Breakfast of Champions: The Best Waffles in Sharqiya!

Who knew we had so many waffle spots?

PASTEL

Crunch – 2/5
Taste – 5/5
Looks – 4/5
Portion – 5/5
Toppings – 5/5

The moment I sunk my fork into the waffle I immediately cringed: it was crazy soggy. But, man was I pleasantly surprised when I pushed through to my first bite. Hands down the best waffles I’ve had in town! The reason it’s not crunchy is because it’s drenched in heavenly syrup, but the corners still keep their crunch.

Location: Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Rd., Khobar
Instagram: pastel_sa
Tel.: +966-13-8694524 / +966-13-8994004

G GLACE

Gglace_DharanMall_2016_AA-1Crunch – 5/5
Taste – 5/5
Looks – 4/5
Portion – 3/5
Toppings – 5/5

Served with strawberries, their crazy-good ice cream AND drizzled with Nutella, G Glace’s waffles dare you to say anything bad about them. They had a very unique wafer-like flavor and the crunch was great. Only thing that made me confused was that I was served three quarters of a waffle. Don’t get me wrong, it looked gorgeous, but where’s that fourth quarter?

Location: Dhahran Mall (Gate 13), Dhahran
Instagram: gglace.arabia

WAFFLE WAY

WaffleWay_Khobar_2016_AA-1Crunch – 3/5
Taste – 5/5
Looks – 2/5
Portion – 3/5
Toppings – 2/5

This came as a huge surprise to me, but Waffle Way’s waffles are actually pretty good. The waffle itself was perfect, but the chocolate drizzled on top was not exactly high quality. Still, it didn’t stop me from enjoying them. Good job, Waffle Way!

Location: Amwaj Mall, Khobar
Instagram: waffleway
Mob: +966-594574444

BLÉ CAFÉ

BleCafe_Khobar_2016_AA-1Crunch – 3/5
Taste – 3/5
Looks – 4/5
Portion – 5/5
Toppings – 5/5

It was served exactly like the picture on the menu, so five cool points for that! The ice cream on top was very delicious, and if you like fruits on your waffle this will make you happy. The waffle itself was decent, but nothing special.

Location: Prince Musad St., Khobar
Instagram: ble_cafe
Mob: +966-536936969
Tel: +966-13-8813838

PETIT FRANCE

PetitFrance_Khobar_2016_AA-3Crunch – 4/5
Taste – 2/5
Looks – 3/5
Portion – 4/5
Toppings – 3/5

Presentation was nothing special, it tasted slightly eggy, but the crunch was on point. It’s served sprinkled with powdered sugar and maple syrup on the side. Overwhelmingly underwhelming.

Location: Al Turki Business Park, King Saud Rd., Dhahran
Instagram: pattisfrance
Web: pattis-france.com

CIRCLE CAFE

CircleCafe_Khobar_2016_AA-6Crunch – 4/5
Taste – 0/5
Looks – 5/5
Portion – 5/5
Toppings – 1/5

It was love at first sight, until I bit into it. I think the sound of my heart breaking was audible to those sitting around me. Way too crunchy that it felt almost hard, tasted like too many eggs were used in the batter and to top it all off (or actually not), definitely not enough syrup served.

Location: Fouad Center, Prince Turki St., Khobar
Instagram: circlecafe
Tel: +966-13-8977711
Mob: +966-539477711

Have Krispy Kreme donuts laying around but craving waffles? Waffle them! Not your average waffles, but they still taste pretty good and are a nice twist on a staple. The crunch is out of this world!

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Keep Them Busy!

Long summer vacation and bored children? We’ve got you covered.

Hiazoom

At Hiazoom, boys and girls ages 6-12 get to play sports (from swimming to Karate), learn Qur’an, try science experiments and improve their English for three weeks straight. You’re welcome, parents.

Location: Al Rakah, Khobar
Instagram: hiazoom
Mob: +966-550888296

Asas Training Center

Girls in their preteen and teen years don’t exactly have it easy. They can’t enjoy kids programs and adult programs are too boring. Asas Training Center provides very cool classes for girls this age, with coach Badriyah Al Awadhi who has been working in education and management for many years. She focuses on the skills of effective leaders by teaching about time management, communication and personal planning.

Location: 7941 Prince Nayef Bin Abdulaziz Rd., Dammam
Instagram: asasladies
Mob: +966-539228826

Kid Scientists

Kid Scientists have two programs this summer. The first focuses on robotics, channeling creativity towards learning about electricity and mechanics. The second features a Japanese program (AC MAS) to help boost childrens’ accuracy and speed with solving math problems, writing and listening.

