Category: Food

Cantina, one of my favorite Italian restaurants, is launching a pizza pop-up this weekend. It’s a spin-off of their Pizza Mondays and takes place in a beautiful hidden garden in the Design District in Shuwaikh.

A couple of days ago, I was invited to try some of the new pizzas during @chefbasmah’s friends and family night. The pop-up has eleven pizzas, up from the usual four at Cantina. I tried the fungi and the salami, and while the fungi was great, the salami (which also had mustard seeds) is now my favorite pizza in Kuwait. I also ordered the Margherita, which I always get at Cantina. Basmah’s pizzas are very crispy with no flop. She describes the style as “crispy Neapolitan,” and in true Cantina fashion, she’s using only the highest quality ingredients.

My favorite part of the pop-up though is the location. It’s tucked away in a secret garden area of the Design District, the same spot in Shuwaikh that houses Ovo, Cure and the Contemporary Art Platform. The garden has its own side entrance from the main road, a narrow corridor that leads you into a semi indoor and outdoor space that feels like a greenhouse. It’s temperature controlled, so even if the weather is warm, you won’t feel it inside.

The setup is super casual. You walk in, pick the pizzas you want and grab a seat at one of the two large communal tables. The menu is up on a board and it’s strictly pizza and soft drinks, nothing else. Also, no reservations needed, just show up.

The pizzas are small in size, so I’d recommend two per person, which is great because there are a lot of interesting flavors on the menu you’ll want to try anyway.

The Pizza Pop-up is happening only on weekends starting with this upcoming one. It’s open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6PM to 10PM, and will go on every weekend until it gets too hot. You can spot the entry corridor to the pop-up from the main road, it’s to the right of Cure, and you should see a “Pizza” neon sign hanging above. @cantina_kw.

WK, the popular local burger spot, just opened their first dine-in location—and it’s styled like an old school diner.

The new branch is in Kaifan next to the stadium and has both indoor and outdoor seating, plus plenty of parking. As a bonus, there’s a matcha pop-up inside called @meetmatchas.

WK is available for delivery on all the popular platforms and also has multiple pickup locations across Kuwait, including Ardiya, Fahaheel, Jahra, Khiran, and Sabah Alsalem.

Here is the location on Google Maps and you can follow them on instagram @wkwk.965.

It looks like Tim Hortons has jumped headfirst into Kuwait’s ongoing Matcha craze with a new full line‑up of ICED Matcha drinks. They’re introducing 4 bold & fruity flavors:

Iced Strawberry Matcha: Sweet meets earthy. The ultimate match!
Iced Spanish Matcha: Rich, velvety, and a great twist on everyone’s favorite Iced Spanish Latte.
Iced Blueberry Matcha: Tangy, chill, and berry-licious.
Iced Mango Matcha: Tropical + refreshing = vacay in a cup!

Bonus: Add mango popping boba for extra texture and flavor—it’s a pop of summer in every sip.

The 4 Iced Matcha flavors are available now in stores or delivery.

If you want to keep an eye on whatever flavors they might drop next, follow them @timhortons.kuwait.

Nova Cafe & Eatery is a new local concept that hopes to be your favorite destination for healthy, homemade goodness.

The cafe is located in Burj Jasim, right on the outskirts of the city (google maps). Nova is actually two different spaces with two different vibes. They have the cafe, which is located in the center of the complex and gets lots of daylight from the glass dome above it. But they also have the eatery, which is located adjacent to the cafe and is more secluded and private.

One of the things the owner wants is for people to spend a lot of time at Nova, so she made sure every table has a power socket as well as USB ports so that customers can plug in and not worry about battery levels. That way, if students or people in general want a space to sit and get work done, they’d feel comfortable doing so. She even made sure the seating was comfortable, creating cozy nooks with comfy bench seating, but even the regular tables have softly padded seats.

In addition to the coffee and pastries, the owner created a menu that focuses on organic and wholesome ingredients. There is a small grab-and-go menu for people in a hurry, but also a full-fledged breakfast and all-day dining menu.

Nova’s opening hours are also great, opening from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM. Burj Jasim has plenty of parking, so if you’re looking for a spot to work from that has good coffee and food, Nova Cafe & Eatery is worth checking out. @nova.cafe.eatery

Bite Club, my favorite local cheesesteak concept, just launched three brand-new sandwiches today.

If you haven’t heard of Bite Club before, it’s a local creation started by a group of friends who are passionate about food. One of the reasons I love their cheesesteaks—besides the flavor—is the high-quality meat they use. Their commitment to quality ingredients extends across the whole menu; they even make their sauces in-house from scratch so they can control every ingredient.

