Where We Are Going Today: KitKat Arabic coffee

Photo/Supplied
Photo/Supplied
Short Url
Updated 25 December 2022

Where We Are Going Today: KitKat Arabic coffee

Photo/Supplied
  • The Kingdom designated 2022 as the “Year of Saudi Coffee,” but I guess Nestle did not get the memo. The KitKat Arabic coffee has been a staple in my travel bag over the past two years

During the great lockdown of 2020, I discovered a tiny little indulgence that helped me have my coffee, or gahwa — and eat it, too.

The KitKat Arabic coffee was on my grocery list each time I rushed to the market. During those frenzied and dazed days, I would break off a piece and eat it. All would be good in the world, if only for a moment.

The familiar crispy wafer, smothered in smooth, silky milk chocolate, now tastes even better. Infused with cardamom-flavoring, it is the perfect blend of sweet and Saudi.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest consumers of coffee and achieving self-sufficiency in its production is a goal of Vision 2030.

The Kingdom designated 2022 as the “Year of Saudi Coffee,” but I guess Nestle did not get the memo. The KitKat Arabic coffee has been a staple in my travel bag over the past two years.

On a recent trip outside of the Kingdom, I took a box of them with me and handed them out to my Arab friends after hanging out with them. They said it tasted like their childhood wrapped in a blanket of home.

Everyone was ecstatic to bite into the product and all immediately logged onto their online shopping sites to see if they could order them.

As far as I can tell, the bars are only sold in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Jordan.

KitKat has more than 300 limited-edition seasonal and regional flavors. Produced globally by Nestle, it is one of the most recognizable and loved chocolate bars in the world. With several “fingers,” you can share it — or eat it alone.

This confectionery was first introduced to the market in 1935, making it 87 years old. Its popular tagline, “Have a break, have a KitKat,” is recognized everywhere you go.

While the standard four or two-piece bars are still the biggest sellers, some funky flavors have been introduced down the decades, including cookies and cream, wasabi, and cheesecake. There’s even a cough syrup KitKat — and a roasted tea one.

The Arabic coffee version, like the roasted tea KitKat, does not take time to brew — you just unwrap it to give yourself the perfect break.

The product is available in the chocolate aisle at most supermarkets in Saudi Arabia.

 

 


Where We Are Going Today: Asmak Wadi El Nile - Egypt’s seafood spots in Riyadh

Photo/Supplied
Photo/Supplied
Updated 09 June 2023

Where We Are Going Today: Asmak Wadi El Nile - Egypt’s seafood spots in Riyadh

Photo/Supplied
  • The restaurant serves grouper and mullet varieties, as well as shrimp, lobster and crab — made according to your preference

RIYADH: Riyadh’s position on a desert plateau in the center of the Kingdom means it is an unlikely location for a top seafood restaurant to set up shop.

However, one of Egypt’s most-well known seafood spots, Asmak Wadi El Nile, has launched its own fish farms and outlet in the Saudi capital, offering delighted customers fresh fare.

The restaurant serves grouper and mullet varieties, as well as shrimp, lobster and crab — made according to your preference.

Asmak Wadi El Nile’s Riyadh location is very spacious, with comfortable tables and appealing decor. The restaurant is designed to resemble a fishing boat, giving customers the impression that they are dining inside a ship.

The outlet also serves a wide variety of beverages to customers, including special mojitos.

The desserts offered by Asmak Wadi El Nile are unique and inventive, with the restaurant creating its own recipe for the Arabic ice cream or drink known as bouza.

A well-trained team of servers and kitchen staff provide customers with a relaxing experience at the Riyadh restaurant.

Asmak Wadi El Nile is the ideal location to spend time together with family in the capital, especially on weekends.

