Yokari : Affinity between Modern & Traditional Japanese Cuisine

Yokari...in Japanese means 'Affinity' .... this cultural affinity that brings together the historic Japan and modern Japan.. Perhaps that's why Yokari was named as such.
As it is clearly reflected in the meals served,  there is a lot of affinity in the type of cuisine offered.  You can taste the modern western flavors infused together with the Japanese traditional ones. Expect names of plates you have never heard of, but with some familiar ingredients like Mayonnaise, eggplant and tomate! Expect to be enthralled by an experience that will touch all your senses...because you really don't know what to expect.

Ebi Karaage  spicy dried fried shrimp!

FOUR: World's Top Haute Cuisine Magazine

By unifying over 300 of the world’s best chefs, such as Thomas Keller, Heston Blumenthal, Yannick Alléno, Massimo Bottura and René Redzepi, FOUR brings together the brilliant ideas of the greatest minds in haute cuisine.

FOUR - The World’s Best Food Magazine, offers a lifestyle twist that is a must-read for the high net worth individual. 

Maybe not everyone of us can actually eat (whether travel or afford eating) at such haute cuisine restaurants, but reading this magazine will bring a world of inspiration and enthusiasm to us, especially if we are food lovers and avid connoisseurs.

Maya La Chocolaterie

As I said in my previous post yesterday, It is been long time since I blogged. Working in the Food & beverage industry, makes you want to be more delicate while posting about your food adventures.

I always talked about chocolate on my blog. But since moving to Riyadh, and due to the hot and dry weather, it makes you subconsciously avert away from something warm and heat producing!

Yet, visiting Maya chocolaterie, a place solely for having a chocolate experience has proven something else! Chocolate is desirable regardless of the temperature! If it is hot, people will eat chocolate and perhaps even more!!

Maybe the quote from Star Trek actually reflects what goes on people's minds on chocolates :
"I never met a chocolate I didn't like " Deanna Troi -  Star Trek ( The Next Generation)

Elevation Burger

When you enter Elevation Burger, you will read about its particular vision is to be much more than just a burger restaurant. Their aim is to provide an "elevated  burger" that is fresh and flavorful, made of the highest quality and sustainable ingredients. Elevation Ventures are located in Gulf countries (Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait, Dubai, Oman, Manama) and across 12 states in USA since 2003.

Cooked with Delicious and Good Intentions

We, the millennials, the tech savvys and social media addicts, are a nation of aspiring cooks! At least that's what most of us write on our Twitter bios, share on Pinterest boards, and post as Instagram photos, yet-honestly-we barely have time for cooking daily... Nevertheless, most of us rely on social media to choose food, whether through restaurants' reviews, recipe's blogs, or friends' comments about products. But our social media profiles can go beyond just sharing individual food photos, recipes and reviews. Social media has been rising as a crucial aspect in the communication between consumers and the food brands on one hand, and between consumers and health care practitioners on the other... 
How do food companies and food experts deal with social media?Well, that is what I explored and wrote about in Cloud961 issue number 5.

Download full issue here

Pearl's Powder Interviewed in Le Commerce Du Levant

Le Commerce Du Levant magazine*, published its 2013 “Restos, bars, cafes”  special edition for the Food and Beverage Industry in Lebanon in July. ( Read Key Findings Below**)

Cover Page of the Magazine : Juillet 2013

 Luckily, Mr. Thomas Dayer, interviewed me back in April 2013. And I couldn't retrieve a copy of the magazine as I was out of Lebanon. Sweet enough, the media team immediately handed my part of the interview on the same day( yesterday) when I asked for it! :) So...Thank you ALOT! 

I was interviewed among Top Lebanese Food Bloggers such as (No Garlic No Onion, The Burger Tribune, The Permanent Hunger...etc)

Below is my part! .... Now you know a little bit more about me :)

The Bun Theory

Not quite the Burger bun.. though this is another subject and a much bigger hype that has been ongoing here in middlest east and GCC countries in the last 5 years. ( Yeah with all blogs posting the search for the best burger ever!)

