KOA is a modern take on European and Asian fusion fine dining that aims to offer customers an immersive experience of flavors and aromas from around the world.
The restaurant, started by four siblings from the Bagedo family, is located in the heart of the luxury Atelier La Vie development in Jeddah, a new hotspot in the Red Sea port city. It offers an eclectic menu for lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and drinks at its firefly bar.
The bar offers a variety of non-alcoholic mojitos, cocktails and gins inspired by fireflies; from vivid yellow, pure amber, warm orange and red, people can enjoy options with different bursts of hues and flavors.
One of their signature cocktails, the blue akarui, consists of kiwi, yuzu, jalapeno, orange blossom, lime, apple juice, melon syrup, basil and aquafaba, producing a light, fruity, coconut flavor.
When you first enter, you are greeted by a smiling maitre’d who leads you to your table through a warm, nature-inspired interior. As your eyes gaze around the foyer, the first thing you notice are the wooden beams, vertically placed along the walls that look like an animated waterfall.
After sitting down on the royal blue velvet couch, you begin to feel a sense of familiarity and coziness, absorbing the elements as you mingle with friends and family. The lounge-like atmosphere with music and floor-to-ceiling windows brings the restaurant to life, and for a few hours, it’s as though you have travelled to a new yet comfortable destination, eager to explore.
KOA means ‘ritual’ in Japanese, and Amro Bagedo, one of the owners, told Arab News a ritual is about the “sacred celebration of getting together with your loved ones for food, drinks and good times, sharing your adventures as you enjoy delicious cuisines.”
The siblings, each born during a different season of the year, followed a unique ethos for KOA's menu whereby the theme of the food reflects the season of the year customers visit the restaurant.
The restaurant’s spring season a la carte menu includes its popular chicken terrine en croute dish made of confit chicken, fig jam, parmesan sable and pineapple chutney — a balance of flavors so intricate with each bite, an explosion of flavors that leave you in awe. Other options are hamachi tiradito, bibim noodles and grilled scallops, all rich and decadent in their own ways.
Main courses offer a selection of proteins, from Dover sole and turbot, to chicken and beef tenderloin. The restaurant also has tempting vegetarian choices such as black truffle risotto.
For dessert, three options are available, a chocolate and hazelnut delight, a raspberry and pistachio mousse and a tropical mousse. Each component, placed meticulously on the plate, makes KOA's desserts a journey of exploration and adventure, inviting people in with the question, “where do I start?”
During the holy month of Ramadan, KOA will be offering an $80 per person six-course set menu.
Top-end prices per person are around $150, reflecting the thought, effort and attention to detail that has gone into the dishes’ presentation and flavors, which could see KOA gain Michelin Star level status in the future.
