Category: Food & Drinks

Shakir just launched the chicken shawarma a couple of days ago and it made me realize just how strange it was that they didn’t have chicken as an option to begin with. If it was me opening a shawarma place and someone suggested to me to only sell meat I’d be like wtf? The number 1 rule of a shawarma place is the fact that you have chicken and meat, that’s basic Shawarma 101. But that’s the power of Shakir, since the start they’ve been doing things differently and it’s worked out really well for them.

I passed by their Salmiya location yesterday which tends to be fairly quiet, but when I got there it was really busy with delivery drivers and people waiting to order the new chicken shawarma. I’m a big fan of Shakir but had recently gotten bored of it, the fact they have chicken now has re-sparked my interest in the brand and I’m guessing it’s done the same with other people.

Was it worth the wait?

So their chicken shawarma is actually pretty good, better than I was expecting it to be, not that I was thinking it was going to be bad. I think it’s their nicely balanced garlic sauce combined with the freshly baked bread that gives it a slight edge over my other favorite places like Ebn 3my and Shawarma Arabi. The only issue is the ratio of chicken to bread, they’re pretty stingy with the filling. After having two sandwiches, I went back for a third and asked for extra chicken (it’s an option with the meat shawarma for an extra fee if you didn’t know). But, according to the cashier, the IT guys hadn’t set up that option yet on their system. When it does become an option, that’s how I’d recommend you have it, order the sandwich with extra chicken or else it will mostly feel like you’re eating bread as you can see in my photo.

Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The price of the chicken shawarma is 750fils similar to their meat. They also have the platter for 2.750KD. I had my sandwich with just garlic inside because that’s how I like it but it usually comes with greens, sweet potato chips, and pickles.

Kei, the first and oldest Japanese restaurant in Kuwait is reopening next week on January 23rd. The new Kei will be called Kei Downtown to differentiate it from the Kei Restaurant that will eventually reopen again at the JW Marriott once the hotel renovation is complete.

I just got back from a private lunch at Kei and it was great to see the old staff again, many of which I’ve known for close to two decades.

The new Kei Downtown location is at Assima Mall but located on the outside right next door to Pick. They’ll be opening from 7PM on January 23rd but will start opening for lunch the following day. To stay posted on their opening you can follow them on Instagram @kei_downtown

Teta’s is a new breakfast and brunch spot that just opened today in Kuwait City. The place is super cute with a rustic-looking interior and a menu to match.

The restaurant was full when I dropped by but they did have a lot of to-go items on display. The interior is somewhat of a bakery/coffeeshop while the main dining area is outdoors.

They currently open from 9AM to 6PM and are located across the street from Behbahani Complex, where Lunch Room used to be (Google Maps).

If you want to check out the menu, click here and here.

There’s a new fish and chips spot that just opened up in the city called The Fishery. They opened next to where Lunch Room used to be in T21 Tower, right across from Behbehani Complex. Their main menu consists of three items:

Fish Fillet Burger KD3.950
Fish and Chips (dory or cod fish) KD5.950
Shrimp Roll KD4.500

I haven’t passed by yet since my cheat day is on Friday (new year new me!) but it looks promising from the photos. They’re currently in their soft-opening phase but operate a full day from 2PM to 11PM. If you’re interested, they’re on Instagram @thefisherykuwait

My favorite breakfast spot in Istanbul @namligurme is opening here in Kuwait in Avenues Phase 1. Namlı Gurme is a deli-style restaurant in Istanbul which I love because it’s super casual and serves a delicious Turkish breakfast.

The way it works in Istanbul is when you first walk into the place you stand in line at the deli counter and when it’s your turn, you order whatever you want from their fridge displays (cheeses, cold cuts, olives, jams, etc) as well as eggs with whatever you want with it. When your food is ready the waiter will bring it over to your table and I always get a jug of Turkish tea to have with it. It’s my favorite kind of breakfast.

When I say it’s my favorite breakfast spot in Istanbul I’m also not exaggerating, I literally have breakfast there every day, that’s how great this place is. I’m pretty surprised they’re opening in Kuwait because the concept is based of their local produce, but while prepping for this post I found out they’re actually also open in Bahrain (@namlibahrain) so if the concept works there it should work here. @namligurmekuwait

Below is a list of places I found that offer Christmas-themed lunches & dinners as well as cakes. If there is a place you know I haven’t listed, let me know so I can add it:

Dine-In
Courtyard by Marriott @courtyardkuwait
Crowne Plaza @crowneplazakuwaitatc
Hilton Garden Inn @hiltongardeninn_kuwait
Hilton Kuwait Resort @hiltonkuwaitresort
Jumeirah Messilah @jumeirahmessilahbeach
Radisson Blu Hotel @radissonblukuwait
Vigonovo @vigonovo_kw

Take Away
Crowne Plaza @crowneplazakuwaitatc
Dean & Deluca @deandelucame
Little Deli @littledeli
Madison & Heig @madisonandheig

Xmas Cakes
BreadTalk @breadtalkkuwait
J’s Bakery @js_bakery
Madison & Heig @madisonandheig
Mr Baker @mrbakerkwt
November & Co @novemberandco
Sable @sable.kw

Earlier this month I posted that MEI LI was opening sometime this month, there is now an official date and its December 31st.

