I had the good fortune of hanging out with the amazing @thefoodies.sa when they invited me to join them for dinner to try out the new menu at @meezstreet.
The menu is inspired and brought to life by their chef consultant @chefmaimia who was there to guide us through the menu. The place is beautifully setup to resemble a souk with the feel that you are eating outdoors. The staff are very friendly and singles have a separate seating area upstairs. I also had the pleasure of finally catching up with Farah from @jeddahoutandabout and we all sat down to feast on what was in store for us.

1. “Musakhan Popsicle’s” (SR.34) – This interpretation of the classic Palestinian dish “Musakhan” had to be my personal favourite. The chicken is cooked with sumac & caramelised onions and along with pomegranate molasses it is stuffed in dough and baked. I helped myself to a few of these and I love how the chicken was still moist and retained a lot of the flavour.

2. “Shawarma Nachos” (SR.36) – This is not something you see everyday and there were a few misses but it delivered on taste. The small bits of chicken shawarma was delish but the nachos could have been slightly more crispier and more generous on the toppings. That being said, I loved that taste of shawarma on nacho and i’m pretty sure I will make an attempt at recreating this at home.

3. “Street Fries” (SR.23) – There was nothing unique about the fries, but I loved the toppings and how well the fries had been cooked.
4. “Beetroot Tabbouleh” (SR.36) – This was a refreshing and a completely new take on what I knew about Tabbouleh. The beetroot-couscous combination is a resounding win and combined with the roasted walnut & labneh makes for a delicious pre-meal snack. You can also enjoy this with Kubbus.

5. “Rocca Salad” (SR. 38) – I am not much of a salad guy , but this rocca leaf salad combined with roasted butternut squash, caramelised pecans, feta cheese and a slight drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette really caught my attention. Get a mouthful of all these ingredients together and you will know what I meant by “caught my attention”.
6. “Eggplant Fatteh” (SR.32) – I found this to be quite okay and apart from the taste it was missing something that could have really taken this up a notch. Made with eggplants, tomato sauce, chickpeas, potato cubes, coriander & garlic, yogurt & crispy pita.

7. “Laham Bel Ajeen” (SR. 37) – This took a lot of space on the table but it was extremely light and appetising. The beef was minced with tahini and fresh veggies and baked over a thin crispy flat bread. The yogurt dip complimented it well but the portion size isn’t good enough to share.

8. “Rus al Felfel” – I do not know where this dish originated but I absolutely loved how this was presented and cooked. The rice was seasoned and cooked in spices that I couldn’t quite make out along with a tender piece of chicken and served with a dressing of nuts making this dish more of a comfort food. If anyone can tell me more about this dish, I would love to know more.

9. “Catch of the Day” (SR. 73) – This was a disappointment largely because of how the rice was cooked. The breaded hamour with tahini & mushroom sauce was lip smacking good but it was let down by the rice.

10. “Saffron Milk Cake” (SR. 37) – By now I was pretty stuffed but when it comes to desserts, my stomach has a way of pushing aside the main course to make space for dessert. The cake was delicate and yummy but there was barely any hint of saffron in the milk. For that price and no hint of saffron, I could have avoided this.

Mai Alhoraibi (@chefmaimia) is enthusiastic about the food she has introduced at @meezstreet and she was with us throughout the meal and wanted feedback. I can say this, her passion reflects in the food that they serve here and I can truly say it will only get better from here.