There are times when one just simply isn’t in the mood for fast food, heavy meals or waiting to be seated at a restaurant especially during lunch hours or dinners. There is an abundance of restaurants in Jeddah that serve meals on the go but change is always good, it’s a chance to go ahead and taste something new. There’s a new deli in town, opened four months ago, it’s a small yet quaint place located on Arafat Street in the heart of Jeddah called “Breaking Bread.”

The plan came about by chance as a location opened up and the owners went ahead with the shared dream of opening a business that they are passionate about, bringing in new taste to the culinary scene in Jeddah. Tariq Attas, Basil Abu-Khadra, Salman Attieh and Ahmad Jawa are four best friends who share many things but one thing specifically, sandwiches, simply put. The four best friends have always wanted to have a business venture they can create together and make into a successful business. When the opportunity came around, they all gathered and agreed on the new concept restaurant, Breaking Bread is a deli serving sandwiches with the finest meat cuts and cheeses to anyone who’s looking for a different taste in the busy city life. Each of the young men have different educational backgrounds and jobs, but possess the right skills to get the deli up and running.

The deli is a quaint place that serves in-house baked baguettes and olive ciabbata breads with an abundance of options to choose from to create their sandwiches. All four men have sandwiches created to their preferences and the ingredients served are the freshest and the finest found in Jeddah. The ingredients chosen by the four are the best of the best, the burrata is flown in weekly from Italy, the vegetables and fruits are all chosen daily from local markets to promote and encourage local farmers, their sauces are prepared daily using fresh ingredients, cheeses are imported from different international locations and their keen interest in organic ingredients creates the unique tasting sandwiches.

At a first glance, one might not recognize the small deli, but once inside, the deli is very accommodating and has a home-like feel to it. The décor is simple yet flattering to the theme of the place, visitors are welcomed with smiles from the staff who are fully knowledgeable of the sandwiches and can provide customers with details of each sandwich made right in front of them. Their menu is rich with over 10 different sandwiches, each significant on its own. The four founders even have sandwiches named after each one. The Black Beauty’s Bresaola, named after Tariq Attas, Suli’s roast beef, salami and pepperoni with sundried tomato is named after Salman Attieh, Jimmy’s hotdog after Ahmad Jawa and basilico’s smoked turkey with basil pesto and tomato is named after Basil Abu-Khadra, each one with a very different yet great taste to it.

Along with the sandwiches, salads are also available freshly made upon order. There’s the burrata salad with fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil imported from Palestine and Jordan and balsamic vinegar, the bresaola with ruccola, parmesan, lemon juice, balsamic glaze and olive oil and many more choices to choose from.

The process of creating the deli took a whole year, lots of ideas came and went. Each sandwich is full of different flavors that might not seem to fit but surprisingly complement each other in the finest form, there isn’t a taste overpowering another. I was served with five different sandwiches and I must say, each one tasted amazing! The mozzarella with basil pesto was light and had just the right amount of balsamic glaze in it to not empower the light mozzarella slice. Suli’s roast beef, salami and pepperoni with sundried tomato wasn’t bulky at all, it was the right amount of each slice of meat and the sundried tomato paste along with the cornichon and chopped mozzarella made the mix just right and very tasty. Next came the black beauty’s breaola with just the right amount of bresaola and balsamic glaze to be very fulfilling, one of the most popular sandwiches at the time. The baked turkey with honey mustard had a kick of parmesan cheese that went surprisingly good with the honey mustard sauce that they make in-house, I love a good turkey sandwich when it comes along. Lastly, the tuna sandwich was light and not heavy on the mayo with a slight hint of lemon juice and olive oil in the mix.

The founders are very keen on details, they also provide weekly specials that are tested before hand to provide customers the satisfactory taste the deli strives for. The sauces are all secret recipes they concoct themselves using ingredients they wouldn’t expose no matter how many times I hinted, I mean complimented. All four young men are hands on in every step of creating their sandwiches, even though they all have separate jobs and different backgrounds. Their commitment and care for the deli shows in the way each sandwich is prepared and presented. They even grow their own basil in hanging pots that can be seen on the front wall of the deli. Taste is important and each member does their own part in keeping the deli up and running from top to bottom and from the start of the day until closing time.

The deli also provides freshly made juices according to the ingredient of the day, orange, apple, kiwi, grape fruit are examples. A detox juice is also something they provide for the healthy option. Customers can also buy bread from the bakery, as well as meats and cheeses that are imported from Italy, which are on display. Along with the set menu, customers also have the choice to create their own sandwiches from the long list of choices. One thing that also makes the deli such a nice place to visit is their part in helping out home businesses, they coordinate with a number of home businesses that display their products at the deli. They all agree on reaching out to their community and helping to give back in the best way they can. A great initiative from four young Saudis,

Breaking Bread is a deli fit for anyone looking for easy, fast, healthy and tasty sandwiches for takeout or delivery. Their opening hours are Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Fridays are closed. Customers can contact them at 012-667-1110 and check out their Instagram account at “Breakingbreadksa” for pictures and updates.

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