Today they’re launching three new cheesesteaks:

The OG Cheesesteak – Sliced premium beef, grilled onions, cheese sauce, and mayo

The Pepper Pop Cheesesteak – Sliced premium beef, grilled onions, banana & cherry peppers, cheese sauce, and mayo

The Truffle Cheesesteak – Sliced premium beef, crispy onions, mushrooms, white cheese, and truffle mayo

I don’t like peppers so I didn’t try the Pepper Pop but I did try the OG and Truffle Cheesesteaks yesterday. The OG is one I’ll be ordering the most often since it’s similar to their classic cheesesteak except it uses grilled onions and cheese sauce instead of caramelized onions and sliced cheese. The Truffle Cheesesteak I also liked and I appreciated the fact that they hadn’t gone overboard with the truffle flavor.

They also sent over their chicken bites (Chickies) which I hadn’t tried before with their “Bite me” sauce. Those were unexpectedly good as well.

If you want to try my favorite cheesesteak in Kuwait, they’re available on Talabat, Deliveroo, Jahez and Cari. They also offer V-Thru pick up from their location in Hawally. Check them out @eatatbiteclub

Sealed is a new Kuwaiti dessert brand that specializes in molten cakes. When they sent the desserts over, the first thing that caught my attention was the ridiculously cool packaging. The desserts all arrived inside silver metallic boxes that were sealed in silver pouches that mimic air freight. The whole look fit right into my space, which has concrete floors and silver aluminum furniture. It’s a very futuristic look.

Once you open the boxes, the molten cakes are packed inside sealed containers with detailed instructions on how to heat them up. Sealed offers three main items:

Chocolate Molten
Cookie Molten
Chocolate Chip Cookies

The molten cakes come in two sizes: large and small. Instead of just writing “Chocolate” or “Cookie Molten” on the packaging, they use hand signs, which is a fun touch. The peace sign (✌🏻) is for the Original Molten, while the shaka sign (🤙🏻) is for the Cookie Molten.

I tried the desserts and they were actually really good, with the Chocolate Molten being my favorite. One of the boxes they sent over had a dozen small molten cakes in it, and I took them to family lunch yesterday—it was a hit. Heating up the cakes is super easy: you just unseal the packaging and then pop it into the microwave for 60 seconds. Really convenient.

Because of how cool the packaging looks and how good the molten cakes were, it’s going to be one of my new favorite desserts to take to gatherings. If you want to place an order, Sealed are available on delivery platforms like @jahezkuwait.

A couple of weeks ago, Kuwait Flour Mills introduced coffee at some of their branches, and it’s been causing quite a bit of drama. Why? Because of the prices. KFM is selling espresso and Americano for 500 fils, and a latte for just 750 fils. That’s around half the price, or even less, compared to most coffee shops.

They aren’t skimping on quality either. KFM are using proper grinders (Eureka) and coffee machines (IBERITAL) to pull the shots, and their beans are from 48 East who also provided the training.

I passed by the Yarmouk branch this morning to see what the fuss was about, but the line was so long I decided to drive to their Fahad Al Ahmad branch instead. It also had a line, but a much shorter one. I tried both the hot and iced latte and although they weren’t better than the coffee I make at home, it definitely was better than most coffees in that price range.

Some coffee shop owners are upset about the pricing and have been voicing their frustration online. Since Kuwait Flour Mills is government-owned, they feel it’s unfair for them to sell coffee this cheap.

It costs me around 360 fils to make an espresso at home using beans from %Arabica, so it definitely costs coffee shops and KFM even less with wholesale pricing. So are coffee shops being greedy, or is KFM undercharging?

Personally, I think the hype might hurt some coffee shops for now, but eventually people will go back to buying coffee from their favorite (and usually most convenient) spots.

Gaza Cola, the ethical alternative soft drink made by Palestinians to support Palestinians, is now available in Kuwait. Osama Qashoo, the creator of Gaza Cola, came up with the idea in November 2023 as an apartheid-free beverage, with all profits going toward supporting and rebuilding Al Karama Hospital in northern Gaza.

I tried it and it tastes pretty good, similar to other cola soft drinks. They only have one original flavor now and it will be sold for 240fils with 100% of the profits going to charity.

Gaza Cola is currently available at Mishref and Kaifan Co-ops. It will be available soon at Shamiyah and Salam Co-ops, and later at Sideeq and Abu Fatera Co-ops.

You can also order Gaza Cola directly via WhatsApp which is linked in their instagram account @gazacola_kw

Note: There seems to be another drink available on Talabat Mart called Gaza. That’s a different company/drink. Gaza Cola only has one flavor and the can looks like the one in the photo.

Yesterday I got a phone call asking if I’d like a sneak peek at Wingstop. Obviously, I said yes. So I headed there earlier today and gathered as much info as I could about the opening. Here’s everything you need to know.

Opening Date
Wingstop Kuwait will be opening on the first day of Eid.

Locations
They’re launching two locations at the same time, the main flagship store in Bida’a and a second store on Salmiya’s Baghdad Street, across from Dodo and LaBaguette.

Opening Hours
During Eid they will be opening from 11AM to 1AM. Both locations.

Menu
Because they’re expecting a large crowd, the launch menu will be streamlined for efficiency. During this initial phase, they’ll offer Classic Wings, Boneless Wings, and Tender, but items like the Chicken Burger and Milkshakes won’t be available yet.

