Category: Food & Drinks

Earlier this year Dean & Deluca closed down in The Avenues. They’d been open since January 2009, and I remember posting about it back then and loving the grocery section. But the café was always the most popular part of Dean & Deluca, which is why they’ve now kinda brought it back.

D&D Cafe is an Alshaya home-brew concept that’s based on the Dean & Deluca Café. D&D doesn’t actually stand for Dean & Deluca, but it’s more of a homage to the brand it’s replacing and makes it easier for previous customers to connect with. The menu brings back all the popular dishes from the old café, but in what I think is a better location with a much nicer interior.

The new café is located across from Abercrombie & Fitch, in the space where Bouchon Bakery used to be. It’s a corner spot in the Grand Avenue which gets a lot more daylight than the old location.

Since the café is still closed at the moment I was given a sneak peek ahead of their opening which is next Monday, December 15. If you want to follow them, their official Instagram account is @ddcafekw

Last year around this time I posted about the then-newly opened Gourmet Grocers, a premium grocery boutique at the Nasco building in Shuwaikh. Since then they’ve brought in even more brands and have become a go-to spot for anyone looking for premium essentials and interesting finds you don’t usually come across elsewhere.

Gourmet Grocers recently expanded their lineup with new gourmet brands like Ortiz, Greenomic, and Bornibus, while still carrying popular favorites such as Bjorg, Lune de Miel, Nicolas Alziari, and Nina’s Marie-Antoinette. It’s a mix of everyday essentials and those rare items you end up buying the moment you see them. Ortiz, by the way, is my favorite canned tuna brand, and if you’ve never tried it, you really should.

Gourmet Grocers also puts together seasonal collections throughout the year for occasions like Ramadan, Valentine’s Day, and other key events. For the holidays they’ve brought in Panettone, Panforte, festive sweets, and a new range of Gift Hampers and Gift Boxes. They regularly share curated hamper ideas on Instagram, or you can build your own by picking items directly from the store. Everything is packaged really nicely with a lot of attention to detail, so the gifts end up feeling thoughtful and premium.

They offer online ordering as well with complimentary delivery anywhere in Kuwait, and if you place your order before 2 p.m. you get same-day delivery through gourmet-grocers.com.

If you prefer passing by in person, the boutique is located in Shuwaikh (Google Maps). For updates and product highlights, check out @gourmetgrocers on Instagram or browse their website.

Mr Baker is probably everyone’s favorite cake shop brand. I personally love their eclairs and tend to have them a couple of times a month when we get Mr Baker cakes for Friday lunch. Last week they shared with me their new Tea Cake collection with a campaign inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

The idea behind the collection is to make tea time feel a bit more magical. They’ve created over ten different “Tea Cake families,” each one built around a specific origin or purpose. The traditional family includes the classics we all grew up with in Kuwait like Rahash and Girs Ogaili, while the international family features cakes inspired by favorites from around the world such as Victorian cake, honey cake, coconut and fudge.

Some of the families are more about convenience. The bites family is made up of smaller cakes for anyone who prefers lighter portions, while the Tea Cake Baskets are curated mini selections that work perfectly when you’re visiting a small group or hosting a quick gathering.

The whole collection is meant to give you options depending on what you’re in the mood for, whether you want something nostalgic, something international, or something easy to share.

You can order everything through their newly launched website with delivery across Kuwait, or pass by any of their shops and choose from the display. For more photos, head over to @mrbakerkwt

Thanksgiving is coming up so I put together two lists: one for restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner, and another for spots offering Thanksgiving meals to take home.

This year there are a bit more places offering dine in, but in case I missed a spot just let me know in the comments.

