Category: Food

I’m a very routine-oriented person, and one of the things I like to do is head to The Avenues every Friday morning, at least in the hot months when I can’t be outdoors. I just find it relaxing to walk around and shop, and before it gets busy, I have an early lunch and then leave. My go-to place for lunch is usually Em Sherif Café or Midar; but recently, I’ve added Matbakhi to the list.

Matbakhi is an authentic Palestinian restaurant that has been open for a couple of months. It’s owned by Chef Sawsan (@sawsansmatbakhi) and is inspired by her heritage and her mother’s recipes. I think I’ve been there six or seven times already, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite spots.

I think they have one of the best, if not the best, tabbouleh and shish taouk in Kuwait. The reason I first went there was because of their shish taouk. A friend at work who knows that’s all I ever eat tried their taouk and told me I had to try it because it was the best one she’d ever had, and she was right. Matbakhi is also one of those places where you can’t really go wrong no matter what you order. Every time I’ve been there with various people, everyone has always loved whatever they’ve ordered. Oh, and they also have the best Om Ali ever—seriously, so good.

Their prices are in the mid-to-upper range of Lebanese restaurants. The taouk, for example, is 4.950 KD, while the tabbouleh is 2.950 KD. The only negative aspect might be their service, which can be a bit iffy sometimes, but that’s just nitpicking. If you want to try the place out, they’re located across from Cheesecake Factory in Phase 3. They’re always pretty busy, so either head there when they first open at 12 PM (which is what I do), or put your name on the waiting list and then kill time walking around The Avenues. Their Instagram account is @matbakhibysawsan

Fable is a chocolate story that’s been in the making for over three years and they’re finally launching today. It’s a locally created chocolate bar concept launching with 7 Fable flavors including Qurs Egaily, Strawberry Cheesecake, Caramel Popcorn, Coffee Crunch (Protein), Peanut Butter (Vegan), Birthday Cake, and Hazelnut.

The first thing that caught my attention were the colorful illustrations and branding on all the chocolate bars. The owner loves telling stories and so he wanted all his chocolate bars to tell their own individual stories as well. That’s why the flavors aren’t listed on the front of the packaging. Instead, illustrations are used, so customers have to interpret them to identify the flavors.

Fable will constantly be rotating flavors and have 67 different ones in the pipeline right now. They’ll also be releasing a different influencer flavor every month that will be done in collaboration with various local influencers and feature them illustrated on the chocolate bars.

If you’re interested in trying their chocolate bars, you can get them from their website fablechocolates.com or head over to their instagram account for the link or more details. @fablechocolates

This post is for my Lebanese readers, Malak Al Tawouk is opening in Kuwait right next to Johnny Rockets in Salmiya.

Malak Al Tawouk and another similar place called HaJal were my goto restaurant when I was studying in Lebanon during my university days in the late 90s. They served HUGE tawouk sandwiches for super cheap, like 600fils cheap. The sandwiches were usually filled with coleslaw, tawouk, fries and ketchup. Very budget friendly, very filling and tasted delicious which is why it was one of my favorites places.

Since they first opened in 1996, they’ve grown and opened multiple of locations in Lebanon, as well as locations around the world, mostly where Lebanese reside so Montreal, Paris, Dubai etc. I’m not to sure about their choice in their first location in Kuwait though, that strip where they’re opening has a pretty long history of restaurants failing. Only Johnny Rockets has survived there and nothing else.

Note: I found an old post of mine from 2006 where I mentioned Malak Al Tawouk was opening in Kuwait. Not sure what happened back then but they’re finally opening now. I also found a photo from 2006 of the sandwich next to my phone back then (pre-iPhone). I tried to find the original photo in my archive but I just wasted an hour of my life looking for it and eventually gave up since I have a more important post I’m working on.

Shandiz, one of the best (might be the best) Persian restaurant in Kuwait is opening a new location in the city. On my way home I spotted their signs up in the same building as where ALOHA is in the city (Google Maps).

The current Shandiz store next to Muthana Complex is pretty small, so I’m guessing they’re either opening a second location to cater to more customers, or the building they’re currently in is getting demolished and so they needed to find a new spot.

Although this new location is near my office, it’s actually a terrible location due to the parking situation (there isn’t any, well there is just not close to being enough). The whole block is heavily congested and at night people just double park on the main road.

Update: A reader pointed out it says seafood on the sign, so it looks like it’s going to be a different kind of Shandiz.

Philippe is a New York-based high-end Chinese restaurant by Executive Chef Philippe Chow. They are opening their first location outside the US at JACC this coming Thursday, June 6th.

The restaurant is known for its sophisticated dining experience, and its New York location is a popular destination for celebrities and food enthusiasts. The cuisine is considered modern Beijing-style, and they are especially famous for their Peking duck and satays.

