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Food Kuwait

Kuwait the World’s Food Capital by 2030

There are several steps which might develop Kuwait and make new national income for the country, and one of the ideas it to make Kuwait a touristic city where people visit to try high standard quality and ingredients. Creating the world’s food capital within 2030 in Kuwait is the main goal. And this video is the first step toward the main goal.

I have mixed feelings with this idea, on one hand Kuwait does have some really great local food concepts but I don’t think we have enough of them. The majority of the local food concepts basically lack any creativity and are just clones of one another. Plus, the lack of alcohol will definitely be an issue for elite chefs as well as the food tourists coming here. And what about the elephant in the room? Dubai like it or not is more of a GCC food capital than Kuwait is right now. Just thinking about Dubai is making me crave the warm chocolate mousse at La Serre. Yum. [YouTube]

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100 replies on “Kuwait the World’s Food Capital by 2030”

unlike dubai, kuwait have restaurants run by local chefs.

I think this whole “food capital” is ridiculous, but if we’re going to look after one then it’s certainly not dubai, after all bringing franchises have nothing to do with the local scene and culture.

Just because the restaurants are run by locals doesn’t really mean anything. Food tourists don’t care about the nationality of the owners of the restaurants, they care about the food. But like I mentioned in my post we do have a few great local concepts but they’re just a few.

On a similar note, how many restaurants do you know of where the Kuwaiti owner works in the kitchen? I can think of only three on the top of my head but I’m sure there are more. Street, Solo Pizza and Vol. 1 are three places where the owners are hands on. Anywhere else?

dar hamad? not really sure about that. as for the tourists, I don’t know about you but the whole gcc seems sketchy for tourism. I do actually care about the locality of food its part of the traveling experience. if I were in kyoto I wouldn’t expect machboos 😛 but the “pearls” of the arabian gulf are filled with non-local cousins, we certainly need more kuwaiti touch even if the chefs working are not kuwaiti.

Al Nata Bakery’s two partners, Mr Miguel and myself are always working in our kitchen to deliver the best pastries we can.

It’s incredibly refreshing to see this outlook on the food industry in kuwait.

I’m a kuwaiti myself but have lived abroad for most of my life, I’ve trained and worked in the UK as a chef. Sadly, expenses got the best of me and decided to move to kuwait to continue my path as a chef.

Unfortunately, I’ve learnt that the food industry is lacking in kuwait with all the food clones you’ve mentioned and lack of creativity. (Along with many other factors within management and operations)

Sad to say that, after working with 3 companies, my passion for this field has been killed due to so much that goes against everything that I’ve learnt. There is no room for creativity when the market demands the same thing everywhere. As a chef, I dont feel I’ve been learning anything here and just won’t be able to evolve in this field.

I wish I could list all of the problems I’ve seen and experienced… But there’s just too much -.-

When you have to import most of your meat, vegetables and other food ingredients; you cannot consider yourself a “#FoodCapital”. Neither Dubai nor Kuwait will ever qualify as one in my view.

There’s plenty of amazing Kuwaiti food made with entirely regional ingredients just go to someone’s grandmother’s house who didn’t have access to what we do today

The current trend in American is to eat locally made foods, Farm-to-Table. It doesn’t seem viable at all. A culinary capital must be near fresh ingredients. Imagine a five star meal where the truffles, the vegetables.. everything… has been shipped by airplane. It is bad for the taste of the meal and bad for the overall carbon footprint.

But I wish them the best of luck. May they find wealth and happiness.

I totally disagree on Dubai having good food though. Not to use this as a benchmark entirely but they have no Michelin stars for example. Any good restaurant there is a more expensive, less good version of another restaurant

Did I say I think Kuwait is better than Dubai? Dubai is going for Michelin standards and missing. Most of the local good stuff in Kuwait is lower priced every day food.

So because we have chocolateness and burger boutique and a couple of Kuwaiti chefs, we should be capital of food?

A small European city has more local chefs and restaurants.

Fuck, this video is like the definition of Kuwaiti snobness.

I have to disagree. I don’t think a Lebanese citizen expects special treatment all over the world just because he is Lebanese.