Dine In

Crowne Plaza
Rib Eye Steak House – KD 14 per person

Holiday Inn & Suites
Al Diwan Terrace – KD 13.9 per person

Park Inn By Radisson
Al Maha Restaurant – KD 10 per person

Radisson Blu Hotel
Al Bustan Restaurant – KD 19.5 per person

Symphony Style Hotel
Cucina Restaurant – KD 18 per person

Waldorf Astoria
AVA Restaurant – KD 26 per person

To Order

Baker & Spice
Four Seasons Hotel
Madison & Heig
Holiday Inn & Suites
Oak and Smoke
Paul
Radisson Blu Hotel
Santolina at SVN
Sawsan
Symphony Style Hotel
The St. Regis

Photo from Four Seasons Hotel

Over the weekend I was invited to Sahara Arena, a new upcoming area of Sahara Resort. I wasn’t there to check out the arena itself, which is still in the early stages of construction, but to get a sneak peek at a new pop-up called The Diwaniya Show.

The Diwaniya Show is being described as Kuwait’s first dining show to feature a full Broadway style production. It’s a project created through a collaboration between three local brands: the creative agency Beattie+Dane, the production company Massive Content, and Seazan, the team behind the Melenzane By the Sea experiences. With all three teams involved, you can expect the same elevated experience they’ve become known for with their previous projects.

Similar to the previous By the Sea experiences, The Diwaniya Show is a large installation that’s being built from the ground up. They took over a large section of the Sahara Golf Resort and built a large theater along with an outdoor retail and entertainment space that overlooks a beautiful artificial lake and the golf course’s green hills.

The idea behind this year’s experience is to give guests an immersive evening where the storytelling, music, and performances all take place just a few steps from their dinner table. There will be two daily shows with dinner, running five days a week. Although it might not look like it from the photos, The Diwaniya Show is expected to open at the end of this month. They just launched their Instagram account, so if you want to stay posted, head over to @aldiwaniyashow

For more photos, click here.

Prolife has launched a new line of chips called ProGrills, bringing a bold, smoky crunch to their protein snack lineup. Each chip is packed with protein, maximum flavor and come in four flavors:

• ProGrills Cheese
• ProGrills Sweet Chili
• ProGrills Lemon Cumin
• ProGrills Sour Spice

Each pack has 13g of protein and great macros, making it a great healthy snack option.

That’s not all, Prolife also announced they’re now the first Kuwaiti salty snacks manufacturer to get certified by the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), a globally recognized organization that sets public health and safety standards. They’ve earned NSF Vegan and NSF Cruelty-Free certifications.

In total, they’ve received five certifications this year:

• NSF Non-GMO
• NSF Gluten-Free
• NSF Vegan
• NSF Cruelty-Free
• Nut-Free

To find out more, check out @prolifesnacks or head over to their website prolifesnacks.com

This past weekend Al Andalus revealed The Petal Pavilion, their new pop-up kiosk located at the center of their plaza. I’m currently halfway across the world on vacation, but they sent over photos of the project for me to share.

The Petal Pavilion was originally designed as a functional oyster bar by the Copenhagen-based studio @lasovskyjohansson for an art fair in Denmark a few years ago. The design won many awards and a version of that pavilion stands at the Design Museum Denmark, serving as a permanent café installation.

What’s cool is that this isn’t a copy of that design, Al Andalus actually worked with the original architects to reinterpret their award-winning concept to meet their specific requirements and adapt it to our unique weather. The result is this new 6.5-meter-tall kiosk where the petal folds open and blooms during the day, casting shadows below, but as daylight fades, the pavilion’s surfaces come alive with colored linear lighting.

The Petal will be hosting different pop-ups throughout the year with the first being @boostcafe from November 6 to December 31 followed by @kello.kw in January.

Nobu Hospitality just announced that they’ll be opening Nobu Residences and Restaurant at Hessah Plaza, inside the Hessah District Project.

Nobu is a global luxury brand known for its restaurants, hotels, and residences around the world. It was founded back in 1994 by chef Nobu Matsuhisa along with actor Robert De Niro and film producer Meir Teper.

No opening date was mentioned in the press release. Source

Thanks Khalid!

This tiny spot is a new Japanese concept opening in Jabriya next week. It’s an omakase conveyor belt experience with a French influence and a design that looks way too nice for what’s essentially a hole in the wall.