But it is the "Roti" Bun! 

If you are living somewhere in Middle East, or any Gulf Country like UAE, Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia, you might have encountered one of these three renowned Roti Bun shops: Paparotti, Mama rotti, and Rotiboy.

You might wonder they are all the same... So who was the first? Who imitated who? And surely.... who is the best?

In my attempt to objectively answer these questions I did a visit to all three on the same date:
To eliminate season effect on eating habits and the seasons' effect on the taste.

I visited Rotiboy  in Sahara Mall at 8 pm accompanied with two people. The mall was surprisingly not populated. The food court had around 10-15 people maximum. It was obviously empty in compared to other days. As for Rotiboy kiosk, the  counter was clear and clean. The stands were loaded with buns. The cashier was able to  answer all my questions about the product, type, flavor, origin, baking and reheating 

technique.

He also told me about the other branches: both existing and soon to be open. He  informed me about the current offer. He looked well trained and prepared. 

Regarding the traffic flow, around 3 people came while I was there during the 40 minutes....but comparing this flow to the current one in the mall, it was good because the neighbor cafes and restaurants barely had even one customer...Even Cinnabon didn't have any customers.

Tasting the bun is another story... Its temperature was perfect, neither hot or cold....just  warm like what your tongue really craves for...The overwhelming smell infused with  coffee is tantalizing and fresh... As if you are in a bakery and coffee store at the same time, perfect combination.....I tried two flavored buns the original and the chocolate filled...
And the most thing I loved about Rotiboy is that It serves my favorite Organic/Free Trade Tea: Tea Gschwender ( If you remember my post this tea? No well go read it !)

I went to Papparotti in Hayat mall during the same night (Monday Feb 4) surprisingly it was crowded; two tables were only empty in the whole cafe. We stood on  the line to take the order. I took a menu…. It had two pages but all it showed was one  flavor and wide range of drinks. I think what was attractive about the shop was: its location.

Its location and setting made it a perfect place for ladies and families to have coffee or a beverage...The traffic was superfluous with 3 people visiting every 15 minutes. Neither the waiter nor the cashier  had time to hear my question as they were in constant rush and motion...So I couldn't approach them quite comfortably. The original flavor is a bit sweeter than Rotiboy but  was similar in texture and aroma...

Paparotti's Bun in Panorama mall

As for Mammaroti branch on Tahliyah, It had a slow traffic in the ladies but medium number of in the singles section (around 6).

The price is the same as in the others. However, the texture of the bun was different, it  was doughier and heavier from inside and it was less fluffy than the other buns I tasted. I was easily able to detect a difference in both quality and taste from the other two bun shops.

	RotiBoy	PappaRoti	MammaRoti
Products and Services	Original and Flavored Filled Bun	Original and Flavored  covered Bun	Original and Flavored  covered Bun
Quality	Fresh smell and taste, fluffy texture	Fresh smell and taste, fluffy texture	Doughy texture, oily, good smell
Price	11 Riyals  per bun, but with special offer ( 2 for 13 Riyals)	11 Riyals per bun, No offer	11 Riyals per bun, No offer
Décor and Furniture	Hip  décor , youthful colors, special furniture	Wooden design , and furniture that fits	Wooden Hip and contemporary design , and furniture that fits
Social Media	Yes ( Facebook 9800 likes, 1371 Twitter)	Yes ( Facebook 171 Likes, Twitter 130 followers)	Not official (Facebook, 4 Likes)
Product Availability	Available and abundant (can be seen)	Available and abundant (can be seen)	Available
Weakness	Location	Lack of diverse flavors	Quality and product diversity
Strength	Product Diversity	Location and quality	location

Rotiboy's Bun

Rotiboy's Bun

Rotiboy's Bun

Rotiboy's 

Rotiboy Serves My favorite tea! Tea Gschwender 

Lebanon's Paparotti: 

I also had the chance to visit Paparotti in Lebanon in June..

