Islas Resto and Grill: Bringing Traditional Boodle Fight in Riyadh

By George Pontino Jr.

UPDATE: Islas Resto & Grill offers Mini-Boodle and its Round 1 (Good for 4-6 Persons), Round 2 (Good for 6-8 Persons) and Round 3 (Good 8-10 persons)

It's a popular fact that the Philippines has more than 7,000 islands. How many? You may ask. But actually it depends if it's high or low tide. That's why we have a term called island hopping which is, an adventure, in itself. This, actually, is part of the excitement of exploring the islands consisted of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao which Spanish sailor Bernardo de la Torre, called Las Islas Filipinas, in honor of the then-Prince of Asturias, originally referring to the islands of Leyte and Samar.

Meanwhile, zoom in to Riyadh, where there are a lot of Filipino expats working on this side of Saudi Arabia. Most of these hardworking pack surely miss home specially the traditional cuisines of their hometowns or cities. Meanwhile, the Pinoy food in Riyadh actually varies from region to region. So, it has become a challenge for restaurants here to capture different regional palates by bringing delectable delicacies that tastes closer to home. In order to satisfy regional differences, one has to be inventive or somehow strike the middle ground. 

And in this modern capital city built on a desert land, there's an "island hopping" experience that's creating familiar scenes to Pinoys as well as an opportunity of excitement to foreigners who would try it. This tradition somehow unites both regional and international palates into one common point. Thanks to Islas Resto and Grill, a popular traditional way of eating and food preparation has been brought finally closer to Riyadh-based OFWs. Read On...   

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More than the Usual

It was actually an accident that we found ourselves in Islas Resto and Grill. After sometime scouring for a fiber optic support in a nearby telecom branch, we were so tired and hungry. I thought that we had to feed ourselves with good food. So I told my cohorts that there's a resto just near us that offers more than the usual. Even we failed to secure a technician to fix our internet  (which was already down for 15 days), it didn't stop me to still celebrate our futile efforts with a twist. Maybe, I thought, after eating, we could think better and find a solution. So, we hoped and crossed our fingers. Why am I sharing this? To note, we, most of us Pinoys are known for our resiliency and adaptability during times of crisis. Despite facing seemingly unsolvable failures or disasters in our lives, we still celebrate and smile with friends and families. 
So there, I decided to order for a boodle flight plate for the three of us that day. We were like the three musketeers who are ready for a delivery.  Indeed, to the surprise of my friends and even myself, it was, indeed, more than the usual: "It's all for one, one for all" on our table.

Island Vibes at Islas Resto and Grill 

A Cozy "Island" on a Desert Land

Just inside the vicinity of Aljazeera Shopping Center in Sulaimaniah district, you'll find Islas  Resto and Grill (Matam Islas  مطعمم اسلاس in Arabic) nearby the play areas of the establishment. (SEE LOCATION MAP BELOW) 

As Pinoy as it gets, you'll be welcomed by a sorbetero cart (a traditional Filipino ice cream cart with two handles) and a colorful background painted signage that brings an Island Souvenirs vibes to it. From a see-through glass window, you'll see the resto's cozy interiors and its relaxing lighting fixtures that make you feel a home atmosphere.There are flat TVs too in many corners for added entertainment. For us, we chose to sit and eat at the tables outside to have that "outdoor" chill since we get more freedom when we do laugh loudly from our jokes. Plus, you have that personal "observable universe", seeing activities happening in the mall in real time.

Eating with the Three Musketeers' famous motto: "One for all. All for One."

Hop on a Popular Symbolic Meal 

The term "boodle fight" has become a tradition for Filipino soldiers when eating a meal and that it calls for unity and camaraderie. Sharing a big plate on one table fosters harmony and equality..eating in kamayan style symbolizes simplicity of life, too. (Kamayan is a Tagalog word that translate "by hand".) Through the years, the boodle fight  culture found its way to many household and group parties like in reunions, during holiday celebrations and even some weddings receptions. It has become so popular that people's post having boodle fights are going viral. It reaches and influenced many Pinoys even abroad because it shows how much fun and meaningful this activity can be. Its simplistic approach and style of eating a meal brings delight to the whole company. It's not about just eating more or filling your stomach to the hilt. It's about the enjoyment in the company of friends that matters most. It's happiness of sorts that not only gratifies hunger but also educates us that it's good to share.

The proverbial flat lay image. A food preparation that fosters unity and equality.

What's on the Islas Boodle Fight Plate?

The Islas resto offers a boodle fight preparation for 3 different sizes of groups. What we chose was the 3-4 persons option and we ordered a pitcher of iced tea. What we had were a handful of roasted eggplant salad (ensaladang talong), crabs, some fried shrimps, chicken heart and liver, milk fish (daing na bangus), an array of vegetables (Pinoy chopsuey style), barbecue beef and chicken in stick, salted eggs (itlog na maalat) on a white and yellow rice laid on a banana leaf. And why there's yellow rice on it? Well, this is where the point where our foreign friends can strongly relate to our boodle fight delight because of this kind of rice.  For the condiments, you'll be given bagoong, soy sauce or vinegar that will suit one's regional and demanding taste.There are also gloves provided for those who wanted a sanitized style of the kamayan culture. Moreover, Islas Resto and Grill also serves more Asian and Filipino food from soup to pancit to seafood, etc. You may find also that some cuisines are also unique to the resto.  

Take a closer look of the boodle fight dish and Isla's cozy interior viewed from the glass

Culinary Conclusion

To conclude my blog entry, I got a tale to tell. Once everyone is satisfied and there's still  some food left in your banana leaf plate, you may ask a staff that's more than willing to wrap them for you to take home. Well, it's also truly Pinoy to not let leftovers go to waste if possible. It's a fact that Saudi Arabia has one of the highest food wastage problem according to some data published but mostly for Filipinos, food usually finds a second lease on its shelf life. Something like another chance for a meal session that could span from breakfast to lunch or even dinner. We equate leftovers as a blessing. For some a gastronomic savior. For others, it can ease financial distress on one's pocket. So, off we went home afterwards and get to bring some Islas dish with us.

And if you're curious what happened to our fiber internet connection, well, as of this writing, it is still disconnected for more than 20 days but we found a greater solution. We applied for a new fiber optic connection with the same telecom with a different subscriber name, and lo and behold, it was installed just 3 days after a simple call. It may sound crazy but it's a tech solution that works and maybe will pave for another boodle fight celebration for us, I guess. :) Tara kain na!

More about Saudi Arabia

Read our Edge of the World Adventure (EOTW) Tips 

(Click here)

Watch our Trip in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia (VIDEO) click to play 

LOCATION MAP OF ISLAS RESTO AND GRILL
(Aljazera Markets)