Breakfast at Le Concheur: A Review

Mouthwatering desserts at Le Concheur

Dear Foodies,


I was meeting up a friend for breakfast on a Saturday and I chose Le Concheur as the venue as I'd heard good things about it from the Jeddah Foodies group on Facebook.

Where

Its located  unassumingly on Prince Sultan Street in Rawdah Dist, but the minute you walk in the bright airiness of the place takes your breath away.

Review

Le Concheur has brought the famous Belgian chocolate to Jeddah!

There's an array of scrumptious looking chocolates, pastries and fresh bread sitting in the display that is sure to make your mouth water, and your eyes dance at the prettiness of it all.

Le Concheur interior

We sat upstairs, the decor is very white, bright yet clean and polished at the same time so it doesn't have the diner feel. My only complaint was that it was very chilly- North Pole cold, and I was dressed for Jeddah's sunny climate so I was a completely frozen chicken by the time I left.

Gorgeous crunchy green salad

We ordered french fries (don't ask I have random cravings), a gorgeous green garden salad  for my friend and beautifully light Belgian waffles topped with  fresh mixed berries and cream  dusted with a generous helping of powdered sugar for me.

Belgian waffles with  mixed berries

It deserves another picture it was that good !

The waffles were so light and airy,  almost delicate, you didn't end up with  an overstuffed bloated feeling after eating them. A must try.

I also ended up indulging myself with a Caramel flavoured smoothie, while my friend had fresh juice.

Decadent Caramel Smoothie

This is the place to go to on your cheat day, you won't regret it.

I look forward to trying out their other items on their breakfast menu soon inshallah.

Have you tried out Le Concheur yet, do let me know what you had.

Rating 4.5/5

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Wondering where to eat next? Try Piatto: Pasta Pizza and Gelatto!

Piatto fountain

Dear Readers,

*I'm a bit behind on my blogging so excuse the slightly dated content*

During Eidul Adha my parents had a craving for good ol' gnocchi( potato dumpling in sauce).
So I asked my the Jeddah Foodies group on Facebook my go to source for all food related queries and I was told to try Piatto or Rossopomodorro. As I like the ambiance of Piatto and their asparagus and basil pasta more .. we headed to Piatto.

If you are visiting the family section, I suggest sitting upstairs where the lighting is better and best of all you have can have seat next to the fountain. It wasn't just me that was enchanted by the stone water feature with black and white square marble floor, all the children loved it and took great pains to avoid their parents  in order to reach it.

The walls are beautifully painted with scenes from Italy, with colourful picturesque little cottages huddled on the lush green slopes like flowers in spring all overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean sea.

My parents immediately spotted the three kinds of gnocchi and my Mu m opted for the gnocchi in 4 Cheese sauce  Quatro Fromaggi Gnocchi I think. I ordered  my favorite Pasta  Chicken with Pesto and Asparagus, and my Dad couldn't resist the  Pepperoni Pizza. For drinks I we opted for fresh  Carrjuice, Kiwi smoothie and mint lemonade.   I suggested we skip many of the tempting
anti-pasti as I wanted to make sure I had room for dessert..the Italian gelatto!

While we waited the waiter brought us a complimentary basket of a variety of fresh bread and green salad with a delicious dressing I think it was some sort of cheese that gave it a such creamy yet light flavour.

Creamy gnocchi

The  pastas arrived first.
The gnochhi didnt disappoint it was melt in your mouth creamy with the complementing flavours of cheese leaving you 'mmmmming' for more.

Chicken Pesto goat';s cheese and pine nuts pasta

My  pasta was a bit short on the asparagus this time :(, but I thoroughly enjoyed the subtle pesto flavours and tangy goats cheese set off  by sun-dried cherry tomatoes and crunchy pine nuts. 

Pepperoni Pizza

The Pizza was arrived and we dug before I remebered to photograph it , the crust was airy, light and fresh and toppings were not overwhelmed by cheese or any one flavour which I liked too.

Carrot juice, kiwi smoothie, Lemon mint

The drinks were normal nothing to rave about the kiwi smoothie had a banana base  so a bit heavy for my taste.

I found it very difficult to decide on the ice cream as I stood there trying out the gorgeous flavours.
In the end I went for a trio sccop in a waffle cup: heavenly salted caramel, nutty pistachio and sweet n sour raspberry fro-yo.

I would definitely recommend the ice cream there is sure to be a flavour you will like. chocolate and Nutella lovers there's a hazelnut flavour and many of the chocolate cookie inspired flavours. Again by the time the ice cram arrived I was in a food induced stupor and forgot all about taking pics :-P.  When you truly enjoy a meal that is often the case.

Next time you are wondering where to dine on the weekend I would whole heartedly recommend Piatto heart-warming food and buzzing atmosphere.

