Ahmed Darwish Kosebasi Jeddah opened its doors in August 2013 on Rawdah Street, in the heart of Jeddah. The branch also has an express service. I was waiting for this place to open with patience, especially as I was just in Turkey a month before the opening and I tried this place in Istanbul. But as with any franchise opening in Saudi, its always a coin toss between hit and miss. And I really hoped this place would be a hit. We went to this place as a group of five in Ramadan to have suhoor (morning meal before the start of the day's fast). Let us start with the decor, which is very simple but elegant at the same time. It feels really cozy, though you do not notice any Turkish touches in the decor. The menu is quite a handful because you need 15 minutes just to go through it and try to understand the dishes. It might be a bit of a challenge for people who are unfamiliar with the Turkish kitchen. But the variety is very impressive, making you come again and again to try something different. At first, they brought us a tray full of appetizers to choose from. You can skip those and can order other appetizers from the menu. Do not miss out on cicik (cucumber with yogurt), soslu petlican (eggplants with tomato puree), abbagannus (known to Arabs as Baba Ghanooj), and also order the toros salata (which is very similar to the Syrian and Lebanese taboule but with pomegranate sauce). For the hot appetizers, we tried the icli kofte (something very similar to the Lebanese kebba, but only four balls per order), doner (the famous shawerma, but served as wider slices of beef over bread, a generous portion), and ali nazik (minced lamb over a bed of yogurt and garlic puree, too bad about the small portion though) Fresh baked bread is always available, and they keep topping it off whenever the basket goes empty. I really have to praise the waiters in this place, as they are very attentive and quick. For the main dishes, I went for the yogurtlu kebap, which is grilled kebap covered with tomato sauce and with yogurt on the side. I have to say it was mind blowing; it was perfectly cooked and the seasoning with the coolness of the yogurt was perfect. I also had tastes from the other party dishes, the pirzola (lamb chops) was tender and juicy. The mixed grill also did not disappoint at all. It was really hard to find a flaw in this place. The only flaw was the Turkish coffee, as it was served without the foam on the top, demonstrating that it was done quickly and on high flame. The lemon ice tea was perfect, and so was the complimentary Turkish tea they served at the end. Now for the readers with a sweet tooth, we shared 3 different types of desert: kunefe (similar to the famous Arabic konafa) warm, soft, and with a juicy cheese filling; the sutlac (rice pudding, a personal favorite since childhood); and finally dondurmali irmik (baked wheat with Turkish ice cream). All three were just what the doctor ordered to finish up this great evening. I loved the sutlac as it was very similar to the rice pudding we make in Egypt. The dondurmali irmik was an experience of mixing hot and cold together, giving an amazing sensation. The average per person was SR80 to SR90 , which is a good average and similar to what you pay (if not less) at other food chains that offer less quality and value. I think I have found my favorite restaurant in Jeddah.
