A horde of food chains have sprouted like mushrooms in the suburb areas of Khobar and Dhahran lately. A family or group of bachelors who scout for good food in these areas will never run out of choices when the clock ticks and it's time to fill in that empty stomach. It's easy to just jump into a restaurant and order from the menu to get things done especially if you're in a hurry. But what if your dining requires some sort of a riddle or a puzzle to get into the restaurant? Would you grab the bait and be a little playful? Well, I've found a restaurant in Dhahran that wouldn't allow diners to just enter and munch their sumptuous menu. They want you (yes, you) to find the door key first before they grant you access to the resto.
Intrigued? The newly opened American-Canadian diner is located at Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Road, Dhahran. it's beside Toyota Showroom and opposite to the Mall of Dhahran. Parker's Restaurant (by the Keeper of the Park) which recently opened last November, 2016 is the newest food chain that specializes in easy grab snack-like menu like hamburgers, chips and more. They've launched a "find the key to dine" ad to their line of restaurants that originated in Dubai and foodies are going ga-ga over this exciting one-of-a-kind promo in this part of the region. Bachelors are also welcome to dine in but every Sundays and Mondays only.
Indeed I was intrigued by the idea of dining, only when you got a key! I heard that Parker's have some mysteries for it's customers to unlock. Well, we were lucky because a friend got a key and willing to let us borrow it so we may experience the restaurant's interesting offers. So without thinking twice, we decided to try this unique restaurant and to taste those seemingly delicious gems we might discover.
At daytime, you would look at the place as plain, clean, and silent where you can eat in their amazing park themed dining area which is settled just in front of the eatery. But mind you, it's a beast at night! You would easily notice the building because it is literally bright! I've seen people that kept on coming, guess they were like us, excited and curious at the same time about what this controversial restaurant has to offer.
We arrived at the area and the host supervisor warmly greeted us. I greeted him back and told him that "I got a key!". He politely asked me to show it to him for confirmation, so I did. Meaning, those who are planning to visit the restaurant and thinking that they can shrug off the rule of getting a key first would probably not work. Finally convinced, he asked us to sit for a while. I didn't expect that Parker's Restaurant is always jam-packed! Aside from the information that I got from the supervisor in-charge that they are full most of the time, I do testify that it is true. In fact, I found out that we were on queue, a long queue actually, considering that you cannot just go there and eat without the famous key (later on, I'll give you a hint how to catch a key). Despite of the long queue, I didn't feel to hop onto another restaurant 'coz that particular night was intended to uncork Mr. Parker's gimmick. Haha.
Mr. Saleh, Manager on Duty
I have to mention that Parker's Resto is powered by people. Staff were excellent in accommodating their customers. I love how these gentlemen were trained (if they were really trained) to be well courteous and friendly to their guests and for that, my solid thumb up goes to them. Special salute to Jed, Sandeep and Muhannad for entertaining us and of course to Mr. Saleh, the Manager on duty, who effectively plays the restaurant's ambassador.
Getting a key is not really a hard thing, it's actually fun! All you have to do is follow them on Snapchat (@byparkers_SA)! They are regularly posting videos and updates where they hide those keys. You gotta go to the specific place and grab the key. Interactive, fun and very millennial way of promoting, kudos Mr. Parker! :)
And now for the part where I reached heaven, let me talk about some of my favorite Parker's dishes.
They got some interesting and seriously tasteful foods. First off, we tried the Corn on the Cob which is absolutely delicious with it's paprika lime ranch sauce. We also grabbed the crunchy Street Fries. I really like the jalapeno cheese sauce that compliments the chili lime sauce when they mix together. The Choco Coffee Slider is a must try! It is safe to say that it elevated my standard when it comes to hamburgers and alike. Don't leave Parker's unless you try their dessert called Lotus Drama. This is by far my ultimate favorite dessert, ever. It is consisted of moist biscoff pudding, topped with vanilla ice cream and they let you do the honor of pouring the lotus fudge. Damn good!
