You cannot talk about Damascus without mentioning its great food, which is hearty, flavorful and colorful.

It is the use of fresh ingredients and seasoning that makes its cuisine unique.

Recently opening its doors for Jeddawi foodies is Naranj, a franchised restaurant all the way from Damascus.

The interiors of the place are typical Syrian in style — striped marble in grey, beige and gold, with windows and doors made of dark wood. As soon as you walk in, you can hear the calm music and the melodious voice of famous Lebanese singer Fairouz. The restaurant is very spacious and it can seat up to 500 diners at once in its different seating areas and the private dining section. The high-end restaurant has luxury seating comprising red velvet chairs around square tables covered in all white and topped with white plates and linen napkins. One of my favorite aspects of the decor is the wooden vanity inlaid with mother of pearl, which is a signature design of Syrian furniture. In the center of the restaurant is a small fountain, which is also a very Syrian decor feature.

The restaurant offers an outdoor dining area, which is just perfect for this time of the year when the weather is pleasant. Shisha is served in the outdoor dining area only.

The first page of the menu has an interesting introduction to the place and its cuisine: “How can you describe something you’re very familiar with? Trying to describe Damascus is like…. Describing your own voice, something you’ve heard of all the past years without thinking much about. The character of Damascus is woven through thousands of years of civilization.. It shines through the goodness of the people.. Their dignity and generosity.. Through the genuine smile of a hopeful Damascene in spite of a cynical looking future… Through the innocence and compassion that still intensely describes people there.. The tastiest food your pallets have experienced. Through the overwhelming scent of jasmine engulfing streets on summer nights…”

The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. From the breakfast menu, try the Mamounieh Maa Jibneh, which is an authentic Aleppo dish made with cooked semolina, ghee and cheese. There are two kinds of fouls, which I highly recommend, one is cooked with yogurt and the other is cooked in virgin olive oil and topped with diced tomato and parsley. Another great option is the rounded Manakeesh with thyme or seasoned cheese freshly made in their brick oven. My all-time favorite Syrian dish is Makdoos, which is aubergine stuffed with walnuts and packed in olive oil; it’s salty and full of flavor. I highly recommend you to try their falafel, an internationally celebrated Arabian dish, which is cooked to perfection and served with a dipping of tahini sauce.

You should definitely try Fatteh Bi Zeit comprising warm chickpeas with seasoned yogurt and diced bread. It’s a great choice as it is full of flavor and makes for a hearty meal. Another interesting choice, eggs in fakhar comprise eggs seasoned and cooked beautifully in authentic Syrian pottery.

At Naranj, the diners are not served with a breadbasket. Fresh bread from the oven is served by a waiter who will pass by your table every few minutes for refills. The restaurant also offers homemade kashta cream and Asal (honey), Dibs (black honey) and Tahini. Homemade jams, Arabic butter, olive, labneh, cheese platter and my favorite, chankleesh, which is fermented cheese rolled in zaatar, are some of its exclusive specialties.

For lunch and dinner, the menu is not only mouth-watering but also stomach growling. Naranj offers original recipes from Damascus for its soups, salads, appetizers, main dishes, baked goods, desserts and drinks.

For salads, you can never go wrong with the traditional Tabouleh — minced parsley, tomato, burghul seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil — or Fatoush — mixed fresh vegetables topped with sumac dressing with lemon juice and olive oil.

I highly recommend the artichoke and goat labneh salad consisting of mixed greens, artichokes, pine nuts and goat labneh topped with lemon and sumac dressing. I also recommend the oriental salad consisting of mixed herbs, shredded romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, cucumber in lemon and olive oil dressing.

Naranj’s cold appetizers such as hummus and moutabal are excellent.

I highly recommend Bazinjan Moufasakh, which is fried eggplant served with a dressing of pomegranate molasses. Mousabahet Naranj is also a great choice and consists of mashed white beans, goat labneh and black olives. Also try Kibbeh Nayyeh, which is raw kibbeh dough mixed with spicy red pepper served with olive oil.

I chose Chicken Mousakhan out of a variety of options for hot appetizers. It is chicken seasoned with sumac and rolled in Arabic bread. My personal favorite is Fatet Makdous, which is a stuffed aubergine stew served with seasoned yogurt and diced Arabic croutons.

I also loved the cheese fatayer made with special seasoned cheese as well as the Lahma Be Seneah with bandora, which is minced lamb with tomato cooked in the oven.

For drinks, I suggest you choose from the special menu offering great choices such as Laban Eran, Tamer Hindi, Tot Shami and fresh pomegranate, Jallab and Ward.

As soon as you are done with the main course, you are offered a silver plate of seasonal fruits and another topped with authentic Syrian mini desserts. You cannot miss their Turkish coffee when tasting the desserts, together they make an amazing combo.

Opening hours: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Expect to pay: SR 150-200 per person

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