Flavors
All 10 Wingstop flavors will be available at launch.

Prices
The menu prices are currently being finalized but I should have them by tomorrow. Once I get them I’ll update this section to include them so check back again.

Update: Here are the prices:

Wings 6 pieces – 2.450KD
Boneless Wings 6 pieces – 2.450KD
Tenders 3 pieces – 2.450KD
Regular Fries – 1.100KD
Large Fries – 1.500KD
Loaded Buffalo Ranch Fries – 1.900KD
Loaded Voodoo Fries – 1.900KD
Loaded Cheese Fries – 1.800KD
Soda – 1.000KD

Seating
Both the Bida’a and Salmiya locations will have indoor seating. I didn’t get to see the Salmiya location but the Bida’a one is fairly large with plenty of seating spread out over two floors.

Pictures of the food will probably start popping up online tomorrow since they’re soft launching for family and friends over the next few days.

If there is any info you want to know which I didn’t include, let me know in the comments. For more photos, head over to my instagram.

Their official Instagram account is @wingstopkuwait if you want to follow them.

By now, you’ve probably ordered every kind of cake there is for futoor, but have you tried the Pecan Cake from Overjar yet?

The Pecan Cake is one of Overjar’s signature Ramadan desserts this year, and it’s guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. It features layers of fluffy pecan cake, topped with creamy pecan custard and rich butterscotch, complemented by a smooth white chocolate center. The cake is finished with a cinnamon caramel drizzle and crunchy pecan brittle, and served with a side of white chocolate sauce.

Slicing the cake open reveals how moist it is, with white chocolate oozing from the center. The cake serves 6 to 8 people, and since it’s by Overjar, you know it’s going to be great.

If you want to order the cake, Overjar has 8 dine-in and pickup locations across Kuwait, and they’re also available on delivery platforms like Jahez.

Mchbosna has a really catchy name and it works really well for a restaurant that serves only two items, chicken and meat machboos.

I love very focused restaurants since it means the restaurant can perfect its offering, offer higher quality food, faster service, and offer better value. All because they specialize in doing one or two things exceptionally well.

Mchbosna has two options, chicken or meat, and you just pick the portion size—enough for 1, 4, or 8 people. They also use the best chicken and meat on the market, ALYOUM chicken and Arabic meat, so you know you’re getting quality ingredients. Their signature green maabouch is also very popular so make sure you order extra ones on the side.

They have four locations for pickup and delivery, so you’ll get your food faster. Delivery is available through their own website, or delivery platforms like Talabat, Jahez or Cari. You can also order through WhatsApp. If you want to find out more, head over to @mchbosna

According to a contact of mine, Wingstop, the popular chicken wings chain will be opening in less than two weeks!

They have two locations under construction, but the one in Bid’a will be the one opening first. The second location in Salmiya will open at a later date.

Their Instagram account is now active as well so if you want to stay posted on their opening follow them @wingstopkuwait

Gravity coffee shop recently reopened its newly redesigned shop in Seaview Mall, Abu Hulaifah. The interior was designed by Studio Nama, the same studio behind the new Matchbox at JACC, which I also love and highlighted back in December.

The main design concept of Gravity aims to accommodate both individuals seeking quiet moments and larger groups looking for communal interactions.

What caught my attention was the contrast between the different materials, colors, and textures used to give this space its unique look. I also love how the space has so many layers and nooks—plus, I’m a sucker for chocolate brown velvet sofas. Studio Nama deliberately created a variety of seating options, from sofas to casual tables with chairs to platform cushions for a more informal feel. It’s because of these different arrangements, the space can accommodate both solitary visitors and larger groups.

If you want to see more photos of the space as well as other work by Studio Nama, click here.

Photos by @mashkanani

Just a quick update to my T4 post from a few days ago. As I mentioned, Pret A Manger already has their ‘coming soon’ hoarding up, but I also found out about a few other places opening. Here’s the list of what’s coming soon so far:

• Bartone (Airside)
• Caribou (Airside & Landside)
• Ole (Landside)
• Pick (Airside)
• Pret A Manger (Airside)

If you’re flying out during Eid and notice a bunch of places shut down, well, now you know why.

With so many dessert options during Ramadan, standing out isn’t easy, but Torta Del Este found a cool way to do it. By blending Eastern flavors with innovative ideas, they’ve created a unique selection of tapa-sized cakes, packed into a practical six-piece box.

But Torta Del Este isn’t just about desserts, it’s about storytelling through sweets. Each treat has a story, a vibe, and a distinct flavor. Their “Basque of the East” is a saffron-infused San Sebastian cheesecake, while “The Saffron Whisper” is a delicately spiced saffron tres leches. Every box is a mix of flavors and experiences, and the best part is that you get to try a variety of cakes instead of just one.

If you’re into desserts that go beyond just tasting good and actually tell a story, Torta Del Este is worth checking out. @tortadeleste