Uptown 966 Restaurant Review

Last Friday we decided to revisit one of my family’s favourite haunts, Casper and Gambini, as we stepped out of our car, we saw that our favourite was no more- and it had been replaced by a newbie called Uptown 966! This was a bit of a shock, comparable to the shock that you get when you go to put on your favourite feel-good item of clothing only to discover it’s been ruined in the wash.

We entered the restaurant with a bit of trepidation, hoping for the best, while I secretly dreaded the worst. Inside, the changes seemed limited to slight changes in decor, certain glass topped tables had been replaced by low black wooden tables, and the big couches were replaced by smaller individual ones, but were just as snug. We grabbed out favourite spot near the big glass window, which sort of juts out over the restaurant entrance, and although it’s in the smoking-section we breathed a sigh of relief that there were no smokers seated in the area. I love this spot because its bathed in natural sunlight, which is a rarity for most Jeddah's restaurants.

The restaurant is well-lit by natural light, and has wooden floors and panels

The menu arrived; the ‘look’ had changed: it was short booklet of recycled paper strapped onto a black card. But as I browsed through the menu, I noticed that the content was pretty much the same- with the addition of pizzas, and availability of shisha at SR42.  

A view of Andalus Street.

 

  We collectively ordered a Tomato and Basil soup, a Watermelon and Blue cheese salad, a Papaya Shrimp sandwich, and the Asian inspired Cashew Chicken, and for drinks we ordered their popular frozen Lemonade with a twist of mint and Lemonade with kiwi.

At the end our order, we asked the waiter the reason behind the name change. He politely informed us that it was a simply a change of ownership and now it was no longer part of the C and G franchise; instead it was now fully locally owned. He then reassured us that 90-95% of the menu was the same as before as well as the staff, and-crucially the chefs (so we need not worry).

Our Friday lunch tends to be rather late, so when they served us the assortment of bread with butter and tapenade, I devoured it much like a vampire does its prey. My favourite is the soft spongy bread which they serve while it’s still warm.

The tomato and basil soup arrived in a huge bowl, garnished with croutons and accompanied by a mini Panini bread/bun. This was not just a starter; it was a meal in itself. I sampled it and tasted lovely, the tomatoes were roasted then and pureed and seasoned with the right amount of basil, and a bit of cream/cheese to add depth.

The watermelon and blue cheese salad was beautifully presented in the form of a giant flower, the endive lettuce came in quite useful to create the flower petal effect, and pink of the water melon added colour, and julienne cut green apple added crunch and sweetness.. This salad is an acquired taste; the blue cheese dressing is tangy and at times slightly bitter, with a strong flavour and may not be everybody’s cup of tea so to speak. 

I forgot I wanted to take a photo of this and started eating..yes I was very hungy!

The papaya shrimp cold sandwich was filled with succulent shrimp with a tasty sauce; it was accompanied by choice of either fries or salad, as we had ordered a salad we’d chosen fries.

The Cashew Chicken is served in a big bowl ideal for sharing, it is comprised of basmati rice flavoured with assorted spices, topped with crunchy slices of stir fried veggies, a generous helping of fried/roasted cashew nuts, round chicken pieces coated in batter and fried, and finally, topped off with an upside down fried egg, garnished with soya sauce! It may sound like a strange combination, but it works, and needless to say it is a very filling dish with a variety, of textures, and flavours that complement and satisfy.

Once we had finished our meals the waiter politely asked us if we’d like some tea or desserts. As we were having trouble deciding which tea we’d like, he brought over two boxes: One box contained labelled test tubes which contained different types of teas. You could select which ever tea suited your fancy, and pick out the corresponding teabag from the second box. 

Between we chose green tea, earl grey, and ginger calm. The ginger calm tastes and smells as exotic as it sounds.

To conclude , the bill came to SR331, and I felt it was worth every riyal.

As we left the restaurant with a smile on our faces, and I thought to myself, our favourite wasn’t lost after all: a new name but the same great taste!

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Zodiac Cuisine Restaurant Jeddah : A Review

Zodiac is a fine-dining restaurant offering an array of international cuisine. I’ve been to Zodiac quite a few times, and every time I go, I think I’ll write a review this time, and then-I forget. Well, here is my recent experience for your reading pleasure. We arrived at nine, and as soon as we entered the foyer, of the building, we were struck by the ambience, decor and the iconic zodiac logo showcasing the zodiac signs.The woman's touch is obvious, as the eyes drink in the aesthetically pleasing surroundings; including even the bathroom, which would not look out of space in a spa.   

