Restaurant Review: Hazal Jeddah
Modern Levantine cuisine at its finest…
If the country were to pick, I think food from the Levant would rank very highly on the long list of favourite cuisines. And it’s made even better when the dishes on the menu combine flavours from all over the region. Enter Hazal Jeddah.
Located within the vibrant Atelier La Vie complex in Jeddah, Hazal is a tribute to the Levant at every twist and turn (and with the architecture of this venue, there are many). Walk in, and the first thing you’ll notice is the very unique architecture. The restaurant comes to you by way of KRAIV, the hospitality powerhouse behind Myra, the celebrated French patisserie in Jeddah.
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Hazal is a cosy space, divided into two seating areas, the sprawling outdoor area offering prime people-watching seats while you hook yourself up with a puff or ten of hookah (pun intended). While the indoor area is far more intimate, complete with a lot of face time with the chefs (my way of saying there’s an open kitchen) and seats by the bar so your glass is never dry (keep the food coming, but more importantly, the mocktails).
Using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, the menu features a gorgeous selection of hot and cold mezzes like smoky baba ghanoush, hummus awarma with pine nuts, and feta paired with seasonal melon and mint (in my opinion, the best kind of salad there is), small plates, large plates which are perfect for groups (although, I was by myself and I’d like to think I did some damage), and josper grilled items too.
The perfect marriage of flavours…
You’ll never see me say a marriage is perfect (those don’t exist in my opinion); however, a bite of this food had me questioning that for a minute. Take a bite of the cherry kebab (SAR95), a traditional Syrian dish from Aleppo, and follow it up Adana kebab (a Turkish dish featuring hand-minced lamb) and you’ll see what I mean. They just go together.
But before we get to the mains, we begin where all good things do, the mezze portion of the menu. If you know me, you know I love a good Muhammara, and Hazal has a great one at SAR35, followed by the melon and feta salad (SAR43) (count two of me mentioning this, so you know it’s good).
My colleague Jumira often tells me, “I don’t eat enough vegetables.” To that I say, if vegetables always tasted as good as the HFC, or the Hazal fried cauliflower (SAR50) and baylidi, made with confit aubergine, slow-cooked onions, tomatoes, and feta cheese (SAR44), I would most definitely eat them more often.
We then move to the delicious fish kabab (SAR92), and ouzi lamb (SAR140), which falls so effortlessly off the bone and is so tender you barely have to chew.
Lastly we also had the lahmacun (starting at SAR38), which the waiter was kind enough to teach me how to pronounce, made with either thin spiced lamb, vegetables, and herbs, or roasted bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, though if you ask me, I’d definitely recommend going with the lamb, and this is coming from someone that doesn’t like lamb.
For dessert, I tucked into the chocolate fondant (SAR56) served with pistachio ice cream (call me basic, and I deserve it).
What’s On verdict: While it’s located in a buzzy complex, Hazal Jeddah sets itself apart by offering a slice of upscale casual dining, complete with a hookah experience, great food, and overall cosy vibes.
Hazal Jeddah, Atelier La Vie, 28 King Abdulaziz Branch Rd, Ash Shati, Sun to Thu 4pm to 2am & Fri to Sat 9am to 2am. @hazal_ksa