Piatto is located next to Stars Avenue Mall on Malek Road, Jeddah.

I will be doing a post on Ihop soon so do check back for that.


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Layla's Gourmet Cafe Review

Dear Readers,

In my last post I mentioned that the Jeddah Writing Club met at Layla's Gourmet cafe, which is tucked in a quiet street off Tahliya Street.

The ambience is amazing with a small water feature and somewhat Turkish oriental inspired tilework outside and wooden benches ideal for enjoying Jeddah's great weather at this time of the year.

Indoors you eyes are dazzled by an array of items all fighting for your attention and yet complementing each other at the same time. The black and white striped walls contrast with the gilded mirrors and ornaments, the whole place is a wicked indulgent feast for the eyes.

They have interesting array of books, abridged classics, girly magazines, cute frames, and much more.

I noticed a few customer came in to enquire/give orders for cookies or cakes, for parties etc the planned on having at home.

Though I enjoyed the surroundings, I wasn't very impressed by my order of caramel cake it was very dry and a quite a small portion, and the pina colada wasn't particulary special either.


I had to ask for my order twice, and when they finally served our group with the bill it completely incorrect, and the surprsing thing was that it was totally empty so how could they mix up the bill??

When they gave the bill again, it was still more than what it should have been, but we didn't feel like dealing with the staff anymore so we settled it- but no one likes the feeling of being ripped off.

 I hope that in the future the service improves, because it would be a shame for such a pretty place to lose customers over something so basic.

Have you tried it out yet, please do let me know what your experience was like in the comments below.

Black, white and gold chandeliers and and antique lamps transport to another time.

These Venetian? carnival masks inspired the JWC to chose masks as the next topic!

The outside seating area of Layla's Gourmet

Musical notes lamp shade

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Girls Only Hangout: 'the store'

Dear Readers,

I've noticed that most of the patrons of Jeddah's trendy restaurants and cafes tend to be women. Often you can spot only one or two men in a restaurant full of women, so it was only a matter of time when a girls ony boutique/cafe/nail bar opened up in Jeddah.

Cue 'the store', I wasn't able to make it to their grand opening, but I headed over to it on Thursday at 5pm, to check out what they had to offer.

As soon as you walk into the place your are struck by the shabby chic decor, the wooden floorboards and complementing ceiling rafters, and the eclectic furniture and fittings from around the world, come together to create a country/homely feel.

My friend and I spent a few minutes browing through the clothes, which are unique pieces often made of silk or chiffon, with delicate detailing. We passed by the nail bar, and I told myself I'd come down for manicure  in a bit, but got rather distracted by all the food once I got upstairs.

The cafe is on the third-floor, with a terrace for outdoor seating, and as it was rather windy we decided to sit in doors.

My friend started of with a chicken taco sandwich, while I had a giant slice of carrot cake which was very good, and suitable for sharing. I had my usual lemonade with mint. They have all day breakfast menu, and variety of sandwiches to choose from. While we talked away the afternoon, we realised we could go for more food! We ordered a banana pancake, and a buttermilk chicken burger to share. Both were absolutely divine, we will definitely be going back for the food. There were one or two bugs about which was annoying and I hope they do something about that, and I hope they add french fries to the menu. Otherwise it was a great experience, and great venue for breakfast or hi-tea.

I hope you like the photos below, and please do feel free to share your own experiences and comments.

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Best French Cafe and Bakery in Jeddah: Paul

I finally made to Jeddah favourite French import, the Paul Cafe and bakery which is  cosily ensconced behind Sands hotel off Tahliya Street.

As you enter from the bakery section sweet delights dazzle you. Everything looked mouth-wateringly good, and it is a bit like walking into to Tiffany’s/Fitaihi jewellery store, you want to buy everything, except at Paul’s even if you did, it wouldn’t leave a deadly dent in your bank account.

The view

We chose to be seated in the smoking section which is very cheery, spacious and with a view, despite being non-smokers who mind second-hand smoke. Why, you may ask did we put our health and more importantly, our moods at risk, well paradoxically the non-smoking section is small and dark, with dark leather seating and very dim lighting. I could almost imagine it being part of a smoking/billiards room in a quaint Victorian era household.

We were able to get a table near the window which overlooked the outside seating area. We were offered the breakfast menu as it was around 11 in the morning. The place was full of eager patrons, while a few waited for seats; the majority were women of course, as I’m sure they truly appreciate the ambience.

photo credit lastika

The restaurant area is divided into sections; the walls in our section were painted a pale green with regal gold embellishments. The interior is rather grand compared to Paul's in other countries, but then, it has to be, both to suit local tastes and its posh location. The staff donned white aprons and white chef hats, and were tres busy bustling about in the kitchen and dining area. The tables are quite close together, which is something we are not  used to in Saudi, and it reinforces the feeling that you are in an authentic French cafe.

photo credit lastika

We took our time ordering, as the menu is in French, so you need to read the English descriptions to decipher it. We finally decided on a cheese and mushroom omelette and ‘Paillason bacon’ potato pancake with onions and beef bacon, both were served with a side of salad. I ordered my favourite frozen lemonade with mint although most patrons were sticking to the French breakfast staple-orange juice.