 


Dubai restaurant Ossiano makes it to World’s 51-100 Best Restaurants list

Dubai restaurant Ossiano makes it to World’s 51-100 Best Restaurants list
Updated 09 June 2023

Dubai restaurant Ossiano makes it to World’s 51-100 Best Restaurants list

Dubai restaurant Ossiano makes it to World’s 51-100 Best Restaurants list

DUBAI: In anticipation of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 ceremony, to be held later this month in Valencia, the list unveiled its 51-100 ranking, including the award-winning Ossiano located at Atlantis The Palm in Dubai.

Helmed by chef Gregoire Berger, Ossiano entered the global list for the first time at No. 87, making it a brand new entry for Dubai.

Chef Berger said in a statement: “We are incredibly honored to be included in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 extended list. To be considered as one of the top 100 dining experiences in the world and to be amongst so many amazing professionals is such a fantastic achievement and showcases the team’s relentless hard work. At Ossiano, the entire staff, from the kitchen to the restaurant floor, always strive to serve an extraordinary experience and we look forward to continuing to raise the bar to drive Ossiano forward as a truly unique culinary destination.”

The announcement marks another milestone for Ossiano this year, which was ranked No. 4 and the highest new entry in the 2023 Middle East and Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

The renowned restaurant also retained its star at the Michelin awards ceremony held at Atlantis The Royal last month and was awarded Restaurant of the Year in the second edition of the world-leading restaurant guide Gault&Millau in April.
 


What We Are Eating Today: Wister, the ultimate crispy chicken sandwich

What We Are Eating Today: Wister, the ultimate crispy chicken sandwich
Updated 09 June 2023

What We Are Eating Today: Wister, the ultimate crispy chicken sandwich

What We Are Eating Today: Wister, the ultimate crispy chicken sandwich

When it comes to finding the best fried chicken sandwich in Jeddah, nothing beats Wister.

It’s a big Saudi chain with a big Saudi taste. And the chicken is crispy. It’s tender. It’s juicy. It’s fast food done the right way.

Opt for a burger and choose original, spicy for more zing, or plump for the speciality and watch as your chicken arrives slathered in golden maple sriracha sauce. 

Add a slice of cheese, some crisp salad, a dollop of tangy coleslaw and … perfection.

What more could you want? Well, the spicy French fries with cheese sauce might tempt as a side, or maybe some spicy crinkle fries instead. Extra chicken strips? Jalapenos? Cheese sauce? Maybe not all at once. 

If that’s not enough, Wister has a selection of themed offerings including the crunchy Cheetos and Taki burgers. 

To cool off, grab a slushy with flavors including lemon, watermelon and blueberry, or head to the ice cream station for a swirl of the strawberry and mango. 

A “unicorn” flavor of red and blue berries is available seasonally, and comes recommended.

For the kids (and kidadults) every order comes with a fun sticker with slogans in Arabic and English that can be used to brighten up any surface.

The chain has also teamed up with WarnerBros to offer meals themed on superheroes and villains including Batman, the Joker and Iron Man.

Wister has 11 branches in Jeddah, Makkah and Riyadh. For more information visit: https://www.instagram.com/wister_sa/?hl=en.


Recipes for success: Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna offers advice and a guide to tasty paneer rosette

Recipes for success: Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna offers advice and a guide to tasty paneer rosette
Updated 07 June 2023

Recipes for success: Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna offers advice and a guide to tasty paneer rosette

Recipes for success: Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna offers advice and a guide to tasty paneer rosette
  • The chef currently heads Kinara by Vikas Khanna in Dubai
  • He has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, been a James Beard Award nominee, and written written more than 25 cookbooks

DUBAI: It’s hard enough to attain success ‘just’ as a chef, or author, or poet, or filmmaker. But Vikas Khanna has somehow managed to successfully be all of those things and still find time for philanthropy, effortlessly navigating the realms of creativity and compassion. 

