Amman by Khalid Abdel-Hadi, Founder and Creative Director at My.Kali

JDEED asked Khalid Abdel-Hadi, the Founder and Creative Director of My.Kali, a conceptual and social webzine that tampers with sexuality, orientation, alternative art/music scene and the alt-communities in the Middle East and North Africa, to give us his favorite spots in Amman, Jordan – his hometown.

I love their coffee, the space, their convenient location and plus, they’re local. If you want to sit, make sure to get there before 12pm as it gets packed soon after. My favorite coffee-to-go from there is Cinnamon latte, Half-caf, double-tall, with soya milk.

I remember once the guy over the counter told me jokingly, “that’s not an order, that’s a national anthem”.

It’s a farm shop, that grows their veggies locally, including their Kale, and whip up their menu freshly. The place is sort of pick-and-go. They make the best kale salads with cumin-lemon dressing. They also make banana-date ice cream, and Kale chips as healthy substitutes. They even distribute their Kale for free in the name of health.

One of my favorite sites that I love to drive to. It has been built by renowned Jordanian architecture Ammar Khammash, using stones from the same area. I fell in love with the place when I got the chance to discover it with photographer Sami Haven while location hunting for one of My.Kali’s shoots. The drive up there is splendid and the place is overwhelmingly and hauntingly beautiful, from the scenery to the architecture. There are a few gift shops and panoramic balconies and you can also do a bit of hiking.

I love this store a lot, and have been a loyal customer since 2009. They’re located at the end of Rainbow Street. Their yard, a tea-garden, oversees the Amman’s citadel. Their products are locally made with Dead Sea minerals. One of my favorite products is their moisturizing face oil with Pomegranate & Rose.

I love the girls who work there, they always have great energy. Namliyeh is a home-grown business, founded by design graduates and jam fanatics, as they state. Recently they started producing honey from local Jordanian farms, and they’re also developing a new menu for teas and coffee. I love their olive-flower honey and their bitter orange jam.

     Khalid Abdel-Hadi, the Founder and Creative Director of My.Kali