Steak places and Arabic food are abundant in the city. But very few have curated the best meat and varied cooking techniques in elegant fashion — making Charcoza stand out from the rest.
From the outside, the horizontal, wooden panels seem to allude to the lines found in a grill. On the inside, the ambiance is a play on rustic black charcoal, leather seats, and opulent golden accents. However, the real beauty of this restaurant is housed behind the glass windows of their open kitchen, where the meat cuts are hung and cooked, each hailing from specialty farms from the Greater Omaha to Rangers Valley.
“Charcoza” is a fusion of the words charcoal and meza – the center of their cuisine’s inspiration. Meze (or mezza) are known to be shared meals, often in the form of appetizers in this region. Charcoal, on the other hand, is a key component (and flavor) in the preparation of all their meat dishes, combined with the grilling expertise of their international master chefs using clay oven, open woodfire pit, Brasero grill and the Josper grill. From the equipment alone, you can already tell that grilling is their passion. But wait until you taste the meat that’s been dredged in selected spices from their Spice Cube, which displays the regional ingredients that breathe life to their recipes such as the Sumac and Wild Thyme from Lebanon and the Maldon Salt from England.
As we began with the first course, the obvious and immediate star of the table was the Crunchy Corn and Feta salad. The charring of the corn brought out its natural sweetness and played well with the feta’s brine coupled with that one exciting secret ingredient: little fried quinoa bits that’s been peppered throughout the plate, exuding a mysterious texture in every spoonful. You can also try the Two-Way Brisket Salad, which presents the Angus brisket as both shredded and slow-cooked on one side and crispy and fried on another. It is blanketed by a generous amount of baby greens, avocado slices, walnuts and a slightly sweet onion dressing. Vegetarians are also welcome in their menu with a selection “from the garden”, with dishes such as the Eggplant Bharta – grilled eggplants with leeks and topped with a smokey cheese melt.
A truly unique dish from their farm to kitchen is the Charcoza Bone Marrow. The long roasted beef bone is sliced in the middle and smoked, elevating the buttery flavor of the marrow, while brisket shreds and bell peppers have been added to complete the dish. A squeeze of lemon over it makes all the difference in its taste too.
An intriguing prelude to our main course was the presentation of steak knives, offered by the servers as if we were to pick a weapon of our choice. From Japanese to German blades, the set up gave an exciting introduction for the meal ahead. Next, the Beef Casserole entered and proved to be a satisfying choice with grilled Angus striploin, baby potatoes and mushrooms covered in creamy truffle sauce. The piece de resistance was their Wagyu Cross Bred (WX) Ribeye from Rangers Valley in Australia. What makes this meat particularly exquisite is the careful and craftful cross-breeding practice that has produced an unprecedented wagyu and marbling score combination. The cooking showed respect to the meat and brought out its delicate features that made it worthy of its price.
As the evening progressed, the tables started to get filled and the mood is more relaxed as we end our dinner with more conversations over a cup of tea. We peeked around their second floor and saw more private dining spaces available for large groups along with a balcony, outdoor seating that had a city view of North Ring Road.
Our experience sent us home in a good mood, with fond memories of the flavors and ambiance that Charcoza made sure we had. For another special night out, we’re sure to come back here soon.
Charcoza Meze Grill
Al Tawuun, Riyadh
Contact No: +966-11-8106938
Email: info@charcoza.com
Social Media: @charcozagrill
