[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="13768,13767,13766"] Sadiya A Nadeem Saudi Gazette Tucked in a corner at Jeddah's Le Mall on Tahliya Street, IHOP is known around town for serving wholesome classic American breakfast. IHOP opens its door for "breakfastarians" at 7 in the morning and if not reached early, waiting for a table could be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour — especially on weekends. But, that does not stop Jeddawis from flocking to the popular breakfast joint, considering that most citizens and residents alike in Saudi Arabia do not like being early birds over the weekend. The seating area is quite simple, small and cramped, and you may find yourself knocking chairs with other customers often. However, don't be disheartened. The place maybe small but it does boast of an extensive breakfast menu, which is quite delicious. Deciding and placing an order will definitely eat some of your time, as there is quite a lot to choose from — sweet and savory crepes and waffles to different kinds of burgers, sandwiches and wraps to a variety of their egg specialties. There is also an option for customizing eggs with your choice of fillings and toppings — order the way you want it! On our first visit to IHOP, an amiable waiter served an order of two comprised of strawberry and banana French toast topped generously with whipped cream; and a spinach, mushroom and tomato omelet accompanied with sliced toasts and mini bottles of jam and butter with our order of vanilla cappuccino and iced tea. The vanilla cappuccino would have tasted way better if it was hot, but everything else that we had ordered was appetizing, making us go back for round two the following weekend to try other dishes. IHOP is also popular for their world famous pancakes. Hence, on our subsequent visit, we ordered cream cheese pancakes topped with whipped cream- garnished with frozen strawberries, and stuffed garden crepe topped with hollandaise, which was cooked to perfection. This time for drinks we ordered two tall glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice. I'm not really a fan of pancakes, but the ones served at the restaurant were good, if not great, considering my husband loved it. I, on the other hand, was quite satisfied with my savory crepes not to mention that the hollandaise was simply yum. The portion size of the meals looks huge, but once you sit down to eat you tend to lick your plate clean, as everything served is fresh and flavor-packed. Service is quick; the waiters are friendly and helpful; and in spite of the place being small it is spotlessly clean. IHOP, in short, is a great getaway to kick start a lazy weekend morning with friends or family. It also makes waking up early totally worth it.
