Category: Food & Drinks

Broskis Deli has been open for just over a month now, and I think I’ve been there five or six times already. It has quickly become my go-to place when I’m in the mood for comfort food, in my case, a good filling sandwich.

I’ve tried most of the sandwiches on their menu, and here is a list of my favorites, ranked from best to least favorite so far:

Meatball Hero
Chopped Cheese
Broski Burger
Chicken Parm
Club Sandwich
Pastrami Reuben

The Meatball sandwich caught me by surprise since it’s not something I had considered ordering, but I was with a friend who suggested we share it, and it’s now my favorite sandwich there. The Chopped Cheese is what you get if you merge a burger with a Philly Cheesesteak and it’s their most popular sandwich. The burger is also really good, but the main reason I go to Broskis is for the sandwiches. So, although it’s tempting, I try to avoid ordering the burger. If I’m with friends, I might order the burger to share as a side, but that’s also a difficult choice because if I want a side, I’d prefer their Truffle Mac & Cheese, which is the best in Kuwait.

Their portions are really huge, which is why I always prefer going there with a friend so we can share sandwiches and sides. For two people, the optimal amount of food is probably one sandwich to share (they come cut in half), a burger to share, one side, and a cookie each for dessert. That actually might still be too much food, but you can’t go to Broski and not overeat when there are too many good options to pick from.

Their prices are a bit on the high side, but that most likely has to do with the fact that they use a wagyu blend for their sandwiches and because the portions are large. For example, their burger is KD5.750, while their Chopped Cheese sandwich is KD5.250. Truffle Mac & Cheese is KD3.250, and the cookies are KD1.250 each.

Broskis is located in Sharq, near the British Embassy (Google Maps). It has a casual, come as you are vibe and there is plenty of seating. They’re on instagram @delibybroskis

Is it me or does the interior of the newly reopened Jimmy’s smashed burger in Kuwait City look pretty similar to the popular London burger spot Supernova?

Eid Sari Al Azemi has a farm in Wafra and proudly calls himself the first banana farmer in Kuwait. While others have grown bananas in Kuwait before, Al Azemi stands out with over 2,000 trees supplying the local market daily with his Kuwait-grown bananas.

Al Azemi initially started with just eight banana trees as an experiment to see how they would turn out. After growing and tasting them, he decided to expand and grow more. Despite his friends and fellow farmers advising him to stick to tomatoes and cucumbers, Al Azemi was determined to innovate. He chose not to follow the crowd and instead pursued his vision of bringing something new to the table. So, he started growing bananas, and not just one kind, he grew bananas from Ecuador, Oman, Philippines, and Turkey.

He considers himself the first banana farmer in Kuwait since he was the first to grow over 1,000 banana trees with plans to expand to 30,000. While bananas are his primary focus, he also cultivates papayas, figs, and mangos. I thought mangos would be the hardest to grow in Kuwait, but interestingly, bananas were the most challenging in his experience.

Right now his bananas aren’t widely available yet due to the limited number he produces. He currently sells to a wholesaler in Sulaibiya but he recommend you pass by his farm and buy directly from him. He says he sells them cheaper than the imported bananas in the market, and you’ll also be getting them straight from the farm.

If you want to pass by his farm, here is a link to it on Google Maps. You can also follow Eid on instagram @kes.1971, and on TikTok @eid_alsari and Twitter @h_asdasd where he is more active

Kings of Maillard is one of those hidden gems that not many people know about, but it offers really great food. This fairly new concept opened this past February and is a chef-driven fire bistro created by the same team behind one of my favorite restaurants in Kuwait, Oak & Smoke. I’ve visited a few times since their opening, and this past week, I was invited to try their new summer menu.

One of the things I really like about Kings of Maillard is how they manage to blend flavors and influences from different cultures. It’s always interesting having dinner there since I tend to experience new flavors, or at the very least different flavors from my usual. You’re not going to find any sort of maple shrimp or popular pasta on their menu, that’s not what they’re about. Instead, they believe that food should excite, surprise, and delight customers and I think it works. Their long term goal is to eventually get a Michelin Star so that should give you an idea of how dedicated they are to this.

When I passed by earlier this week I got to try a few items from their set menu and ended up leaving with some favorites including the following:

Beef Tartare
nori crisp, green almand, arabic seven spice, shallot, red yuzu koshu

Wood Fire Roasted Cabbage
blue cheese emulsion, brown butter miso hollandaise, pickled apples and shallots, pistachio gremolata

Wagyu Picanha
truffle potato espuma, squid ink butter & dashi emulsion, fried enoki mushrooms

But I’d honestly go back just for the delicious complimentary bread with their pistachio flavored butter on the side.

If you’re looking for a new place to try, Kings of Maillard is open for lunch and dinner and they just launched their summer menu. They’re located in Shuwaikh right next door to Oak & Smoke. Check them out on @kingsofmaillard

There are two parts to this design highlight, the first is the interior which was done by Studio Nesef, the second is the beautiful ceramic dinnerware and accessories which were produced by From Mud.

This is Tatami’s third location and my favorite design wise. The first thing that catches your attention is the large suspended Moon light pendant surrounded by intricate wooden joinery I’m assuming is inspired by the Japanese cidori system. The space is minimal but the use of natural materials like wood and rough stone help give the space a bit of warmth.

