Budget Meals
The various ethnic cafes in
Jeddah are a veritable treasure trove of authentic cooking styles from around
the world. Simple in their décor
and food presentation, the aim is to provide an inexpensive meal that tastes
of home for the bachelor-status workers from India, Pakistan, the Philippines,
Indonesia, Turkey as well as other Arab countries.
Brightly lit and always bustling, they welcome adventurous visitors and
some have added more plush family sections.
Some examples:
Saudi
Al
Joraif
(R5) Tel: 631 7901 Heading
southbound on Prince Fahd (Sitteen) Street, exit at Makkah Road but continue
in Sitteen Street service road. Take
the second right after the bank into Abu Muslim al Harra Street. Directly ahead on the T-junction is Al Joraif.
Supposed to be the best of the many similar kitchens in Jeddah.
Bangladeshi/Indian/Pakistani
Al
Zehra
(N3) on Amir Majed Street, south of Tahlia Street serves curry for SR5-SR8
with free salad and as much bread as you can eat!
(Watch it being made in the tandoor oven.) Mehran and Kababish
are next door with a similar menu.
Al
Bahouli
(I5) is in the Bangladeshi Market north-east of the junction of Hera'a Street
with Madinah Road. Go north in
the Madinah Road service road from the junction, take the second right at the
filling station. The road goes to
a single track - turn right at the red and yellow supermarket sign (P103
marked on wall) and follow the track to the souq area - the restaurant is on
the corner with an Arabic sign. No
family section.
Student
Café
(Taj Mahal) (M4) Tel: 673 4819
Tahlia
Street, East of Madinah Road
As already mentioned in the
'Indian' section this part open-air restaurant, part-indoor serves up
delectable curry by the platterful. They
also do great value outside catering.
Chinese/Thai/Indonesian/Philippino
The
Captain
on Palestine Street at the junction with Madinah Road serves and Chinese food
- it is difficult to spend more than SR20.
China
Hut
as mentioned under Lunch Stops, Bulakeno
(formerly Zamboanga) under Philippino; Asia
and Oriental off Sary Street
(listed under Thai); Shanghai (M5)
is opposite STTB in the Samariya Centre near the International Market
and also on Hera'a Street; Indonesian
Padang (K5) is next to the Casablanca Hotel on Saqr Quoraish Street, just
off the Madinah Road; Orient Pearl,
(R6) another Thai Restaurant in the Corniche Markets building, next to NCB; Jakarta
Restaurant (N5) next to the Red Sea Compound, north of Al Fanous
supermarket in Baladiyya Street; Sumatra
Restaurant (P5) on Khalid bin Walid Street; Tropical
Restaurant (R6) serves Philippino/Far Eastern cuisine in the Faisalyia
Centre; Shawli is in various
locations - on the second floor of the Corniche Commercial Centre (R6), at the
Philippino Souq north of Saudia City (L7), and a fast food branch in the
Interntional Market (M5). The Singapore Hawker (N5) is an excellent lunch or dinner venue a
few doors down from Mothercare in the City Centre complex.
Turkish
On Sitteen Street north
of the Palestine Street flyover, near the Ghornatah Street intersection (N4)
there are several Turkish Cafes serving good quality charcoal grilled kebabs,
in special Turkish bread. Boukhari (K6) on Sary Street west of Madinah Road has a family
section upstairs.