Buckle up as I share with you the photos of these mouthwatering dishes we've ordered that night and I bet you would love them, too! So without further ado, let the feast begin! ;)
CORN ON THE COB
Charred corn cob, orange basil butter, paprika lime ranch
FRIED MAC & CHEESE
Crispy mac & cheese, marinara sauce
JALAPENO SHAWARMA
Charcoal smoked chicken, white cheddar slice, jalapeno, fried onion, jalapeno sauce, mint labneh
CHOCO COFFEE
Wagyu beef infused with coffee, white cheddar cheese, beetroot, choco and coffee sauce
BLACK LEMONADE
LOTUS DRAMA
Biscoff pudding, vanilla ice cream, lotus fudge
Wait! Hold on a minute, it's not yet over. It was a terrific night because of the food we've tasted, but I will not leave you alone without drooling a lot! Lol. Just so you know, we've been invited to come over once again to try the rest of Parker's delectable dishes. Indeed a perfect time as well to take some photos of the park without women (as you know taking photos of women in KSA even if it's unintentional will cause you a lot of trouble). Hehe.
I thought we've tasted their frontrunner dishes the other night, but what we've experienced during our lunch appointment made us realized that this Restaurant is a monster! Let's just say an appetite-stimulating monster. Gosh, everything they served were bombs! I loved all of them, from the food presentation to taste, from appetizers to desserts, they were all fantastic! But let me tell you some of my new favorites from their menu.
I would love to have another Balsamic Quinoa the next time I visit Parker's. Organic quinoa has been a favorite since I started to lose some weight, haha! Seriously, it certainly a must try! Striploin Portobello is a sure winner. Love the cured striploin beef cooked with balsamic portobello and wild mushroom and layered with crispy unleavened dough and finally topped with onion web. Truffle burger is one of the bestsellers. It has truffle infused cured striploin plus the tasty wagyu beef patty, matched with truffle ranch and white cheddar, all contents are perfectly combined. The dessert was interesting, though Reese's chocolate was the first thing that came to my mind when I had the first bite of Back to School. It is a chocolate pudding layered with peanut butter and served with chocolate crayons. Indeed, it was delicious and fun to eat.
Here are the photos of food they served during our second visit. Enjoy!
BALSAMIC QUINOA
Organic quinoa, beetroot, rocca leaves, mustard balsamic dressing
ZAATAR CHIPS
Zaatar potato chips, labneh dip
PRETZEL CHICKEN STRIPS
Chicken sticks coated in pretzel, smoked mustard sauce
CHICKEN MOJITO
Mojito grilled chicken, cured lemon, cabbage slaw, parmesan ranch
STRIPLOIN PORTOBELLO
Balsamic portobello, cured striploin beef, wild mushroom, crispy phyllo
MAC & CHEETOS
Mac & cheese, flami'n hot cheetos
TRUFFLE BURGER
Truffle infused cured striploin, wagyu beef patty, truffle ranch, white cheddar, crispy onion web
CRISPY CHICKEN POTATO
Crispy fried chicken, potato strips, red cabbage slaw, jalapeno yellow cheddar, spicy mango sauce
MINT LEMONADE
BACK TO SCHOOL
Chocolate pudding layered with peanut butter, served with chocolate crayons
Actually, the owner of Parker's Restaurant has another diner which is set to open soon and it's in the same place. It is called "SALT" which basically offers hamburgers, fries and ice cream. Had the chance to take some photos of the place, too. Look!
Such an incredible experience we had with Parker's! Full, happy and satisfied with everything, not only with the food we eat but also the place and service which made the whole experience worthwhile!
Facebook: PARKER'S AND SALT RESTAURANT
Snapchat: @byparkers_SA
Instagram: @byparkers
Tel No.: 013 882 0260
Opens daily: 11am - 12am
