So finally Mr. F spills the beans. He is leaving for vacation in a few days time to Hyderabad to spend the Eid vacations with his family. Of course his mom and siblings are really looking forward to having him home again.Naturally men are not that clued up into doing shopping for a woman or at least very few men have this capability. I know my dad definitely doesn't have a flair to do shopping for women at all. On one of his solo trips he returned with the most old fashioned hand bags for mom and I and bought mom a bracelet that just didn't have any character.I guess its the thought that counts though. Any way to cut a long story short Mr. F asked me to do some shopping for his mom. I always do this for him prior to his vacations and this time he wanted me to purchase an abaya. So we decided that we will do fatoor first and then head off to Deira Soukh where there are many abaya shops.I will tell you more about Deira soukh in another article that I will post soon on this blog.Our favourite place is usually the Red Onion Restaurant situated opposite the computer market in Olaya. This time Mr. F surprised me though.We took a right turn coming out of the hospital and made our way towards Batha." Where are we going?" I asked him. So he mumbles away that we going to a Kerala restaurant to eat south Indian food. Now, no offence to any South Indians but my idea of a meal is not one that is served on banana leaves and is soaked in coconut milk and coconut oil. It is not cuisine that I have been exposed to or grew up with. I was brought up with typical North Indian Gujurati style food.
After passing the ministry of the Interior and heading straight towards the Deira off ramp we took a left turn at the intersection making our way down a road that I was quite familiar with as the street is lined with numerous material shops that have mannequins in the window draped with stunning fabrics ranging from silk, to satin and of course beaded fabrics that will satisfy the desire of any woman. So many colours and types of fabrics to choose from, it is enough to leave a woman's head spinning in confusion.What I find really fascinating is the art, skill and effort that is placed in draping each mannequin to produce a beautiful dress design or ballroom outfit all kept together with pins around the mannequin.
So finally after driving down the narrow crowded road with just 6 minutes to spare before the breaking of the fast, Mr. F applies breaks at the turnoff to the Grand Mena Khaldia hotel situated on Khazan street, Riyadh. This hotel is situated close to Al Musmak Fortress, National Museum of Saudi Arabia, and King Abdul Aziz Library.
The foyer of the hotel was spacious, warm and luxurious. The staff at the entrance were welcoming and friendly. We made our way to the first floor up a flight of granite steps that I thought were scary as they were shining,smooth and possibly slippery.Take note that I had on my trade mark high heeled shoes and was not in the mood to make a complete fool out of myself by taking a tumble down the stair case. Nonetheless it was a smooth ascent towards the restaurant where the buffet was being served.
The only small hiccup we had was that despite reservations being made telephonically two days in advance it was not registered on the guest list and hence after speaking to the manager and discussing the situation it was all sorted out in an amicable manner.The general manager of the hotel Mr. Mazen Mirie was quite a friendly bubbly personality who welcomed us and showed us the way to our dinner table. The restaurant was elegantly decorated in shades of red, blue and brown with long carefully crafted glass crystals hanging from the ceiling. There was a very relaxed atmosphere in the hotel. There was no strict segregation of the sexes and everyone enjoyed the buffet and interacted in a harmonious manner.The buffet tables were laid out to perfection. Starters included cheese and vegetarian samboosas as well as freshly fried spring rolls. The main course undoubtedly satisfied the taste buds of all present. Some of the dishes prepared were Chinese fried rice, Kebaab, Penne Arabiatta, Mash potato casserole, baked fish topped with a tantalizing white sauce and the highlight for me was freshly baked pizza served from the oven on to the table.
Saudi's are generally noted for their delicious desserts which included cream kanafa, baklava, fruit salad and cream and of course my favourite was a pancake that was stuffed with fresh cream and pistachio.
The chefs were delighted when we complimented them on the lovely food and even accepted being photographed. The price for the ramadhaan buffet fatoor package is SR120 per person which I thought was well worth it for the quality and standard of the food served. The customer service was just fantastic and at the end of the day that is simply all that a consumer looks forward to and wants.
01 268-2222
You can also visit the following two websites for more information.
www.mena-hotels.com
www.mena-grandkhaldia.com
Take note that reservation is a must on most days especially during the holy month of Ramadhaan.
So after indulging in a sumptuous meal which certainly made me put on the pounds, we headed off for the night prayers(taraweeh salaah) before making our way to the Soukh. Mr. F decides to drop me off at the Soukh and then make his way to meeting his friends for an evening of Sheesha. Like a typical male he just can not tolerate the whole shopping aspect of browsing from one shop to the other as most women do. For him the idea of shopping is going into the nearest shop you see, grab the item and then leave. So after I spent two hours at the Soukh doing some of my shopping as well I finally hopped onto the hospital shopping bus and made my way back home. What a fun filled eventful night it was. Need to do this more often!!!!
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