Never had a taxi driver talk down to me and try to convince me he’s better off financially than me until I went to Lebanon

I think the correct word to use dictionary wise is ‘arrogance’.

And yes u are right, having a couple or a dozen of local food joints is not any indication to be a destination, not to mention that being a destination for something is synonymous with travel…Kuwait is not a tourist destination.

2nd, The local cuisine is very domestic and limited, the international cuisine on the other hand is the generic u find anywhere, so where will the fit be? add to that limitation on ingredients (and yes alcohol is a major component for many international plates).

Last but not least, the mass domination of fast food restaurant if anything is an indication of the poor food quality and consumption! Look at the health data. So what culture phenomena will lead into such a mind shift? To become a capital of something the least u need is some sort of adoption, again Americana or Al Shayaa represent 70+ % of the food scene and that’s not a good sign.

It’s just a local food scene and it will certainly grow like in any normal economy, but being a food capital is an exaggeration and will only promote false hopes that one day we will earn such an international recognition!

Then Kuwait could go for being the GCC food capital for the none expat community 🙂 see, this is something achievable and could be a good starting point, but the world is not a starting point.

Kuwait does get a large number of Khaleeji tourists especially families. I see them all the time at the malls and scientific center. Avenues is always full of them. Not only Saudis but also many Emiratis, Qataris, and Omanis. They always come in the weekend and holidays.

Bahrain has more local khaleeji tourists in overall number, but it’s like 95% Saudis and barely any other GCC nationalities.

I think it’s a good idea and support it. If it works I think it will really boost people morals. People here think Kuwait can’t do nothing (which is sometimes true) but we can make truly increadible things which is why we need to show people that if we set our minds on something we can actually do it and if not we learn from our mistakes. what I see is whenever project is created here people just seem to laugh and push it to the side, then Dubai takes it and everyone’s like Wooow and yet we still have the balls to say Kuwait can’t do nothing. The truth is Dubai comes up with projects equally as crap as here (like the air conditioned city) and yet people there cheer the government and entrepreneurs on… Why don’t we do that?

How would u like it if you had an idea and everyone say you u can’t do shit.. You’d just give up. But if people cheer u on then you’d be motivated to work.

If you’re sitting with your friend and notice spinach stuck in their teeth would you tell them about it or just let them continue their day looking like shit?

It’s the same situation here. I’d rather someone tell me when my idea is stupid and give me constructive criticism instead of cheering me on and letting me think my idea is great when it really isn’t.

What does that have to do with projects?!? Anyway I’m saying the idea is great and it’s my opinion! And I’m saying it without offending people (which is something people can’t seem to grasp) so what don’t you like about the idea?

You do realise $30 dollars a barrel is a massive loss to kuwait right? and that we need the price to be atleast $45 to break even add that to the current extremely high spending and generous benefits we currently have (foreigners and kuwaitis) then its clear that we aint getting anywhere. I do realise that 3 years is far too low but the truth is people and countries are starting to move away from oil and kuwait itself is proving that by building a massive solar power plant and wind turbines… but Id give 9 years before shit gets real.

disbelief, thats what were good for, or not good for.They have a goal that they want to reach within 14 years, a lot can happen in 4, but one thing that they have to do is start training chefs in the best kitchens from around the world if they’re really going for it.

Personally, I think everyone is missing the point. I’ve personally has Saudis, emaratis and Omanis (locals from these nations and not expats) personally call Kuwait the food capital of the region. That’s an opinion but one I’ve personally heard multiple times. Maybe you choose not to believe this but a lot of us do and I personally think we have amazing concepts here and I think we should celebrate our innovation even if you all think it isn’t. I believe in us. I think that’s all that matters.

+1

Me too I hear that from Khalejies..
Many people suggest that we should target global audience which requires allowing alcohol..
We don’t need that, we just need to be the destination for the Khaleeji family.. lets just make Kuwait the perfect environment for families in the north of Khaleej

agree. at the end of the day in terms of “tourism” what really matters is the neighboring gcc countries since they are the one interested in the market (and the one who pays the most).