I found out about Bar Frés and its chef through a friend of mine. When she sent me the chef’s Instagram account, I thought she’d sent me the wrong one because he looked like he’d just graduated high school. I wasn’t far off, Fahad Al-Zaid is only 22 and moved back to Kuwait just six months ago after finishing university in the US. His Instagram is @fahadthefoodie_, which makes sense since that’s how he describes himself. He’s always loved food and cooking, so when the opportunity came along to run his own concept, he took it.

The first thing that caught my attention when I got there was how the place didn’t fit the environment at all. Bar Frés looked way too fancy for the neighborhood, and it was right next door to a baqala. The contrast between the two is actually pretty amazing, and I think it adds to the experience, which itself isn’t typical. Bar Frés won’t have a traditional menu. Instead, the chef will decide what goes out on the conveyor belt depending on various factors like who the guests are, what produce was available that day, or even just the chef’s mood. Fahad meets the guests when they arrive and asks a few questions. If, for example, the guests are into raw dishes, then he’ll serve more raw items than usual. That’s why he calls it an omakase conveyor belt because he wants to decide what to serve.

The interior looks amazing. The small kitchen filled with chefs is located in the back, while the main dining area is just one long bar with 14 chairs. It all looks very upscale, but Fahad assured me the prices will be very reasonable. While I was taking photos, Fahad started sending out dishes for me to try on the conveyor belt, mostly raw items since that’s what I like, but also a few others he thought I’d enjoy, and he was right.

Bar Frés is set to open this coming Sunday and will only be open in the evenings. To stay posted on the opening and bookings, follow @bardefres

JŌN, the seaside experience that launched last year near Kuwait Towers, is back for a new season. The project is by Gastronomica, the same group behind many of our favorite food spots like OFK, Burger Boutique, Cocoa Room, Lazy Cat, and Slider Station. This year, the project has expanded to become four times bigger and now includes two dining experiences instead of one.

There are now two entrances to JŌN. Last year’s entrance is now exclusively for OFK, while the second entrance takes you to the newly expanded area called Seef AlJŌN. The new area features retail partners like JADEBOTANICS, Atyab AlMarshoud, Hamsa, and Velvet Desert, along with the return of BRW, their coffee concept, which has a new look this season. There’s also a lot more seating now, with benches incorporated into the landscape and spread throughout the project. But the biggest surprise for me was finding out they’re bringing back their Pan-Asian concept, RÉPUBLIQUE, for this season of JŌN.

RÉPUBLIQUE was my favorite part of the tour and I think it’s going to be a huge hit this winter. Walking in felt like being back on vacation in Marrakesh. The open roof courtyard has a garden-like area in the middle, giving it the feel of a riad with colors, furniture, and materials that are beautifully curated. Even the main dining room was covered in beautiful wallpaper, and had large floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the water. Both areas are literally by the sea. If you’re sitting outside on the patio, you’re just a few feet from the sand and water. There isn’t anything like it in Kuwait.

Here are some important details:

OFK: Similar to last year, they’ll continue offering their signature dining experience, with pricing that varies depending on the scheduled events under JŌN Theatre.

RÉPUBLIQUE: Reservations are required, there is a KD 15 reservation fee per table. updated

Seef AlJŌN: Entry is free, so you could go in, explore, shop and grab a coffee if you want.

JŌN is opening this Saturday, November 1st. To stay posted on their activities as well as the booking links, head to @jon.kuwait. To check out more photos, click here.

Go Greek Yogurt, the popular LA-based brand known for its authentic Greek yogurt, opened in Kuwait earlier this year. They’re a favorite among celebrities in LA, and you’ve probably seen paparazzi shots of your favorite stars holding a cup of Go Greek Yogurt.

They recently launched a new product called the Greek Essentials Box. It’s basically a gathering box that includes nine frozen yogurt cups with eighteen toppings on the side.