We sat outside while we waited for the rest our party to arrive. At that time, the temperature was still warm, and there was no breeze, but we decided to stay in our spot to enjoy the view of the Jeddah’s Corniche fountain. We informed, the eager waiters that we would wait for the rest of our party, before we ordered. We were politely informed that the minimum charge would SR120pp. We were offered complimentary welcome drinks in baseless sand beach champagne glasses, another pleasant touch.

As our party was quite delayed, we ordered our drinks. After another half an hour of staring at the stunning meals displaced on the slideshow on the flat screen we decided to order, and remind the waiters that we were still waiting for the drinks. We also told them to bill 2 of our party separately as they would be leaving early. 

Once we ordered, the bread basket arrived, and we all devoured the tasty bread with its accompaniments, while the mosquitoes took to feeding on us. I suggest due to Jeddah’s weather and presence of unwelcome insect guests Zodiac should acquire some fans. Those of wearing sandals were quite distracted by the itching and decided to retreat indoors, the waiters were very understanding and refilled our bread trays and moved our drinks. The drinks however, were a bit disappointing. I ordered a fresh kiwi juice, and what I got was milky faintly green drink which tasted like coconut milk with kiwi syrup. I found the taste and appearance unexpected yet cooling, so I decided not to complain-but whatever it was it wasn’t freshly made kiwi juice. It was altered beyond recognition. Maybe they strained it and took all nutritional fibre out and then added flavour enhancers. The pina colada was a hit. One of the ladies ordered a melon juice without ice, because she was suffering from a cold, and but the waiter failed to mention that the drink would still be very cold as the melon itself was frozen! 

The main courses arrived and we all dug in. Fifteen minutes later, quite a few people were looking disappointed and playing with their food. The common complaint was blandness, and that the food had been better when they had initially opened up. The lady that had ordered a steak felt it had ‘no taste’, as well as the lady who’d ordered a simple pepperoni pizza. 

I’d ordered Chicken Polo Picante, which is grilled chicken breast with a tangy sauce served with steamed vegetables and a side of rice. I’d ordered this dish a couple times before and had been very pleased with the outcome. However, this time I felt the chef had forgotten some key spice/herb, the sauce lacked the kick, which was the reason I’d ordered it. I sampled another main, a creamy pasta dish which incorporated pasta dumpling stuffed with mashed potatoes and then baked. This dish was available with the option of being served with a tomato sauce; but the waiter forgot to ask my friend which option she wanted. It was an innovative dish, but once the novelty wore off you realised what you were eating was very heavy, and an additional ingredient was required to cut the sheer creaminess of the dish.

Another interesting main dish was the North Sea Delight. This dish included baked mashed potato stuffed with tender hammour and prawn with hint of rosemary and garlic. I think this dish although too heavy to be eaten by one person, was an ideal dish to share. It had the right combination of creaminess and zest.

Next was the fabulous gourmet dessert, the mille feuille. It was served beautifully, and was a combination of crisp layers of pastry, lush vanilla filling and freshly sliced strawberries. 

To clear our palettes we ended with the sorbet, our flavours of choice were rose, champagne, and mango. This was served with a mini-light that alternated between different fluorescent colours, illuminating the sorbet in an almost magically ethereal light. The rose flavour was divine, the champagne heavenly and the mango invigorating. 

There was a slight confusion at the time of the bill, as the waiter had forgotten to separate it as instructed but quickly made amends.

 To sum up I would say the ambience, decor, and desserts are extremely satisfying. The chef has either changed or needs some encouragement to draw on a range of herbs/ingredients to create mains that indulge the taste buds with something other than creaminess.

Price range:

Drinks from SR19

Pasta from SR 50

Steaks/Seafood SR75

Sorbet SR18

Mille fueille SR 52

The SR120 is appropriate if you plan on having a full dinner, but you will get ripped off if you just want to chill with a drink, dessert and shisha combo.

Do like my review at Jeddah's favourite foodie site Jeddah Food,  it will published shortly- I hope!

Photo credit: HS

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