Category: Food & Drinks

Cari, the new food delivery app I posted about earlier in the month is set to soft launch on October 26th if everything goes according to plan. This will basically be a beta launch that would be open to exclusive users and a way for their restaurant partners to get familiar with their system.

The public launch for Cari on the other hand will be on November 1st, so in around a week’s time.

As I previously mentioned, one of the things Cari will be offering to its users that will set them apart from its competition is delivery in 30 minutes or less. If you’re interested in getting early-access to the app, they have a sign up form on their website getcari.com.

Just a reminder, Pret A Manger opens today so expect to see lots of people Instagramming their Pret coffee cups this morning.

This isn’t really “new” news but Khyber, one of the oldest Indian restaurants and the best chicken tikka restaurant in Kuwait closed down their Kuwait City location earlier this year and moved to Hawalli. I hadn’t gone back since covid so was surprised when I got to their city location to find a sign saying they moved.

The new location isn’t really as cozy or charming looking as their old city location, but the food is still the same and their spicy tikka still is the best.

If you’ve never had their chicken tikka you should definitely try them out. As an added bonus their new location is right next door to the kunafa place Nafeeseh so you can also pass by afterwards for dessert. Khyber is open from 11AM to 11PM and here is their location on Google Maps.

In case you missed it, the TikTok video below went viral a few days ago of someone in the US trying Shani for the first time.

@exoticmunchiezz Wood trying some exotic drinks. #drink #soda #arab #exotic #munchies #snacks #fyp #exclusive #high #cornerstore #evanstonillinois ♬ original sound – exoticmunchiezz

Last November, I broke the news that Pret A Manger was coming to Kuwait and now a year later, they’re finally opening up their first store. Pret will be officially opening next Monday, October 17 in Al Hamra Tower. To stay posted on their news, you can follow their Instagram account @pretkw.official

via @inspirededibles

Last night Over Jar, the local chocolate concept launched a new branding and interior look for their stores. The new look feels a lot more modern and futuristic, unlike their older look which felt a bit more rustic. I hadn’t tried them before last night and although chocolate and crolls are their thing, I think they might have the best banana bread in Kuwait.

The first location to get the new facelift is their 360 Mall branch, so if you want to check it out that’s where you should head to. They’re in the old 360 Mall, right next to Asha’s. @overjar

The other day I posted about a new rule regarding delivery companies that went into effect yesterday. The new rules had to do mostly with delivery companies like Talabat, Carriage, and Deliveroo not being allowed to use third-party drivers amongst other things. I posted how this was going to cause a major disruption in the food delivery service and yesterday, it did.

When the new rule was announced, companies were given less than a month’s notice which meant they didn’t have enough time to implement all the new rules. Thankfully the Ministry of Interior just announced that they will be putting a hold on the new rules, and instead implement them starting January 1st, 2023.

So food deliveries should go back to normal today.

If you’re a bubble tea fan, a Redditor posted a list of popular boba places in Kuwait. I’m not a fan of bubble tea but ironically like half the places on her list are located on my street in Salmiya.

Check out her list by clicking here.

LPM

Since getting a visa to Saudi is so easy now I figured I’d share a list of some popular fine dining restaurants in Riyadh. Fine dining isn’t something we have a lot of in Kuwait so turning a trip to Riyadh into a dining experience is really easy.

AOK Kitchen

When I’m driving to Riyadh I tend to get there around lunch and Cipriani is usually my first stop. I actually think about lunch during the drive since it’s like a reward at the end of the long journey. Anyway, check out the list below of some of the popular fine dining spots in Riyadh:

Beefbar

Amazonico
AOK Kitchen
Beefbar
Billionaire
Cipriani
Coya
LPM
Myazu
Nobu
Nusret
Zuma

If there is anything else you think should be on the list let me know:

There is a new rule that will come into effect Saturday (October 1) where food delivery companies like Talabat, Carriage, and Deliveroo will no longer be allowed to use third-party drivers. Delivery companies will only be allowed to use drivers registered under their company to deliver food and in cars with clear branding and information (no more plain white generic cars).

Since the majority of the drivers (and riders) are contracted from third parties due to visa restrictions and limitations, this is gonna cause a major disruption in the food delivery service.

So starting this Saturday, expect slower delivery times, many restaurants showing up as busy, or restaurants showing as not available.

Wooden Bakery is one of the most popular bakeries in Lebanon and they’ve just opened up their first location in Kuwait. It’s a small store in Bustan Mall next to Fanar in Salmiya, but they had a nice variety of Lebanese breads and biscuits including kaak termisyeh which is Lebanese dried bread that goes perfectly with tea.

They also bake fresh fatayer and a small seating area inside the mall in case you want to sit and eat. They’re open from 7AM to 11PM and here is their location on Google Maps.

ROKA, the award-winning modern Japanese restaurant is opening at the Waldorf Astoria this coming Tuesday. If you want to know what kind of food they serve or their prices, their menu is available online and you can check it out here.

They also opened up reservations and it’s filling up pretty fast. As of this post, the next available booking is on October 12. If you want to book, here is the link.

I was just informed by a reliable source that Beefbar, the popular meat focused restaurant originally from Montecarlo is coming to Kuwait. I don’t have a location or date yet, only that they have now signed with a local partner.

Beefbar is already available in Dubai and Riyadh so we aren’t going to have the first location in the Gulf but, it’s pretty cool that restaurants like Roka and now Beefbar are entering the market.

If you’re a fan of Tampopo then you’ve probably seen Chef Rashid AlSaif there working behind the bar. This coming Saturday he’s holding a cooking class at OFF THE MENU in 360 Mall where he will teach you how to make dumplings from scratch.

There are limited spots available so if this interests you, here is the link to book.

I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older, I rarely eat at new places anymore. Well, that’s not completely true, I’ve just gotten a lot pickier with where I eat. I have my goto places that’s for sure, and Cocoa Room is my favorite breakfast spot. Earlier this year Cocoa Room launched a dinner menu and yesterday I decided to pass by and try it for the first time as part of my new goal to try a new place once a week.

The Cocoa Room dinner menu is Mediterranean influenced and so the mains section has lots of pasta, a couple of steaks, one seafood dish, and a burger. Not a big variety to pick from, and nothing really interesting but that’s because their starters section is where all the exciting dishes are. Thankfully they had an iPad with photos of all their items because all the dishes were in French and I had a difficult time visualizing what they were (You can check out the full menu here). I ended up ordering the following items:

Milefeuille D’avocat
Brioche De Champignons Crémeuse
Carpaccio De Boeuf
Spaghetti De Capri
Gratin de Maiz

Picking just three starters was difficult and if I had to pick again I’d probably go with the seabass carpaccio instead of the beef only because it’s not something I’d find elsewhere. For the pasta, I decided on the Capri because I wanted to try a new flavor and I never had a zesty spaghetti before (it was pretty ok).

Overall everything I had was good, the avocado millefeuille was probably my favorite dish while the mushroom brioche my least favorite (not enough mushrooms). The only complaints I have with the menu is the item names being in French and the lack of interesting mains. Lots of places in Kuwait have pastas and steaks so I was looking for something a bit more different to try. Also the desserts section wasn’t that appetizing but you can always head to Burger Boutique after dinner for their chocolate brownie pudding.

The total bill came to KD27.500 so expect to pay around KD15 per person. I had to reserve before heading there although there were empty tables so you could probably just walk in. Cocoa Room is definitely my favorite breakfast spot in Kuwait, but not sure I’d go back as often for their dinner.