Our order took its time to arrive, but they were very busy, and I was rather amazed and at how deftly the waiters picked their way through the crowded tables.

photo credit lastika

 

We were served with a basket of soft bread with butter and jams, which had a cottage/homemade look about them and were aptly served in petite earthenware pots.

When our food did arrive, the potato pancake was cooked to golden perfection, it was warm and aromatic and I could not stop eating it. The beef bacon was beautifully crisp ,and cut so each piece was lined with a strip of fat. The salad fresh and crunchy with just the right amount of dressing. My friend’s omelette was quite large, and I could taste the cheese, as it melted away in my mouth.

Bakery decor

The meal was tasty, wholesome and filling; it didn’t leave us feeling overly greasy and we finished it in no time at all.  No trip to Paul is complete without a dessert, as we were quite full we decided to order a strawberry cake and a strawberry éclair for takeaway- and as expected they were absolument délicieux!

Macaroons, pies, tarts, cakes and more

Next time you want to catch up with the girls do it over breakfast or brunch at Paul, and I guarantee you will enjoy it.

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Best Restaurant in Dubai: Shakespeare and Co

Dear Readers,

I usually do reviews of restaurants etc in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but after my recent trip to Dubai, I feel compelled to review one of the most gorgeous cafe I've been to: Shakespeare and Co Cafe!
The decor is a shabby chic enthusiast's dream with floral prints, velvet curtains and laces accents, lots of cushions and array of complementing colours.

The restaurant also has a pattisseries section with cupcakes, cheescakes and more; they are so pretty that you just want to drool over them and it almost seems a shame to eat them.

The unique bouquets which bring a touch of spring are also avaiable for sale.
Shakespeare and Co has many branches all over UAE, I tried out the one in Dubai Marina Mall. If you are lucky enough to get a seat outside on the terrace overlooking the marina, it has excellent panoramic views. The seating is picturesque garden type seating with canopies to shade you from the sun, and colourful cushions to make you comfortable.

They have an eclectic array of furniture and cute chandeliers, chest of drawers and other oranments that leave you feeling like you have entered another world. It is dificult to absorb all the little artistic touches in one visit, you feel enchanted by it all.

I know I've been raving about the surroundings, but what about the food, you say. Well, the menu is expansive, there is something for everyone, at any time of day, be it tea-time cakes that you are craving or an english breakfast, or traditional foul muddamas,  a light manaeesh, or maybe cold sandwhiches, soups, salads, pasta, pizzas , and much more.

We went for brunch and my parents had the Eggs any style breakfast with mushrooms and beef bacon, and fried toast, with english breakfast tea. They were very happy with their food, although the tea became cold soit was refilled it and made it extra strong as requested-free of charge too.

I had the most divine drink-I will remember it forever! It was called pink lemonade but compared to other pink lemonadesI've had it was in a league of its own. It had grenadine syrup with a bit of rose syrup along with lemonade! Sigh, It was like heaven in my mouth. I also had a crepe slathered with chocolate and covered with sliced strawberries, then folded with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! The combination of flavours was perfect, did I already use the phrase heavenly?

My brother ordered blueberry pancakes with syrup and a cold coffee. I felt his breakfast was the lightest, but he was happy, while he thought mine was bit too rich. I was famished so I needed all that sugar to energise myself for the day ahead- or soI kept justifying to everyone ;-).

If you are going to Dubai, I suggest that you have a put it on your itinerary to visit one of Shakespeare and Co's many branches- you won't regret it.


Photo credit: Missbobochic and the company website.
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Chocolate Delight at The Lounge, Park Hyatt Review

Dear Readers,

During the Spring break Park Hyatt held a 'Chocolate Delight' at its The Lounge restaurant in Jeddah. A chocolate dessert buffet was advertised to be enjoyed at only SR65. Desserts made from the finest Felchlin chocolate from Switzerland were on offer with a hot/cold chocolate drink of your choice.

Now this was an offer any self-respecting chocolate lover simply could not resist. So, after much debate with various diet conscious friends I managed to convince a friend of mine to accompany me because I simply could not live without partaking in the choc fest at the Park.

At 5 pm on a Thursday, we walked in to the outside courtyard the afternoon sunlight streaming in through the palms that dot the premises. Fountains glittered in the centre, the sound of water lulled you into a serene calmness. The ambience of the place made you forget where you were. Instead the mind hallucinated images of reclining Romans and regal Mugals engaged in idle pleasures. The low tables and chairs were ideal for hours of laid-back lounging and shisha smoking, but certainly not suited for upright eating.

