside story of the moutabbak!!

by far my favourite: The foul hijazi.

The seating is so comfortable here that you could spend hours on the high rise majlis or the low sofas that adorn the whole complex. You could easily sit upto 2-3 hours here without a worry of the world. We have been told that weekends are usually very crowded and it is better to have a reservation before going. Weekdays, which is when we usually go is fine if you reach here by around 8.00pm. The place gets full here quickly around 9.30 pm.

So if you have guests or have some colleagues visiting from other parts of the world, this would be a perfect place to host them for some good local flavor and some interesting conversation.