It is located on Bliss street, just beside Bliss house.The setting is great as you can see AUB, the main gate clock tower and the passers by! 

The taste is the same as the Riyadh branch. The franchiser owner is different of coarse.

Munch Bakery: A Local Bakery with International Standards

This photo of Munch Bakery is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I heard rumors about Munch Bakery before I went there that It was a great bakery with good tasty cupcakes and fancy designed cakes. I checked the website before I visited to see their products. I was impressed by the logo, the interactive website, and the list of products in a very neat way that makes you want to order cupcakes even if they were "digital".

When I visited the olay/tahila branch at 10 pm during the week, I was impressed by the number of people there. The bakery was full and everyone was ordering something.

Presentation

Among the 15% on Tripadvisor!

I recently got the below email from Tripadvisor on the reviews I have submitted on restaurants, hotels and various attractions. Cant be happier to be among the 15% most read reviewers of all time ! :)

I will def. continuing reviewing places I visit and sharing with you ! Hopefully, be among the 1% as I fulfill my dream in traveling around the world and trying more restaurants! 

Gourmet Popcorn?

Gourmet Popcorn, Packaged and Shipped!

In my recent discoveries throughout the malls here in Riyadh, I found a shop that sells "Gourmet Popcorn".
Called " KukuRuza".
This Seattle family based company, recently opened in  KSA and they ship their well-crafted artisan popcorns to here! Can you imagine that?

The Popcorn flavors of the US version are very exotic, ranging from Hawaiian Salted Caramel and Brown Butter & Sea Salt to Coconut Macaroon. Yet the KSA version is much adapted to the local taste, they have coffee, S'mores, dark chocolate, buffalo spice,cheese, Ranch, caramel, cinnamon...etc

I tasted all those flavors as seen in the photo below...They are good. Surely, some are sweet. But I prefer the original flavor of popcorn. I didnt buy any since I am not a big fan of pop corn.
Would you buy from this gourmet packaged popcorn??? Or would you get them as gifts when you visit other people??

Different Flavors 

Gift Packages

Tea Gschwendner : Ritzy as Its Name!

"Make things happen, explore distant shores, and most of all, drink tea."

With this philosophy,  Albert Gschwendner and his wife Gwendalina turned their dreams of a teashop into a reality in 1978.

And it was this tea shop that I discovered in the middle of a very dull country. Because if there is anything that can bring me joy in Riyadh, is discovering a new cuisine or an exquisite food shop.

Gschwendner was one of them and it is now on my Top list to see and check every time I am in the Kingdom tower doing some shopping.

Gschwendner. Yep, it is German. And I admit that the name is a bit hard to pronounce and actually google later when I wanted to write this post. But this name turned out to be as lavish as the products inside!

The small shop in the kingdom is in the ground floor, and you can see a teapot boiling outside as if greeting you to come inside and explore a new world of Tea leaves. And this is exactly what happened. The teapot was enough to attract me inside and discover this Tea Haven!

Hundreds of Tin drawers with different types of dried  tea leaves from around the world!

And another thing that caught my attention, was a small stand with brochures. There it was the " Book of Tea". I grabbed it. And asked the salesman if I can take it with me. He welcomely acknowledged that and poured some tea for me and my family.

Sunset Sea Dinner at St.Elmo's

St. Elmo's Logo!

"I am the sea. In my depths all treasures dwell. Have they asked the divers about my pearls?" the Egyptian poet Muhammad Hafiz Ibrahim.
I have always had a special fond to the sea, its mystery, and its untold stories..All because my name is pearl.  I had built a myth inside my head since I was a little girl that I was indeed from the sea. Lunatic? Maybe. but such mystical illusions do make the best stories later.Yes, I believed the sea was my  home, and to it I will return someday. Everything that reminds me of the sea makes me live this myth again..

