Where We Are Going Today: Goa - an authentic Indian food restaurant
The dessert menu includes India’s beloved gulab jamun, pistachio cake and masala cheesecake, a fusion option. Goa is also popular for their ice creams, including kulfi and coconut chocolate ice cream
Updated 03 January 2023
Afshan Aziz
Goa is a sleek and classy restaurant serving a terrific range of authentic Indian food.
Located on Prince Naif Road in the Al-Shera’a district, Goa has a cheerful ambiance and soothing environment with both indoor and outdoor seating. From entering to the end of the meal, the eatery’s hospitality will undeniably win hearts.
Goa’s extensive menu offers delectable dishes with sundry herb and spice combinations. Starters include a variety of salads, soups and appetizers but the Caesar salad with mali chicken, crispy pachos and Goa lentil soup is a must-try.
The main course includes famous Indian dishes including butter chicken, chicken 65, dal makhni and meat/chicken curry masala which is best eaten with crunchy garlic, cheese or plain naan.
The restaurant also offers a sharing option called mixed Indian party. Suitable for up to three people, it includes five main-course curries served alongside biryani rice and naan. It also has a tandoori sharing platter that consists of Indian-style barbeque chicken, mutton and seafood.
All the dishes on the menu stand out due to their unique presentation and flavors. From refreshing drinks to savory snacks, the place has it all. The menu also offers kofta roll, chicken tikka roll, shrimp tandoori taco and veggie noodles, which can be eaten as a snack if one is not in the mood for a wholesome meal.
The dessert menu includes India’s beloved gulab jamun, pistachio cake and masala cheesecake, a fusion option. Goa is also popular for their ice creams, including kulfi and coconut chocolate ice cream.
This fine-dining restaurant promises an intriguing culinary experience for its diners who are from several countries abroad.
Where We Are Going Today: Afis Table Greek cuisine in Riyadh
Mouthwatering plates of grilled souvlaki tawouk chicken are served on top of a bed of vegetables along with crispy fries
Updated 02 June 2023
Rahaf Jambi
The fine-dining Greek Hawaiian restaurant is known for its outstanding BBQs, gyros, and souvlaki meals, as well as its crispy cone fries, including beef and chicken gyros, Amsterdam fries, noodles shaker, poke bowls, sushi burritos and souvlaki grills.
It also serves freshly squeezed juices, including beetroot, detox and energizer, and nutritious smoothies.
The Greek fish burger, a fried fish tempura served with cheese and tzatziki sauce, combined with cocktail sauce served with Amsterdam fries, is one of its signature meals.
Mouthwatering plates of grilled souvlaki tawouk chicken are served on top of a bed of vegetables along with crispy fries.
Try the marinated salmon poke if you enjoy spicy salmon poke bowls with seaweed, beetroot or mango.
Prices are reasonable.
The restaurant has two branches in Riyadh, one in Alfaisal University and the other in Al-Sulaimania.
Where We Are Going Today: Meatin Grill’s barbecue house in Riyadh
Updated 01 June 2023
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: A taste of Korea is available to Saudi diners at the Meatin Grill’s barbecue house in Riyadh.
Located on Anas ibn Malik Road in the city’s Al-Yasmin district, the self-cook eatery has become a popular meeting place since its opening two years ago.
Featuring Korean-style BBQ grilled meat, the outlet brings authentic cooking techniques to the table with a wide selection of raw marinated beef, bulgogi beef, spicy chicken, and shrimp.
Side dishes include kimchi, pickled radish, fried eggs, steamed rice, seaweed salad, and dipping sauces.
Designed for comfort, the restaurant’s interior has electric grills attached to dining tables which customers can use to safely cook their favorite dishes. Metal chopsticks and utensils are also provided, and attentive staff ensure food supplies keep coming.
A take-out option is available too, allowing orders to be customized.
The dining experience costs SR150 ($40) per person, with drinks an additional SR8. Open from noon until late, including weekends, more information is available on Instagram at @meatingrills.
Recipes for success: Chef Dennis Koll offers advice, a tasty beef tartare recipe
Updated 31 May 2023
Hams Saleh
DUBAI: Chef Dennis Koll is something of a gastronomic visionary. The German culinary maestro, currently at the helm of Dubai’s fine dining restaurant Reef and Beef, has captivated diners with his finesse, ambition and unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of taste.
Koll’s passion for cooking has been evident since his early years. “It was very much inevitable that I would become a chef. My mom is a chef herself,” he tells Arab News.