Because of the richness of Greek yogurt, they can’t use dry ice to keep everything cold since it ruins the taste and texture. So they had to find a better way to insulate the yogurt while keeping things also eco-friendly (so no styrofoam either). Eventually, they came up with an insulated cardboard box that uses bags of ice to keep the yogurt frozen and fresh during delivery. The inside of the box is lined with a reflective material that helps slow how quickly the ice and yogurt melts by reflecting heat away and keeping the temperature inside stable.

Go Greek Yogurt has a physical location on the ground floor of Arraya Complex, but if you want to order delivery, head to gogreekyogurtkw.com or check out their instagram @gogreekyogurt.kw

Two people contacted me asking me if it’s true the Cake Picnic Tour is coming to Kuwait. There is a website and account promoting the event for November but it seems to be based off Dubai Cake Picnic, which is different from the official Cake Picnic Tour (@cakepicnictour).

According to the official Cake Picnic Tour website, Dubai is a potential future stop, but there are zero details at the moment, no dates, times or locations. Kuwait isn’t even listed as a potential future stop.

If you want to stay updated on Cake Picnic Tour’s future stops, here is the link to their website. cakepicnictour.com

With winter approaching, it’s finally cool enough to take your pets outdoors without worrying about the heat. That’s why I put together a guide of pet-friendly spots, from coffee shops to parks, with the help of @mocha.i.am, who inspired me to make this post. If you know of more pet-friendly spots, mention them in the comments.

Cafes & Restaurants – Indoors
Masaha 13
Sluggish

Cafess & Restaurants – Outdoors
Back Burner – SVN
Baked
Barasti
BBT – The Hilltop and Shamiya Park
Brick Pizza
Broskis
Da Gusto
Earth Roastery – Bida’a
Edo
Gia – Salmiya (Temporarily Closed)
Joe & the Juice – Salmiya
Masaha 13
Okan Coffee House
Seoulian
Speak Coffee Roaster
The Sandwich Shop

Parks
Shuwaikh Park – Popular on Friday & Saturday Mornings

Hotels
Four Seasons Hotel (under 11.5KG)
Grand Hyatt Residences (2 pets max)
The K Hotel

Joe & The Juice is opening a new spot at Al Shaheed Park tomorrow (Tuesday, October 7). It’s right by the big lake in Phase 2 and feels like the perfect stop for a juice or a light meal if you’re walking around the park, out for a jog, or just hanging out with family or friends.

I passed by earlier today around sunset and the place looked great, with warm light coming in through the large glass windows designed to connect the indoors with the surrounding greenery. The interior seating is cozy, but since it’s in the park there’s also plenty of outdoor seating. You can sit overlooking the lake or catch the sunset from the other side.

The new location will be open daily from 5AM to midnight, making it perfect for early morning joggers. To stay up to date on their new menu items or locations, head over to @joeandthejuicekuwait

I usually post about brands and their products, but this one’s a bit different since it’s about the company behind the brands. You’ve probably never heard of SocialEats, but you’ve definitely heard of their concepts. SocialEats is a creative hospitality group that started in Kuwait in 2016 with its first brand, Chocomelt, and has since grown to multiple brands and over 30 branches across the GCC. Some of their brands include:

Chocomelt
A flagship dessert spot that’s been serving handcrafted creations for over 10 years across the GCC.

Chutney & Co
An Indian tapas concept bringing elevated Indian cuisine to Kuwait and soon Qatar.

B.Social
A creativity-driven brand for custom cakes and desserts made for every kind of celebration (including allergen-free).

The Neighbourhood
A nostalgic space built around good vibes and balanced food, and home to their award-winning matcha.

MoG
A specialty coffee concept known for its signature menu and attention to detail in every cup.

From Kuwait to the world, SocialEats is growing fast and going global with plans to expand beyond the GCC into the UK, Turkey, India, and Iraq. What started as a shared passion for hospitality has turned into a diverse portfolio of brands, from award-winning desserts and elevated Indian cuisine to specialty coffee and custom cakes. Check them out socialeats.com