I could've sat for hours gazing across the water features and on to the Red Sea, entranced by the trickling water and drugged by the second-hand shisha smoke that occasionally drifted towards me. But my taste-bud’s demanded that they too be indulged. As I walked up to the indoor  chocolate buffet table,  I anticipated completely giving  in to the sinfully sweet temptation on offer, and gorging till my heart’s desire was finally satisfied. 

My friend, had purer aspirations, and was content to subsist on a wholesome salad and a purifying floral Jasmine tea- her body was to be treated like a temple.

The first shock of the evening came when I saw the size of the buffet. I had expected more. As I took a plate a started to browse among the various types of chocolate on display I was disappointed to find there were no placards, describing or naming the various items. Instead a chef attempted to enlighten us by whispering the names of sweet somethings in Arabic. I also spotted a few flies resting on a chocolate cake, which I decided to stay away from. I tried out various chococlates, pure chocolate, white chocolate buttons, and milk-chocolate buttons. Chocolate with pistachios, and other nuts, truffles. dark chocolate and coffee flavoured chocolate and a brownie. 

I also  ordered a cold chocolate drink. I found the chocolate brownie was the best- sweet and dense with a bit of nutty crunch. I’m allergic to coffee and once I had the coffee chocolate to say that it was strong would be an understatement- it was overpowering and left me feeling nauseous.

I tried to wash away the taste with the chocolate drink, which tasted pretty normal, and was sadly free of whip cream or mini marshmallows.  They should've probably kept a milk shake or something that didn't compete with the chocolate, but I would've been happy with sparkling water.

My enjoyment was short-lived as I got sugared out early and had to skip on the fruits/ marshmallow dipped in chocolate fondue, I also skipped the macaroons which are a local favourite but I find them sickeningly sweet; I had tasted most of what was on offer and felt a bit disappointed both at my lack of stamina and I’d expected more variety. As always a complimentary glass of water, or something to clear the pallete in between would n’t have been amiss, even if it was only to wash away the taste of a bittersweet mistake .

The first impression of my friend’s Park salad was that it was very large indeed. But once you delved into it, you felt that there was a bit of deception at work, because the salad was comprised of mainly greens and they had not really been cut into bite size pieces. Instead, you were left to chop up a lot of greens to size. The salad lacked the right quantity of dressing making it difficult to swallow. The floral jasmine tea however pleased my friend, and was pleasantly fragrant.

As the sun started to dip marking the end of the day, we decided to take its cue and ask for the bill.

We had a good idea of what the cost would be so we had change at hand. The bill arrived, and both of us stared at it perplexed, as if it was written in Greek.

I had made it quite clear from the beginning that I would be ordering the ‘chocolate buffet’  for SR60 and my friend’s salad and tea came to SR75, now you don’t need to be a mathematical genius to deduce that adds up to SR135. As service charges in Saudi have been abolished (Yeah!), that is what the total should have amounted to.  So you can understand our confusion at a certain -198 minimum charge +63 balance entries. That gave us a total of 198. We asked the waiter to explain to us what was going on, he then decided to inform us there was SR99 minimum charge for dining in The Lounge!

My guilty pleasure trip had turned into an all guilt and little pleasure trip. I was in no mood to argue, I was already disappointed, nauseous  and now I was annoyed.  I don’t mind paying high prices/charges as long as establishments are up front about it; but I despise being tricked but I hate confrontations even more. Resigned, I started taking out the extra money to pay off the offending charge, but my friend boldly intervened.

Firstly, she argued that we weren’t informed about the minimum charge when we ordered; secondly we were clearly told the chocolate buffet was SR60 and that is how it was being advertised, so Park Hyatt was purposely deceiving and lying on its website, and in person. The waiter continued to shake his head, a ridiculous smile plastered on his face while he insisted, that’s the rule, like a broken record. My friend retorted that we will pay if you take it off your website that the chocolate delight buffet is for SR 60 and put that it is actually for SR100, because you have been lying. The waiter decided things were getting way beyond his authority and suggested that we speak with the manager. We agreed. The waiter came back shortly, and handed us a new bill in which the minimum charge had been removed. We paid and left, unable to spot the manager who had made the right call.

In summary, a great location and atmosphere marred by poor service, waiters struggled to serve cutlery and napkins, and you had to hail a new waiter standing in the distance every time you required assistance. With proper management, a bit of common sense, and more variety and taste they could be easily offer an unforgettable experience- for the right reasons.

I think this quote from Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte is apt

"Alas! How far the promise of anticipation exceeds the pleasure of possesion!"

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