He started his career in Germany, working in Michelin-starred restaurants, then moved to Dubai in 2014, working at several properties within the Jumeirah Group. He joined Reef and Beef earlier this year.
His passion for his work is apparent throughout our conversation. “You have to cook with your soul,” he says. “You have to smell it, feel it, taste it throughout the process to understand what is happening. It’s like making a nice painting — there is no recipe for that.”
Here, Koll discusses exploring new flavors and the importance of quality ingredients, and shares his beef tartare recipe.
When you started out as a professional, what was the most-common mistake you made?
I underestimated the precision and sharpness of our tools. I still have the reminders on my hands.
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?
The main thing is to cook from the heart. With that said, you should focus on your ingredients too, because if you don’t start off with amazing quality ingredients, you cannot produce amazing quality food. Ingredients are the key to success. But you have to respect them; you have to cook and prepare them with love. One more thing: Don’t be afraid of failure. If you make 10 dishes and nine of them go wrong, it’s fine. The one that goes right will make up for the mistakes.
What ingredients can instantly improve any dish?
Coriander and lime. I once served a coriander ice cream for a starter. People were a little confused. There were so many red flags about doing this, but when they tried it all the red flags vanished. They were like, ‘Wow, this is genius!’ So, it’s not a magic ingredient, but when you eat it, it feels like magic.
Reef and Beef. (Supplied)
When you go out to eat, what’s your favorite dish?
Over the last three years, I frequently find myself eating (the traditional Gulf dish of meat, rice and spices) mandi. I even tried to cook it once in Germany, but I wasn’t happy with it. If I’d served this to someone in the Middle East, then they would have probably laughed at me. There are certain things that are better left to professionals. The culinary world is so complex, you don't have to be perfect at everything. Focus on what you’re good at.
What’s your favorite dish to cook?
Maultasche (a German meat-filled dumpling). My mom makes it better than anyone else in the world. She made it significantly less frequently than (I would have liked) because it needs a lot of work, so I understand, definitely. But every single time she made it, I’d be excited all day at school about what’s for dinner.
When they think they know everything better than you. I've had a few encounters where they literally talk you through how to do your job. So, you’re like: ‘OK, well, I’ve been doing it for 17 years, why don’t you put on my chef jacket and show me how it’s done.’ You know, I always try to respond with humor.
As a head chef, what are you like? Are you a disciplinarian? Or are you laid-back?
I’m always supportive. I’m always there for you. I’ll never give you a silly answer unless you’re asking me a silly question. However, during service hours, when we have people paying good money to enjoy high-quality food, there’s no room for error. That’s the time where I switch character to a person more focused on details.
CHEF DENNIS’ BEEF TARTARE
(Supplied)
INGREDIENTS:
For the main dish:
100g tenderloin beef; 2g chopped capers; 3g chopped shallots; 3g chopped gherkin; 2g chopped parsley; 2g chopped chives; 3g base mayo; 3g lime juice; 3g tabasco; 3g ketchup; 2g Dijon mustard; pinch of salt and black pepper; 3g truffle shavings; 5g truffle mayo; rice cracker
For the base mayo:
200g egg yolk; 30g Dijon mustard; 10g salt; pinch of white pepper; 100ml corn oil
15g lime juice; 40g rice vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cut the beef into small cubes. Place in a salad bowl, add all the ingredients and mix well with a fork. Put the beef mixture into a ring mold and place in the middle of a plate.
2. Gently press down on the beef, remove the ring and cover the beef with the base mayo, truffle mayo, and rice cracker, then drizzle with olive oil.
For base mayo:
Place the egg yolk in a salad bowl, add mustard and whisk. Slowly add the corn oil and continue to whisk until it becomes thick. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk well.
Teruzushi — with 50 years of history across three generations of sushi chefs — is located in the small-town ward of Tobata in Northern Kyushu’s countryside
Updated 30 May 2023
Malak Al-Zahrani
RIYADH: Famous Japanese sushi restaurant Teruzushi, based in the Northern Kyushu prefecture, has opened its first overseas branch in Riyadh.
Located in the luxury VIA Riyadh precinct, the restaurant held a pre-launch event on May 11.
The restaurant was already the subject of attention after VIA Riyadh released a commercial starring famous Colombian-US model and “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara, who at one point during the clip had a huge knife pointed at her by famous Japanese chef Takayoshi Watanabe, who later serves the actress sushi.