This time it was not the sea itself, nor a ship, nor Corrine's Bailey Rae " The Sea" song, neither the Little mermaid movie, neither the famous sea navigator Jacque Costeau nor a small shell I picked up from the shore. This time the sea experience was from a whole restaurant that embraced the concept of the SEA from the floor to the ceiling , from the plate to the cup!

Zaytouna Bay

Sea Food Night!

Featured and written by Strawberry Blu and Pearl's Powder

Shrimps Ratatouille! 

After the revamping of the luxurious Phoenicia Hotel Beirut’s Mosaic restaurant, the restaurant is aiming to take us on a voyage to a new country to visit the folklore, traditions, costumes and mostly taste the exquisite cuisine.
The week I and Cynthia ( from Strawberry Blu) visited was the French cuisine promotion with the 60’s Photo exhibition at Mosaic.

Nothing is more memorable than smell

"Nothing is more memorable than a smell.  One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains; another, a moonlit beach; a third, a family dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes during a myrtle-mad August in a Midwestern town.  Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines hidden under the weedy mass of years.  Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once.  A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth."  ~Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses.

For me , entering a restaurant is not just a meal occasion, it's a sensual ritual for exciting all my senses, then my nerve buds, up to my neurons , then encrypting this stimulation into my memory storage area.
And if this ritual didn't happen, then the restaurant failed in making me a memory.
And if it failed in making this memory, this simply means : " the food wasn't great". And, although I am a food scientist ,  where one would assume that would be easy  for me talking about a restaurant , its menu and its food. But it is not. Because I tend to talk about almost all the factors that affect eating.  You will notice that as you read below.


The couqley bistro- restaurant  experience for brunch, was one of those vivid memories that had successfully been processed and stored. As you enter, you are overwhelmed with the smell of home  made omlettes and pancakes, and so you  evocatively remember the Sunday mornings where you used to wake up late , smell something delicious and enter the kitchen to see  your mother preparing for you,  your favorite breakfast: Pancakes.  Bringing back  this picture is worth it all. 

Not another Movie Review!

Well, I dont want to be redundant like those outthere on the world wide web& write a movie review that would be number 1,000,000 on the web!!! & Pls make sure that am not also criticizing those movie critics.

But i usually criticize movies in these cases:
1) During the movie, where i get fed up from a scene or more ( or a script )..etc
2) Just 5 minutes after i get out from the theater, which is usually a " discussion" with my friends and involves various point of views.

3) When someone asks me specifically " What do you think of that Movie"?

4 ) i don't consider it a scrutiny but rather a comment that i also wait for the Credits part at then end of the movie just to wait for the "song".. Ya the perfectly chosen song for the movie always make me remember the movie..

So this leads us to the fact that i am a " soundtrack-movie" addict"..Ya i collect all songs of each movie i watch .. not just MUSICAL movies like " Mamma mia or Mary Poppins or Beauty and the Beast" ...etc .. BUT also movies that display a background music .. This music inhabitates my mind and directly after i finish watching the movie , i go back home and download them.

WEll ya ofcorse everyone now will say : Batman soundtrack is obviously one of those moviess.. Some of the movies i liked their soundtracks" Lord of the Rings " , " Twilight" ( sorry guys but it was a hit), Spider man,Sweet November,A walk to remember, Bridget Jones Diaries, The Matrix, 10 things i hate about you, Music and Lyrics and not to forget the soundtracks of TV series like SmallVille,One tree Hill!!

These soundtracks make me listen to new artists and even new kind of music. I consider it a" cultural experience" :)

One of the recent songs i heard was for the 2012 movie : by Adam Lambert " Time for Miracles ".. Good choice for words and music..
The soundtrack was awesome as well.
Here is the link :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RheJdXCIjSo