The celebrity Indian chef has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants, been a James Beard Award nominee, written written more than 25 cookbooks, several of which have won awards, has hosted several seasons of “MasterChef India,” “Twist of Taste,” and National Geographic’s “Mega Kitchens.” He has also been a guest on “MasterChef Australia,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Kitchen Nightmares,” and many other shows, and has been featured on the covers of Forbes Life, Good Housekeeping, Men’s Health, GQ and many more. 

He currently heads Kinara by Vikas Khanna in Dubai. Here, he discusses the beauty of bread, why cream is great, and following your heart in the kitchen, and shares a paneer rosette recipe. 

When you started out as a professional, what was the most-common mistake you made when preparing a dish? 

When I first started cooking professionally in South India, I realized that one of the most common mistakes people from my hometown — in the North — make is not roasting spices properly. I struggled with this technique, and also with coconut, which is not commonly used in northern cuisine. It took me years to understand why roasting coconut and spices to that level was necessary for dishes in southern India or Sri Lanka.  

What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?  

It’s important to remember that cooking is a very free form of art — many of the greatest dishes we eat today were actually mistakes. All great chefs understand the power of making mistakes and owning up to them, and constantly working to improve. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. They can lead to new creations. Use recipes as a guideline, but also follow your heart. 

What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?  

I know some people might be surprised, but I think adding cream can really elevate a dish. I appreciate French cuisine for the way it can transform a dish just by adding butter and cream. It brings a whole new dimension of flavor and richness to your palate, almost like a happiness factor.  

When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?  

It’s difficult to say, because I believe that people in the business are generally doing their best and criticizing them too much can be unfair — and even unethical. When I go out to eat, I try not to focus too much on the food. Spending time with the people I’m with is more important. One common mistake I see in restaurants is that they wait for all the dishes to be ready before serving them. I think this is a mistake. I believe that it’s more important to prioritize the enjoyment of food and company over following strict rules. 

When you go out to eat, what’s your favorite cuisine? 

It changes constantly. However, since I primarily live in New York, there is one restaurant that I consider to be one of my biggest comfort places: Veselka, which serves Ukrainian cuisine. I have been going there for more than 23 years and I absolutely love the ambience, the staff, and everything that comes out of the kitchen. The food makes me feel like I’m eating a meal cooked by an elderly grandma, and to create that kind of experience in a restaurant is epic. When I was studying, it was the only place that was open at night when I couldn’t sit in a heated room and use free internet. But even after all these years, I’m still absolutely obsessed with their cooking style. 

What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly? 

Whenever I need some comfort and have the desire to totally cut myself off from people, there’s a dish that I turn to. It’s multigrain khichdi, which is a form of Indian risotto. I find it so forgiving, like being in grandma’s house where you can break everything and still won’t be judged. There’s so much comfort in that. For most Indians, the kitchen is not just a place to cook dishes, it’s an emotion. And with this dish, you can add any grains and vegetables you have on hand, add a pinch of spices, take it to the extreme or keep it mild, it won’t judge you.  

What request/behavior by customers most annoys you? 

When people come to the restaurant right when we’re closing. If you really want to enjoy the restaurant, you should come a little earlier and give the staff some breathing space. This allows them to perform better. 

What’s your favorite dish to cook and why?  

In Punjab, bread is a staple food, and I take pride in my expertise in cooking Indian breads. It’s an art that requires a great deal of technical skill. Most of our breads are unleavened, made with just wholewheat flour and water. The challenge lies in making them moist, fluffy, and well-seasoned. I find it amazing how bread-making can be so intricate. I learned to make breads from my grandmother, who would pack them for me when I left home for college. Her breads would stay moist for days. I would ask her how she did it, and she would simply reply, “It’s just love.” 

What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right?  

In Kinara, we have a dish of lamb chops that we minimally season to allow the meat flavor to shine. We serve it with papaya chutney, which has a sweet and sour taste, and sweet potato puree. The secret to this dish is in the cooking and resting of the meat, which can make or break the dish within a few fractions of seconds. Lamb chops are very delicate, which adds to the difficulty. 