I think this whole tourism approach is laughable since it’s never going to replace oil revenue. but I absolutely 100% support the inner gcc tourism for many reason. there are many hidden gems in the peninsula, the gcc just need to invest right in those areas.

Well said Mark. Restaurants in Kuwait are abundant for sure however they are just a copy of one another. Look at how many burger joints we have in Kuwait.

I sure would like to see some fine dining or michelin starred restaurants in Kuwait before I can call Kuwait the Food Capital.

I looooved Kuwait restaurants when I first moved here. Now I recognize most for what they are… mediocre food smothered in fat/sugar rich sauces.

Although, Edo and Ashha’s do hold a place in my heart.
I think it’s time for a new 2016 restaurant list?

keep telling people that. there are quite a few gems, and then there are the restaurnts which try and copy dishes off the slider station menu.

oh and everybody all of a sudden has a differently named version of dynamite shrimp from the chinese restaurant on in shaab, forgot its name.

also we need alot of infrastucture and reeducation of atitudes and mannerisms towards foreigners if we want kuwait to be the capital of anything.

I thought it was because of PF Chang’s. It’s a pretty clever way to cover the fact that you’re buying the smaller cheaper variety of shrimp because the normal size has gotten so expensive

Someone please find out. I asked about it at Yemeni restaurant in Ahamdi and they told me they used to have a guy who makes but he left and isn’t coming back. Don’t know why it isn’t popular in Kuwait.

A Culinary Capital of the world?! That’s a far cry I must say. I guess it is going to commence where Bayt Lothan is with the food mall going up in its place.

Most of the restaurants we’ve seen on the video, and in Kuwait lack creativity, and professionalism. People have to start knowing how to eat, and explore different dishes. Personally I’m tired of seeing the same dishes but with different names, in new restaurants, and we need new concepts, something other than burger joint, which I think we have enough of.

The video may have been the idea of Chocolateness founder but the concept of positioning Kuwait as a centre for food tourism was recommended somewhere between 2005-07 by the Department of Tourism. In 2002 the department was part of the ministry of Information. In 2006, it shifted to the ministry of Commerce. This recommendation was based on extensive research that considered different types of tourism specialisations. Aspirations are good to have in any business. Whether the Kuwaiti market and consumers are ready for such a position is to be debated. One thing for sure, this vision requires more than just opening more restaurants and pushing creative menus.

Classic Kuwait.

Project timeline is 14 years – when Dubai will execute the same vision in 2.

We come up with all these elaborate ideas and none of them get executed.

Where is Silk City?
Where is the new Airport?
Where is the Falika Island project (10+) years ago?
Where is the metro?
Where is the GCC rail network?

Where is the countless other ideas that never get any traction – after spending hundreds of millions on Consultant fees and masterplans?

14 years? Give me a break. It wont happen. Move on

This is more on the lines a private push by some people and not the govt. Surprisingly, I have more faith in this project (even though I couldn’t care less about it) than with the ability of public projects being executed and completed on time

Although the video is lovely and its aspirations inspiringly admirable, I think it’s a tad hubristic and unrealistic. Yes, there are quite a few talented, creative, amazing Kuwaiti food artists and businesses. Just last night we sat in one of the eateries featured in the video and debated the overreaching obstacles firmly entrenched in the Kuwaiti regulatory and commerce system which stand in the way of any real evolution with respect to the claims of the video. How will you achieve the lofty goal of being a food capital without availability of alcohol which most of the world associates with fine food consumption? What about all the issues associated with importation of consumable fine and gourmet ingredients and the crazy customs issues (with ignorant customs officials and officers) that arise, as well as the incredibly rampant corruption already plaguing he current state of affairs? As a sourdough and specialty bread baker I have had to arrange for renegade methods to bring my own ingredients back with me when I return from shopping trips abroad to stock up. It’s expensive and cumbersome, not to mention exhausting. Until you have a system and supportive regulatory infrastructure making it easy to enable the creation and sustenance of food creativity as business models then I think the idea of “food capital of the world” is pie in the sky.

we could be the capital of food consumption, but to use ‘food capital’ implies a deeper understanding of what food systems are all about. what about food production, what about social justice and fair wages, tackling food poverty?
local isn’t always the most sustainable food source, especially in an arid environment such as kuwait – try growing many plants locally and you’ll burn more fossil fuels keeping them alive (AC and water) instead of just importing them.
I think small-scale economic development should continue on its way away from relying on oil resources. our consumer power, our money, is mostly government-salary generated, and is derived from oil revenues, therefore we need a more comprehensive way forward if we truly want to be some kind of ‘capital’ for the future.

