Doctors and health experts strongly advise a healthy breakfast because it is like the fuel needed by the body’s engine to work and face the day. Breakfast time should be the most relaxed time and the best meal of the day.
The basic, everyday breakfast in most hotels in the city is continental or oriental and American breakfast with milk, tea, coffee, cornflakes, eggs and bread.
However, to get the best taste of Arabic food, particularly Saudi breakfast, one needs to visit the Habsburg restaurant Rosewood Corniche which serves Saudi-style breakfast which is both nourishing and characteristic of Arab cuisine.
Maurizio, the executive Chef at Rosewood explained that they are inviting guests to have breakfast with a touch of Arabia; to start with very simple but important dishes of breakfast including foul, balila, flatbreads prepared in a saj oven and served with Zater, white goat cheese and labneh, grape leaves, falafel, fresh honeycomb, homemade dates jam, eggs (boiled, fried, poached, etc.), pancakes, waffles, pastries and fresh fruits, green and black olives, a thick cream cheese made by draining yoghurt through cheese cloth and then drizzled with olive oil, to eat with pieces of bread from hot loaves between sips of Turkish coffee or sweet tea in an Arabic atmosphere with music in the background.
The flatbreads with Zater which is a mixture of thyme, salt, sumac and sesame seeds and eggs was especially prepared in front of the guests by Saudi Chef Adel Ateeq and Lebanese Chef Hassan Ahmed Fakeeh on request which enhanced the whole experience of an Arabic breakfast.
Arabic breakfast is different in many ways from the European or continental cuisines as it includes a number of healthy dishes such as plain bread with labneh and Zater, foul mudumas, homemade jams, Hummus, dahl, halawa (traditional soft Saudi sweet), falafel, scrambled eggs or Shashukah – which is a Saudi variation of scrambled eggs with traditional yellow tea with mint or Turkish Coffee or Ahwe Sada or traditional Arabic coffee.
Hummus is equally popular for breakfast as it is an excellent appetizer and full of nutrition being made of olive oil and chopped chickpeas with salt, lemon and Tahini.
Foul is also a very popular breakfast food among both Arabs and expatriates who love to eat it with labneh, foul and bread with Zater. The unique combination of Arab and continental breakfast at Habsburg restaurant Rosewood Corniche made for a memorable morning by the sea.
I tasted the homemade date jam with bread and Chef Adel made fresh saj bread with a Zater topping. I also enjoyed scrambled eggs and fresh labneh with a glass of orange juice.
The chef told Arab News about the special Arabic long-leafed aromatic tea served in a special tea bag with the breakfast. The presentation of the food was of superior quality and the beautiful morning view of the sea from the restaurant’s window gave the appetite a sharp edge.
Sherif El Mansoury, director of sales and marketing of Rosewood Corniche told Arab news that they started the daily Arabic breakfast cuisine to give more variety to the customers and that it will be available all the year round.
He also explained that the Rosewood hotel is always trying to give something better to its clientele. Last year they introduced two different themes in sea food. “People love to come here on weekends and international customers who are staying in the hotel can also have a taste of Saudi Arabia,” he said.
In Jeddah it is the custom for people to queue up to buy breakfast at the several restaurants in the city so Rosewood also wants to give its customers the full experience of the Arabic breakfast on their premises.
Saud Iqbal, assistant marketing manager told Arab News that Rosewood Corniche had two more restaurants dealing in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. The Chinese restaurant named Noodles and Ginza, the Japanese restaurant is open for business everyday. “We are trying to bring more variety to our customers and guests by providing them with a taste of different countries,” he said.
Rosewood is open for breakfast from 6-9:30 a.m. every morning on all days of the week.
Saudi Arabian breakfast — a unique experience
Saudi Arabian breakfast — a unique experience
Where We Are Going Today: Thaiya in Riyadh
RIYADH: Located on Riyadh’s Tahlia Street, Thaiya is one of the city’s newer Thai restaurants. With five-star reviews circulating on social media, we stopped by to see whether it lives up to the hype.
The menu is concise, focusing on Thai staples including tom yum soup, curries, pad Thai and mango sticky pudding.
For those starting with soup, the classic seafood tom yum is the better choice over the creamy version, which leaned too heavily on coconut cream and dulled the soup’s signature tang.
Among the starters, the shrimp dumplings stood out. Light, well-seasoned and neatly portioned, they worked well as a shared opening dish before the mains.
The mango avocado salad, however, was less successful. Heavy on raw onions and lacking textural contrast, it proved difficult to recommend.
For mains, the chicken satay was fairly standard and nothing to write home about. The fried rice emerged as a highlight, while the shrimp pad Thai was generously portioned and well-suited for sharing, with a noticeable amount of shrimp.
Presentation was polished and portions moderate. Overall, the food was solid but less flavorful than other established Thai restaurants in the city, particularly when compared to favorites such as Thai Soi and Phet-Phet.
Service was a strong point with staffers knowledgeable and attentive throughout the meal.
The atmosphere was warm and cozy, featuring dim lighting and quiet background music that made for a pleasant dining experience.
In terms of value, the prices are reasonable when compared to other Thai establishments in the area. But when the time comes to settle the tab, hold back on reaching for your wallet.
What truly sets this restaurant apart is a unique game of chance. One person per table can participate, with outcomes ranging from a complementary bill for double sixes to smaller perks such as free dessert or discounts on a future visit.
So, is Thaiya the best Thai restaurant in Riyadh? It shows promise, but greater consistency and bolder flavors would be needed to claim that title.