As a head chef, what are you like?  

I don’t like to shout, especially not during service. However, I have a bad habit of not speaking up when I should. Sometimes, after the dinner service, I write a long email with feedback and suggestions. People have asked me to wait until the morning to send it, but I feel that it’s important to address issues as soon as possible. We can’t take our customers for granted. They’re spending their hard-earned money, and we need to give them the best experience possible. And as an ambassador of Indian culture, I feel a responsibility to represent it well.  

 

Chef Vikas’ paneer rosette  

INGREDIENTS: 

For paneer rosette 

150g cottage cheese; 10g ginger and garlic paste; 10g deghi mirch powder; 4g turmeric powder; 10 ml mustard oil; 4g salt 

For red cabbage poriyal sauce 

100g red cabbage; 40g fresh grated coconut; 4g mustard seeds; 20 ml cooking oil; 4 curry leaves; 5g ginger; 1 green chili; 10 ml lime juice; 2g lecithin; 6g salt 

For rhubarb pickle 

60g fresh rhubarb; 10 ml cooking oil; 5g fennel seeds; 4g onion seeds; 5g cumin seeds; 5g salt; 15g sugar; 15 ml white vinegar 

For garnish 

10 ml coriander oil; 5 red-vein sorel leaves ; 5g toasted white and black sesame seeds 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Slice the cottage cheese using a 2mm-thick round cutter. Cut the slices again across the center to make a halfmoon shape. Use the ginger and garlic paste, deghi mirch, turmeric, mustard oil and salt to make a marinade. 

2. Overlap the cottage cheese slices like a trail. Cover in marinade and roll from one end to the other. It should look like a small rose. Keep it in the chiller so that it holds its shape. 

3. For red cabbage poriyal: Slice the cabbage and keep it aside. Fine chop the ginger and green chilies. Add oil to a pan, heat and add the mustard seeds and curry leaf. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add the chopped ginger and green chilies. Then add the cabbage and sauté until it wilts. Add grated coconut and adjust the seasoning. Finally, add lime juice and mix. Place in a mixer and blend until smooth. Strain and keep to one side. 

4. For rhubarb pickle: Cut the rhubarb into lengths of one inch. Heat oil in a pan. Add fennel seeds, onion seeds and cumin seeds. Once they start crackling, add the rhubarb. When the rhubarb starts sweating add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a quick boil. Remove and place in a dry container. Store at room temperature. 

5. For the garnish: Add coriander oil to a pot and blanch red-vein sorrel leaves for 10 seconds then immediately transfer to ice-cold water. Squeeze all the water out and blend with neutral oil. Strain through a muslin cloth drop by drop and do not disturb the mix. 

6. Place the red-vein sorrel leaves in cold water.  

7. Put the paneer in a preheated oven for 12 mins at 180 Celsius. Coat the edges with black and white sesame seeds. Use a hand blender to blend the red cabbage poriyal sauce with lecithin to make it foamy. 

8. In the serving bowl, pour six tablespoons of sauce, and place the paneer rosette in the center. Place the rhubarb pickle to the side and drizzle it with coriander oil. Finally, use the red-vein sorrel leaves as garnish. 

 


Indulge Thyself — where sustainability is always on the menu

Indulge Thyself — where sustainability is always on the menu
Updated 05 June 2023

Indulge Thyself — where sustainability is always on the menu

Indulge Thyself — where sustainability is always on the menu
  • The region’s first zero-waste private fine-dining restaurant is tackling food wastage with ‘sustainable practices and culinary methods’

JEDDAH: Indulge Thyself is a zero-waste private fine-dining restaurant and catering service established to demonstrate that following sustainable practices need not compromise on quality and taste.

The region’s first such operation, Indulge Thyself promotes innovative environmental solutions by using leftovers and organic waste to create natural compost.