MEI LI is a new Pan Asian fine dining concept that is located inside the Grand Hyatt. They’re launching with a six-course special dinner for New Year’s Eve but then will start regular operations and bookings from January 1st onwards.

If you’re interested in the special NYE dinner, it’s 90KD per person and you have to call the hotel to book. @mei_likw @grandhyattkuwait

Basil Alsalem (@pepperlab), the same person behind our favorite places like Cocoa Room, White Robata and Milk Bun is officially launching his revamped OFK restaurant next week.

OFK located in Al Hamra Tower will officially open on December 15th and reservations will be available through their website ofkkuwait.com

Jahez, the Saudi equivalent of Talabat launched silently in Kuwait this week.

I know what you’re thinking, why do we need any more food delivery apps? We don’t, but, the more apps there are to compete against one another, the better it is for us because we’ll get better prices, deals, and services. @jahezapp

Last month during the rainstorm storm, the roof of the restaurant ROTO in Avenues collapsed. It was all over the news because of the eye-catching photos.

Luckily, no one got seriously injured but the restaurant was forced to close for repairs. This past weekend, they reopened again for business. I think it’s fair that if you gained traffic to your account with photos of their roof collapse, that you should at least return the favor now and let everyone know they’re open again. But that’s just me. @ontheroto

MEI LI is a new Pan Asian fine dining restaurant that is opening at the end of this month at the Grand Hyatt.

I briefly posted about MEI LI in my Grand Hyatt sneak peek post. Back then I wasn’t able to show too many photos of the space but now that they’re getting ready I wanted to share the photos I had taken because it really is a beautiful-looking restaurant.

The restaurant is located near the main lobby of the hotel and their Instagram account is @mei_likw although as of this post there isn’t anything there.

OVO, the vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian restaurant located in Bnaid Al Gar is opening their new location next month. The new location is located in Shuwaikh, inside the Design District, the same complex where the restaurant Cure and the gallery CAP are located.

The new location looks really great and will have both indoor and outdoor seating. It’s also located in the back of the complex overlooking a courtyard so once you’re inside it doesn’t feel like you’re in Kuwait.

If you’re a fan of Pret you’re probably aware that in the UK, any unsold food is always donated through the Pret Foundation.

So this got me thinking, what about Kuwait? Last week I reached out to Pret to find out and it turns out that in Kuwait it’s no different.

Locally, Pret A Manger has partnered up with the local non-profit organization re:food to try and make a difference. Every day any unsold food is donated by Pret to re:food who then take it and pass it along to the people who need it the most.

It’s a win-win for everybody and so I hope more places start doing this.

Kei, the first and oldest Japanese restaurant in Kuwait is reopening next month outside Assima Mall.

Kei first opened in Kuwait in 1980 and was initially located at the now-demolished Hilton Hotel in Bneid Al Gar. When the hotel got demolished, they moved to JW Marriott where they remained for 20 years until they had to move out again because the hotel was undergoing a major renovation. Kei is now moving to Assima Mall and for those of you who’ve been long-term customers, you’ll be pleased to know the majority of the old staff will be coming back as well.

The new Kei will be called Kei Downtown to differentiate it from the Kei Restaurant that will eventually reopen again at the JW Marriott. The new Kei will be a more casual dining experience with a more relaxed atmosphere.

The new location is in Assima Mall but on the outside and on the back with no mall access and adjacent to the entrance of the soon-to-open Marriott Executive Suites. To stay posted on the opening, follow @kei_downtown

I’ve been told that Chipotle is finally coming to Kuwait and it looks like Alshaya are the ones that could be bringing the brand.

I’ve been sitting on this news for a bit now waiting for a second source since I got this news wrong the first time back in 2013. That rumor never materialized so hopefully, this time around it will.

Chipotle for those who don’t know is an American Mexican grill chain specializing in bowls, tacos, and burritos made to order in front of the customer. Chipotle operates in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and France.

I reached out to Alshaya to confirm this rumor but they did not want to comment on it.