Location: Al Rashid Mall, Khobar
Instagram: kids_scientists
Mob: +966-503318800

Nawwirny Summer Camp

If you’re a big family, you deserve better than to spend the summer in your car driving each one of them to and from different summer camps. Thank God for Nawwirny Summer Camp, targeted to boys ages 6-8 and girls ages 6-13. Dedicated college students educate children in a variety of activities, ranging from science, cooking and Qur’an to arts, reading, community service and so much more.

Location: 2nd Kindergarten, Shuja Ibn Wahab St., Doha, Dhahran
Instagram: ghaithv_
Mob: +966-594692299

Sumou Ommar Society

Sumou’s Ommar Society mixes fun with learning to encourage young boys to be creative while still analytical in their thinking. They’ll learn to work well in teams, communicate thoughts clearly and welcome challenges with open arms.

Location: Sumou Tower, Khobar
Instagram: ommar_society

Kanyama

Holding small gatherings for children, Kanyama teaches all the great values of our culture in fun and cute ways. Directed at children ages 4-12, these gatherings are guaranteed to be a memory your little ones will cherish forever.

Location: Khobar
Instagram: kanyama_prg
Email: kanyamapeg@gmail.com

Atqeen

Atqeen’s programs target boys 10-15 years old and train them to tone their skills and creative thinking. Taught by passionate people armed with STEM methods and a love for knowledge, the programs are guaranteed to be packed with fun and learning.

Location: Khobar and Dammam
Instagram: Atqeen
Mob: +966-546777698

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Good old fashioned list of our top 10 milkshakes in town.

  1. Burger Fuel – Vanilla ShakeBurgerFuel_Khobar_2016_AA-17

No twists, no funny business, just a good ol’ vanilla milkshake. And they’re very generous with the amount too, so maybe skip the burger and just come for the shake! PS: If you’re a UoD student, show your student ID and get 10 percent off.

Locations:

  • Fouad Center, Khobar
  • Tamimi Doha Branch, Dhahran
  • Amwaj Mall, Dhahran
  • Al Shatea Mall, Dammam
  • Ain Al Najm, Al Hofuf

Web: sa.burgerfuel.com

  1. Dairy Queen – Vanilla ShakeDairyQueen_Khobar_2016_AA-19

A close second is Dairy Queen; it’s almost a tie really. Great taste for a great price, saving you a few Riyals compared to the others on this list so you can spend them on something to complement the shake with.

Locations:

  • Tamimi, Al Ahsa, Jubail, Dhahran
  • Othaim Mall, Al Ahsa, Dammam
  • Al Rashid Mall, Khobar
  • Mall of Dhahran, Dhahran

  1. Hardee’s – Vanilla ShakeHardees_2016_AA-27

A teeny tiny bit light, but still thick enough to be ranked third. And the best part is, no matter where you are there’s probably a Hardee’s nearby, so you can always satisfy your cravings without searching too far.

Tel: 920001213
Instagram: hardeesarabia

  1. Jonny Rockets – Vanilla ShakeJonnyRockets_Khobar_2016_AA-2

I’m probably making some enemies ranking it number four, but it has a hint of honey that, while it tastes great, takes away from the classic taste that you’re looking for in your vanilla shake.

Location: Al Rashid Mall, Khobar
Tel: +966-13-8965500

 5/6. Shakes – Oreo Shake / Brownies ShakeShakes_Khobar_2016_AA-11

As a huge fan of anything Oreo, I’ve never been satisfied with any Oreo milkshakes I’ve tried until I had Shakes’ version. It’s everything you’ve ever dreamed of and the thickness is on point. Craving something less Oreo-ish? Definitely try their Brownie Shakes.

Locations:

  • Pepsi Road, Khobar
  • Tamimi Doha Branch, Dhahran
  • Al Jamiyin, Dammam
  • Al Aziziyah, Dammam
  • Al Rashid Mall, Khobar

Instagram: shakes_ksa

7/8. Häagen-Dazs – Lotus Milkshake / Salted Caramel MilkshakeHaagen-Dazs_Khobar_2016_AA-8

Häagen-Dazs makes a KILLER Lotus milkshake. These guys don’t mess around! They also make a great salted caramel shake. It’s hard to get this particular flavor right but Häagen-Dazs really nails it.