The reservation link is on their Instagram page, but there doesn’t seem to be any dates available. You could try your luck as a walk-in without a reservation since most restaurants in Kuwait tend to have a no-show rate of around 20-30%. @philippechow.kw

Nando’s are opening their new location at the Marina Mall sea side extension, Marina Crescent this coming Thursday, June 6th. Although I really enjoyed the food at The Warehouse location, it was just too far for me to want to drive there just for Nando’s. The Marina location makes a lot more sense for me so I’ll be there pretty much all the time.

I’ve been ordering from Bite Club ever since they opened back in December. As a cheesesteak fan, I tried Bite Club on a friend’s recommendation and was instantly hooked. Since then, I’ve become a regular customer.

When the Bite Club team briefed me for this post, they mentioned they believed they had one of the best cheesesteaks in Kuwait. Interestingly, (they don’t know this) but before they reached out to me I had been working on a list of the top cheesesteaks in Kuwait, and Bite Club was #1 on my list. I don’t think it’s just one of the best; I think it IS the best cheesesteak in Kuwait.

Bite Club was created by a group of friends who are very passionate about food. One of the reasons I love their Philly Cheesesteak, besides the incredible flavor, is the high-quality meat they use. This commitment to quality ingredients extends across their entire menu, they even make their sauces in-house from scratch so they can control every ingredient.

They have three different cheesesteaks on their menu, but the only one I’ve tried and usually order is their regular “Rib-Eye Cheesesteak”. In addition to the cheesesteaks they also have smashed burgers and fried chicken burgers on their menu, as well as a variety of sides that includes both normal and sweet potato fries, and “chickies”.

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

There are a lot of great Thai restaurants in Kuwait but my favorite by far has to be Phet Phet. I think they have the best Pad Thai and Panang Curry in Kuwait, but I also really love their Spicy Potato Noodles. They have been delivery only since they launched a few years ago, but today they’re opening their first dine-in location.

Phet Phet was started by two female friends who used to go to Thailand a lot. When covid hit, they missed Thailand and the food they used to have there, and since delivery wasn’t available at one point, they decided to make their own recipes and cook their own food. Eventually, they decided to open up a restaurant and called it Phet Phet.

Their new location is located in Salmiya, on the same street as %Arabica and Joe and the Juice. It’s a very cute space and so close to where I live which is great for me. They’re open from 3PM to 11PM daily except for Sundays when they close. Here is the location on Google Maps, and their instagram account is @phetphetkw

Although I haven’t been to Palm Palace restaurant in Salmiya since the 90s, it is pretty sad seeing it getting demolished. They’ve been around since 1979 and they were located next to my home so I grew up right next to them. I actually wanted to go back to it for nostalgic reasons but never did and now it’s too late. Actually, I just realized the last time I was there I think was in the early 2000s? I remember a friend had just gotten the first Nokia with the camera and he was showing it to me there.

Young Po is a new Pan-Asian restaurant opening soon, created by local chef Khaled AlBaker (@chefkb). When I found out he was opening an Asian concept I was pretty excited since I love Chinese food and there aren’t that many “nice” Chinese restaurants in Kuwait. I had the opportunity to try out Young Po last week, and I had a great overall experience.

Young Po isn’t limited to just Chinese food but also covers a wide range of Asian food including Japanese and Korean. The menu was divided into six categories:

• Starters
• Dim Sum
• Sushi & Sashimi
• Special Quests
• Robata
• Wok

The special quests category is for items like roasted duck and shabu shabu, while the rest of the categories are pretty self-explanatory. I ended up ordering the following dishes:

• Master Garden Salad
• Lobster on Toast
• Deobokki (Rice Cakes)
• Prawn Jiaozi (Dim Sum)
• Not-so California Roll
• Chu Toro Nigiri
• Wagyu Tenderloin (Robata)
• Baloul Clay Pot (Robata)
• Brocollini (Robata)
• Sweet & Sour Shrimp
• Egg Fried Rice

It was a lot of food for just two people, but it gave me a chance to try out a variety of dishes I usually wouldn’t order. I ended up loving everything I tried but, my go-to dish is always sweet & sour (I’m boring like that) and the one at Young Po might be the best I’ve ever had.

There were no prices on the menu when I was there, and of this post they’re still being finalized. But, it will be an “upper” casual dining experience.

If you want to try Young Po they’re opening in Shuwaikh this Wednesday, May 1st. Reservations are currently open on their website but there will be tables available for walk-ins as well.

The Instagram account is @youngpo.me, but to reserve a table, head over to youngpo.com

Yesterday I went with a friend to Chipotle for lunch and to my surprise there was a pretty huge line. There were actually two lines, a really long line for the counter where they build your order, and another shorter line for the digital kiosks. But, here is a life pro tip, you can skip both lines by just placing the order through their website.