I simply don’t understand this. For me “love” potion works the best, I put in an effort and I get a reply in the eyes. I think people are looking elsewhere for simple food for sustenance.

Im confused : is the objective of this to increase tourism to Kuwait? If thats the case, should the discussion be about tourism in general and changing some of the existing laws, since right now, its almost impossible for 90% of the worlds people to come to Kuwait as tourists.Add to that ridiculously expensive hotel rooms due to other laws…..

When the government sets limits on menu items you can not be a culinary capital. Pork and alcohol are main staples in many international cuisines, allow them then let’s talk.

Cool story…. Now lets talk about what really matters… those pesky holes in the road on my way to work that no one is fixing and that fact that you can get a good international call through because of our MOC

Agreed 100%. Instead of concentrating on superficial things like being “The Food Capital of the World,” they should try and fix places like Jleeb and Mahboula, and improve the country’s humanitarian rights record first.

World’s Food Capital ? Really !?

With so many restrictions in issuing Visit Visas to people around the world, who’s their target customer ?

I think the concept is very good and Kuwait has a strong base to build on it. Yes there are other issues in the country, but this is one thing Kuwait can capitalize on it. I lived in dubai where except the DIFC and five star hotel restaurant the food is pretty average, mass driven and commercial. I saw eateries and concepts here in Kuwait which gives a strong hope. The only weakness I would mention in Kuwait is that the restaurant business is all about experience and service level. We are lacking good waiters and waitresses. But overall is better than Dubai. Btw alcohol and pork are not main ingredients (I am Christian and not staple food for me).

Unfortunately seeing this video makes me feel as though im watching another one of Kuwaits propaganda videos to shut the people up and make them feel optimistic to a future that unfortunately seems bleak. Why do I say this, because in order to make this idea a reality we first need to change a lot of other things. Opening a restaurant or a shop is a not easy and is a big headache, dealing with the wizarat to get your license is… I really have no words for it. Property value is ludicrous and so much more the government has to do to make this dream a reality.

Public transport is a joke, roads that were designed for half a million people have not been updated to support the current population, our airport is an embarrassment to the country.

These projects all not one or two all have to start because some of them will fail, and these projects need to expose and fix the issues we currently face in the country hopefully as soon as possible before we realize that any project we dream up here in Kuwait is destined to fail not because of the people trying to make this country better but because of the people trying to keep it the same for there own personal benefit.

I would like to see a feasibility study showing how much this initiative will contribute to the local economy.

A major concern is the carbon footprint. Restaurant owners should also pull their weight on the environmental impact of running their businesses. An alliance of restaurant owners that will pressure the government to adopt new technologies that increase local food production should be part of this plan.

To be honest the most funniest video i have ever seen. Food capital , that was really funny. getting all the brands of this world and saying its a food capital is bullshit. Doesnt kuwait have any thing to work out which includes there culture or heritage food etc. the only thing you will see is a background song playing that is kuwaiti.
Guys you cant make dubai in one days time. Open alchohol here, open tourism here , atleast make one side of kuwait more free without spoiling the religious culture and sentiments.
This country will reach heights like no other country in the MENA Region and thats a bet. At least i wish to see it someday though iam not a kuwaiti.

FOOD CAPITAL?? THAT’S REALLY NICE THINKING.
BUT YOU THINK THAT THE INGREDIENTS NEEDS TO BE FRESH AND NOT FROZEN.I HAVE THE ACTUAL OF BACK OF HOUSE EXPERIENCE IN MOST OF THE HIGH END RESTAURANTS AND YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT YOURSELF THE BOH WHAT IS USED AS THE INGREDIENTS THE RAW MATERIAL

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