Locations:

  • Gosaibi Village, Khobar
  • Al Rashid Mall, Khobar

  1. Marble Slab Creamery – Red Velvet Premium MilkshakeMarbleSlab_Khobar_2016_AA-14

For the brave souls that are not ashamed of still loving red velvet, I applaud you. Marble Slab does too, in their own way. The make a red velvet milkshake, and while you may be skeptical, just trust me on this one. I don’t even know what about it is so great; it just is. All you can identify is a hint of chocolate mixed with whatever dreams are made of.

Location: Amwaj Mall, Dhahran

  1. Cold Stone Creamery – Cake N’ ShakeColdStone_Khobar_2016_AA-5

Last but not least, Cold Stone’s Cake N’ Shake. It’s like a drinkable cake, complete with frosting and everything. Might be the lightest milkshake on the list, but the familiar taste of homemade cake more than covers up for that.

Location: Al Rashid Mall, Khobar

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The Sweet Taste of Ramadan

May your sweet tooth forgive us for this list of desserts.

I am sharing with you a list of my favorite spots to get Ramadan sweets when I don’t have the energy to make them myself.

Luqaimat

You say predictable, I say classic! On the off-chance you don’t know what these are: they’re golden edible clouds, drenched in sunshine (or fried balls of dough with honey or dates syrup, if you want to get technical.)

A lot of places sell Luqaimat, but Bint Elqadi are the pros, they make them fresh and you get to choose a variety toppings, they also deliver.

Bint Alqadi

Locations: Ibn Battuta St., Dhahran / Alumna ibn Harithah St., Khobar
Tel: +966-13-8612600 (Dhahran) / +966-13-8900688 (Khobar)
Web: bint-alqadi.com
Instagram: bintalqadi
Twitter: bint_alqadi

Balah El Sham

Luqaimat’s more sophisticated sister, Balah El Sham looks fancier, is slightly crunchier on the outside and the inside has a denser texture. Apparently, some evil geniuses have been making a version filled with Nutella, cheese, or crème fraiche! Personally, I get my fix from Nakhat Balah. They also serve plain ones if you prefer to stick to classics.

Nakhat Balah (also Nkht Blh)

Location: Opposite Herfy, Omar ibn Al Khattab St., Al Faisaliah, Dammam
Mob: +966-532756665
Instagram: nkht_balh
Twitter: ahmed_sa13

Ma’moul

So many factors dictate the perfect batch of Ma’moul, from the flakiness of the cookie and its size and shape to the softness of the center. And don’t even get me started on the dates-to-cookie ratio! Maameer’s ma’moul are superb. They come coated in powdered sugar and stuffed with dates, or even pistachios or pecans. Maameer Bakeries & Sweets

Locations: 4th St., Khobar / Al Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib St., Dammam
Tel: 920008100 / +966-13-8944700 (Khobar) / +966-13-8267520 (Dammam)

Date Cheesecake

As great as traditional sweets are, it doesn’t hurt to change things up a bit and nothing does that better than a date cheesecake.

My favorite is Café Liwan’s, the dates taste just right, not overwhelming nor barely there and the texture of the cheese layer is neither too thick nor too light.

Café Liwan

Locations: Prince Faisal bin Fahd Rd., Khobar / Prince Turki St., Khobar / Mall of Dhahran, Dhahran / Othaim Mall, Dammam
Instragram: @Cafeliwan_sa

Bastah

Countless cultures celebrate Ramadan, so why limit yourself, especially in an environment as diverse as Sharqiya? Bastah is a great Ramadan dessert from Sudan and it’s similar to baklava, a filo pastry usually stuffed with toasted and slightly salted crushed peanuts and – of course – drenched in sugar syrup.

Sudanese Qaser Al Dammam Restaurant

Location: 15th St., Dammam
Tel: +966-13-8281011

Sheer Kurma

Sheer Kurma is a rich vermicelli pudding that’s usually served warm with raisins, nuts and dried fruits, it can also be served chilled especially since the weather this Ramadan won’t be too kind. Thankfully it can be found in Lulu Market, which has three branches around Sharqiya.

Lulu Market

Locations: King Faisal West Rd., Jubail / Prince Turki St. & 30th St., Khobar / Prince Mohammed bin Fahd St., Dammam
Tel: +966-13-3449898 (Jubail) / +966-13-8947575 (Khobar)

Rasmalai

A South Asian sweet that’s very popular is Rasmalai. It’s made of cottage cheese balls cooked in sugar syrup and condensed milk and then served chilled. Save yourself the trouble of making them and get them from Shereen Mahal.

Shereen Mahal

Location: 18th St. & Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz St., Khobar
Tel: +966-13-8962957
Mob: +966-501244101

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