Instead of waiting in line to place my order, I just went to chipotleme.com and placed an order through the website and then just went up to the pick up counter and got my order from there. I placed the order at 3:21 and five minutes later at 3:26 I got an email telling me my order was ready to pick up.

The reason you get your order so quickly is because Chipotle have two prep lines, one for in person orders and another in the back for digital orders. There are a lot less people ordering through the kiosk or website so you’re basically skipping the line by going through one of those channels.

So next time you’re at Avenues and feel like having Chipotle, just order through your phone.

I had Ferdi for the first time back in 2013 when I visited a couple of friends who were studying in Paris. They were both regulars at Ferdi, a hole in the wall restaurant that was starting to become a hotspot for celebrities and a place to be seen during Paris Fashion Week and other high-profile events. I remember the second time I was having dinner there, Kim and Kanye were also there just a couple of tables away. It was surreal, mostly because everyone there was so casual about it.

But that was then, today Ferdi has become a popular tourist destination and they now have locations around the world as well as a spinoff brand called Dinand par Ferdi. They also just opened in Kuwait, and last night I was invited to try it out.

The best way to describe Ferdi’s food is unpretentious comfort food. My usual order includes corn on the cob, mac & cheese, French fries and their famous cheeseburger. Nothing about their food is special, they don’t have the best cheeseburger in the world or the best fries, but when in Paris, it’s the combination of good simple food, decent prices, cozy space and the ambience that makes Ferdi, Ferdi. Not sure that concept works in Kuwait since we all have our favorite comfort food spots and we all definitely have our favorite burger places, but we’ll soon find out.

Ferdi Kuwait is located at JACC right next to White Robata. Their prices are similar to Paris with their Mac Ferdi’s Cheeseburger costing KD5.850 and KD2.000 for a side of fries. Reservations at the moment are required and as of this post, it looks like the next available date is May 29th. So good luck getting a table until the hype settles. @ferdi.kuwait

Yesterday I was at Chipotle Avenues Mall (they’re not open yet, I was just given access) and here is everything you need to know.

Opening Date:
They still don’t have an exact date, it will be during Eid that’s for sure, possibly April 10th. (Update: The opening date is officially April 9th)

Prices:
They’re going to be slightly more expensive than the US, but just slightly. For example, the burrito in Kuwait starts at KD 3.5 which is around $11.5, the same burrito in the US would cost around $10.5 (with tax). Here are all the items and their prices:

Burrito KD 3.500
Burrito Bowl KD 3.500
3 Tacos KD 3.500
Single Taco KD 1.250
Quesadilla KD 3.700
Salad KD 3.500
Kids BYO KD 2.250
Kids Quesadilla KD 2.000

Chips KD 0.950
Chips & Guacamole KD 1.900
Large Chips & Guacamole KD 3.150
Chips & Fresh Tomato Salsa KD 1.250
Chips & Tomatillo (Red Chili) KD 1.250
Chips & Tomatillo (Green Chili) KD 1.250
Chips & Roasted Chili Corn Salsa KD 1.250
Chips & Queso Blanco KD 1.750

Proteins:
Chicken, Steak, Braised Beef (Barbacoa), Sofritas, Veggies “includes Guacamole”

Ordering:
There will be 4 ways to order from opening day, you can either stand in line and build your order with an employee, or you can order from their digital kiosks, order through a QR code on the table, or order through the Chipotle Middle East app which will be available at launch.

Delivery:
Won’t be available at launch, but will become available as they open more branches.

Tidbits:
Some of the staff were brought in from Chipotle in the States and will be here permanently including the manager. Their prep and cooking kitchen is open and visible while waiting in line (I love that). Everyone I met and saw while there seemed happy and thrilled. I’m not very familiar with the brand since I only had it twice before, but the vibe I felt was really upbeat and fun, they’re really excited to open.

Hmmm, I think that’s all there is to know. I didn’t eat anything because I wasn’t really hungry, but I did leave with some fresh chips and guacamole.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments. And this is my last Chipotle post, I promise 😅

Just a random post, I’m obsessed with these spinach nuggets, I got them a few days ago from a place called Makani in Shuwaikh and they’re so delicious. It’s by a brand called Dr Praeger’s and they are very easy to make, you just throw them in the air frier for 10 mins and they make a good breakfast. They’re not ridiculously priced and they’re not just for kids, you can get them here.

Last year, Chipotle announced a partnership with Alshaya Group to introduce its franchise to the Middle East, and they’re now ready to open their inaugural location.

The first Chipotle in Kuwait is set to open at The Avenues (next to VOX Cinema) this Eid. While an exact date hasn’t been finalized, they’re aiming to open soon after their private VIP event on April 8th. So stay tuned.

Update: They just informed me that the official instagram account for the Middle East is @chipotle.me and will go live later today

Update2: The final opening date is now April 9th