Three Japanese chefs presenting authentic Japanese taste in the Via Riyadh Mercato area with the sushi and wagyu beef. (AN photo: Huda Bashatah)
Arab News Japan spoke to Junpei Moriya, a chef at Teruzushi. He began his career aged 18 close to Tokyo in Gunma prefecture, an area famous for its countryside hot spring resort (Kusatsu Onsen) and which boasts the largest flowing hot water volume in Japan.
Moriya, who will turn 30 this year, later moved to Tokyo to learn how to prepare kaiseki-ryori, a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner that requires fine technique and preparation.
He continued on that path for 10 years but one day sent an Instagram message to Watanabe to ask for an opportunity to work at Teruzushi. He worked for two years under the celebrity chef in Japan before being offered a position at the restaurant’s new outlet in the Kingdom.
“It all started when I helped my mother cook by making a little omelet. I was incredibly happy when I saw my mom’s happy face when I made her that omelet,” Moriya told Arab News Japan.
Teruzushi — with 50 years of history across three generations of sushi chefs — is located in the small-town ward of Tobata in Northern Kyushu’s countryside.
Watanabe chose Saudi Arabia as the ideal location for the restaurant’s first overseas venture because it offered a rare and once in a lifetime opportunity to do business in the Middle East.
The Riyadh outlet is located inside VIA Riyadh’s Via Mercato, a luxury food market concept that offers a variety of artisanal and specialty food products to enjoy at home or in the market itself.
There are three Japanese chefs in the Riyadh branch — Watanabe, nicknamed “Sushi Bae,” Moriya, also known as JP, and Haruhisa Kitagawa, nicknamed BB, who hails from Tokyo prefecture.
Moriya said that the lack of sushi culture in Saudi Arabia offers an opportunity for the Japanese chefs to showcase their work, adding that he looks forward to the day when the raw fish dishes are accepted in the Kingdom.
“The most liked sushi is salmon, and tuna is extremely popular as well. As most Saudis like spicy food, yuzu pepper is popular, too,’’ he said.
“At Teruzushi, the food is divided into four seasons resembling the beautiful four seasons in Japan, and I feel that the seasons are one of the best things about Japan,” he added.
The restaurant changes its menu and ingredients with each passing season. (AN photo: Huda Bashatah)
The restaurant changes its menu and ingredients with each passing season, with the exception of Watanabe’s favorite dish, kue (grouper fish), which is a mainstay of the celebrity chef’s videos on TikTok and Instagram.
“By having more Japanese food spreading, people understand how simple and delicious it tastes. That way Saudi people would want to come sightseeing in Japan,” Moriya said.
Where We Are Going Today: 5 Rivers Indian Restaurant
The restaurant has a special tandoor menu for guests who enjoy BBQ platters. The seekh kebab, murgh tikka trio (chicken tikka), and lehsuni jheenga (garlic jumbo prawn) are definitely not to be missed
Updated 27 May 2023
Afshan Aziz
Indian food is a delightful combination of myriad ingredients and flavors, and fine-dining destination 5 Rivers offers guests a taste of the country’s famous culinary traditions.
The restaurant, perfect for corporate luncheons and private gatherings with family and friends, serves truly authentic flavors of India to the table.
Our meal began with toasted papadums served with yogurt chutney made of coriander, mint, and chilies.
There are many options to choose from, but for starters, we had murgh yakhani and tamatar tulsi shorba — a tomato basil soup that is a must-try. The aloo akharot ki tikki, or potato-walnut patties served with yogurt, mint, and tamarind chutney, and the melt-in-your-mouth crunchy Chicken 65 are equally appetizing.
Guests can enjoy the view of a live open kitchen, where the flames and action at the tandoors — large, urn-shaped ovens — make for an entertaining experience.
The restaurant has a special tandoor menu for guests who enjoy BBQ platters. The seekh kebab, murgh tikka trio (chicken tikka), and lehsuni jheenga (garlic jumbo prawn) are definitely not to be missed.
For the main course, quintessential dishes like butter chicken, the Hyderabadi chicken korma, rara ghosht (lamb mince and cubes onion-tomato gravy), dal makhani, mixed vegetable jalfrezi and palak paneer (cottage cheese cooked with mildly spiced spinach sauce) are worth trying.
The freshly served naans, or Indian bread, also deserve a special mention for being irresistibly soft and fluffy.
End your meal with 5 Rivers’ mojitos, which come in different flavors ranging from strawberry to blueberry, or a warm cup of Indian karak tea.
The staff is welcoming and available to explain the unique aspects of the dishes on the menu.