According to the General Food Security Authority, about SR40 billion ($10.6 billion) worth of food is wasted every year in the Kingdom, or about a third of the total produced. It is an issue that requires awareness and sustainable solutions to maintain our planet’s health.

Fermentation and pickling are practices that enable chef hamza and her team to reduce food wastage. (Supplied)

Indulge Thyself is based on an ideology that always keeps the bin in mind. It was conceived from a desire to create innovative and quality dishes while demonstrating respect for the environment.

The restaurant was founded by Saudi chef Yasmin Hamza and her sous chef Hawazen Zahran who believe that there is space for sustainability in the fine-dining culinary world. The restaurant is run by Hamza and her team of female chefs.

On the topic of environmental responsibility, Hamza told Arab News that it “must stem from the understanding that we are nature, when we begin as humans to understand that our separation from our environment is merely an illusion, we can then start to initiate action as we are of this earth.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Indulge Thyself offers private fine-dining experiences and catering service.

• The restaurant’s organic waste and leftovers are composted and turned into plant fertilizer, which is then used in growing produce.

Explaining the restaurant’s sustainability ethic and strategy, Hamza added: “We promote an array of sustainable practices and culinary methods ensuring that we have no waste; like sourcing local farm-to-table produce and using a head-to-tail cooking method, fermentation, pickling, as well as using reusable packaging and more.”

At Indulge Thyself, organic waste and leftovers are “composted and turned into plant fertilizer, which is then used in growing our own fruits and vegetables,” she added.

From the filtered tap water to avoid plastic bottles, to the use of upcycled materials for the interior design, Indulge Thyself pays attention to sustainable and eco-friendly choices.

Indulge Thyself pays attention to sustainable and eco-friendly choices. (Supplied)

The dining experience at Indulge Thyself involves a sequence of dishes that take the guest on an international culinary journey — featuring some of the best cuisines while honoring core sustainability values, such as by sourcing 95 percent of the ingredients from local produce.

Hamza commented on the restaurant’s name, saying: “We wanted to show people that you could indeed ‘Indulge Thyself’ in a fine-dining setting whilst incorporating respect to our produce and awareness of our surroundings.

“We can confidently say that we currently offer the best fine-dining food and beverage experiences and catering services in Saudi Arabia.”

Indulge Thyself pays attention to sustainable and eco-friendly choices. (Supplied)

With a professional background as a fashion designer focused on sustainability, Hamza decided to shift focus toward the culinary industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sustainability remained a core value in that transition: “It was only natural that I would entrain my business’ core value in sustainability as it is truly my passion.

“I worked with my cousin in the kitchen for a day and I was hooked. The energy, speed, creativity, and quick feedback fit really well with my personality. I then decided to expand my culinary skills and work with some of the best fine-dining and Michelin-star restaurants worldwide,” Hamza explained.

Indulge Thyself pays attention to sustainable and eco-friendly choices. (Supplied)

She worked at The Samuel in Copenhagen, Silo London, KOL London, and The Sea, The Sea in London.

Indulge Thyself offers private fine-dining experiences for two people, and also 10 to 20 with three experiences, and the option of five to eight courses. The restaurant also has a catering service.

Promoting sustainable practices also takes center stage in Hamza’s collaborations with other projects and companies. She recently participated in a culinary class for children at the Islamic Art Biennale. There was also a catering tie-up with Cartier, and a collaboration during Ramadan with Kia Corporation and the Waste Lab, a woman-owned composting company based in Dubai.

For the Kia “Cycle of Life” initiative, Hamza hosted a farm-to-table iftar at Indulge Thyself to celebrate the region’s environmental advocates.

Speaking on the collaboration, Hamza added: “Serving iftar to sustainability influencers and seeing them enjoy it and give raving feedback was a highlight in our career.

“To top that off, it was all filmed for the anti-food waste campaign and launched all over the Middle East to highlight our efforts in combating food waste … that was a very rewarding feeling for our whole team.”