over the last few weeks i was able to visit more restos in khobar that's why i decided to do a second edition of my wanna-be-critic's guide to khobar's dining. still using the same rating (5 max, 1 min), see if any of these 5 new places i've visited toppled the top spots i rated in my first edition.
La Caravella. Right in front of Giant Store (near Extra). I appreciate the open-kitchen design so you can actually watch the chefs and make sure they’re not doing anything funny with your food. However, the heat generated by the stoves (not to mention the smell of the food preparation) crosses to the dining area making it less cooler and comfortable. Kasagsagan pa naman ng humidity noong pumunta kami kaya instead na ma-enjoy namin ang food, we’re wiping off our sweat every now and then. Maliit din yong place with only 4 or 5 tables for singles and I think the same area for family, hindi ito pwedeng maging venue ng birthday celebration ng mga adik. Kabayan ang manager at maayos naman syang mag-istima ng clients. Food is average (read: nothing exceptional), just right for the price na hindi naman kamahalan.
Food: 3.5
Place: 3
Price: 3
Service: 3.5
Total: 13
Bona Banana. Khobar Corniche. I chose to gather my old friends for my birthday dinner in this resto mainly because I like the place. It sits alone on a huge lot compared to other restos in that area like Chilis, Fridays, etc na halos magsiksikan sa isang area. Bona Banana is big compared to them kaya pati dining area nila ay spacious. Though I was disappointed with their steak na hindi agad sinerve kaya dumating sa amin eh malamig na. Nasermunan tuloy ng isang friend ko yong waiter na mabait pa naman. I like their barbeque salmon though. And my friend said their lamb ribs was also delicious. Price is also reasonable. And their manager who’s also a Kabayan is very warm and accommodating. They earned extra point because of their effort to sing Happy Birthday to me kahit walang choreography. May complementary slice of cheesecake din naman na nilagyan ng isang candle! Good enough!
Food: 3
Place: 4.5
Price: 3.5
Service: 4
Total: 15
Amici. Prince Turky St, Khobar Corniche. This is one cozy resto suited for executives/businessmen who wants to have a quiet, luxurious Italian dinner. With leather chairs and subdued lighting, its one place to unwind and cool your senses down. Hindi pwede dito ang mga adiks dahil sa liit ng place, dapat low key ang usapan or else dinig hanggang sa kitchen ang ingay. Pinoy din ang maitre d at very attentive ang Kabayan na nag-serve sa amin. Masarap din ang food lalo yong Calamari Fritter nila. And their seafood platter was a feast not only for the palate but for the eyes as well. Though nagulat ako sa presyo coz the 8 pcs of shrimps na kasama doon sa platter was charged at SR98. Kaya tiningnan ko maige yong bill and found out that the platter itself, which is actually one huge piece of fish cooked in 4 different ways, costs more than 200SR. More than SR300 just for that platter alone! Hmmm… don’t know if I was ripped off. Wala kasi sa menu nila yon, suggested by lang ni Kabayang waiter.
Food: 3.5
Place: 4
Price: 2.5
Service: 4.5
Total: 14.5
Chinese Grill. Khobar, along 28th st. Madalas namin syang madaanan when we’re going to or leaving Soul Kitchen. At natatandaan ko, we already dined here once noong nandito pa rin ang isang friend ko (Hermie). As far as I can remember, nagustuhan ko yong place kaya sabi ko i-try ko ulit. Ganon pa rin yong lugar, problema ang parking coz it was right along a busy road. And the interiors was exactly the way I remembered it (samantalang 4 or 5 years ago na yong unang kain ko dito). At siguro unfair na i-rate ko sila coz their name is Chinese Grill but I ordered steak na syempre disappointed na naman ako. Ang kaso lang, supposedly Chinese resto nga sila but the menu contains moslty Western, Italian and Arabic/Indian food. Wala yata akong nakitang chinese food. That’s why I opted for the steak na mura naman at SR45. Kaya lang, yon nga, it was a disappointment. They’ve got the best tasting Saudi Champagne in town though! And oh before I forget, it’s just one of the very few restos in Khobar na walang Filipino staff!
Food: 3
Place: 3
Price: 3.5
Service: 3
Total: 12.5
Orient. Prince Turky St, Khobar Corniche. It sits two floors above Amici. Pero kung nagustuhan ko ang ambience ng Amici, I didn’t like this one. It’s like stepping into an old bohemian pad na parang tambayan ng mga mahilig mag-trip. The colors, the décor and the smell (specially) gives you an impression of a testosterone-filled room of smokers and drinkers. Gusto ko nang mag-walk out pero nahiya naman ako sa mga Kabayan nating staff na super welcome naman sa amin. Kaya nag-order na lang ako ng Maki just to gauge if we’ll go on to a full dinner or not. While waiting for the Maki, nag-scan na rin ako ng menu nila. And just like any other fusion resto, mas marami ang western dishes nila kesa Oriental which, again, is ironic because of their name. And the Maki? It’s way below Soul Kitchen’s sabi ng mga friend ko (hindi ko na pinag-aksayahan ng panahon na tikman!)
Food: 2.5
Place: 2
Price: 3
Service: 3
Total: 11