For the dinnerware and table accessories, Tatami commissioned the local ceramic design studio From Mud to create them (Full disclosure: the owner is my wife). All the items were hand built with a sculptural approach to tableware that was inspired by Japanese elements. For example, the table centre pieces are composed of three organic branch-like vases that intertwine, and are inspired by Japanese floral arrangements. The cutlery rests replicate the softness of rice cakes (mochi), while the taco and napkin holders were inspired by ‘Ma,’ the concept of highlighting the negative space around an object.

The new Tatami is located in The Gardens area of The Avenues. It’s a bit hidden only because you need to get off the main Phase 4 corridor and go up the escalators to get to the area. But, some of my favorite restaurants in The Avenues are located there including Midar and Em Sherif Cafe.

To check out more photos of Tatami by Studio Nesef, check this link. If you want to check Tatami out, their instagram is @tatamirestaurant

Bentoyaki is a new and interesting local concept that brings the Korean BBQ experience to your home. The concept revolves around box kits that include everything you need to have your very own Korean BBQ wherever you are.

The owner, a fan of Korean BBQ, wanted to open a restaurant but also wanted to offer something different from the typical burger joint or other readily available options. Bentoyaki is a simple yet fun idea where people can order a kit containing all the items needed to replicate the authentic Korean BBQ experience at home.

The Bentoyaki Boxes come with the following items:
250g Sukiyaki beef (Angus or Wagyu)
150g White rice
Teriyaki Sauce
Garlic Sauce
Kimchi

In addition to those items, the box also includes a grill, instant lighting charcoal, and tongs. They sent me a box to try, and it was very easy and quick to set up. You just need to light the charcoal, and you can start grilling your beef right away. Once you’re done grilling, simply empty the small pouch filled with water (included) into the grill to extinguish the charcoal. That’s it, super easy.

Other than their boxes, Bentoyaki also have other Asian dishes you can order including plenty of appetizers and sides to pick from. They’re currently available for delivery only from 1PM to 10PM. You can order their boxes straight from their website orderbentoyaki.com or through the delivery app Cari. For more information you can check out their instagram account @bentoyaki.kw

Kuwait is currently oversaturated with burger spots but that wasn’t always the case. Back in 1969, when Wimpy opened in Kuwait, there weren’t any other burger brands.

Wimpy was a US burger franchise that first opened in 1934 with the name inspired by the burger loving character, Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons. In 1957, Wimpy International was created, and in 1969, Kuwait Food Company (Americana) brought the Wimpy franchise to Kuwait.

The first Wimpy location in Kuwait was in Salmiya which I’ve shared the pictures above. The other location I have shared is the Ahmadi Market location below.

Wimpy claim to have served the first ever cheeseburger to Arabia. I know from people who used to go to Hubara Club in Ahmadi in the 60s that they had a burger on their menu. But, that wasn’t really open to the general public. So, it would be safe to say, that Wimpy, at least helped introduce the burger to the mainstream population of Kuwait.

The oldest memory I have of Hardee’s is this 3D kids meal box. It’s from 1983 and I remember vividly picking it up from Hardee’s in old Salmiya, the location that was opposite Fay and Barakat (the shawarma place). The memory I have is being in the car parked outside Fay, and I remember as soon asI got in the car, the first thing I did was look through the red and blue windows to see if I could see anything inside. I also remember I had ordered a roast beef as my kids meal burger.

Back in 2015, I found the advert above in an old bookshop in the city which helped me re-spark that memory and I knew I needed to get the box again. Fast forward to last week, I finally found a box that was reasonably priced, was of Spiderman, and most importantly, included the comic. And now I have it thanks to eBay.

Update: I have an old photo of the building that used to house the Swan Lake music shop, Barakat and Fay. The photo was taken from my PDA, a Sony Clie UX40 back in the early 2000s and was posted on MoBlog back in 2004 (usurp.textamerica.com). Text America died and I never backed it up but I have the image as a thumbnail which I enlarged. Posting it here just for Google incase anyone in the future is ever looking for it. Hardees is the red lit up sign on the bottom left. Previous location of the first Wimpy location in Kuwait.

Random fact I recently discovered, the manager of the Swan Lake music shop in the 80s was the owner of the Bells music shop in the 90s.

I’ve never signed up to a meal plan because I really disliked the idea of pre-planning meals ahead of time. I never know what I want to eat until I actually want to eat. I also don’t like the idea of getting all my food in the morning, and then having to reheat them whenever it’s time to eat. Forevermore is a meal plan that solved both those issues for me.
 

Instead of having to pre-plan your meals, with Forevermore you just order the food you want when you want it, and you’ll get it within 45 minutes, just like ordering from a restaurant. But, their app is what makes them really special.

Imagine if the MyFitnessPal app also had a built-in restaurant, that’s basically what Forevermore is. When you first create a Forevermore account, the app will ask you a few questions about yourself,  like how much you weigh, how much you’d like to lose, and how quickly. Based on your answers, the app will calculate an optimum daily calorie intake for you which then becomes your daily target. Whenever you order anything from Forevermore, the app deducts the calories from your daily intake and lets you keep track of how much more you have left. It’s all visually displayed and updated throughout the day, and it can even connect to your phone’s health info to know if you worked out and how many calories you burned.

I’ve actually been enjoying the experience so much that after I finished consuming the one month trial package they had hooked me up with, I signed myself up for another month so I could continue ordering. I already have a lot of favorite items including their murabyan, mushroom steak bowl, butter chicken, fish & chips, katsu curry and their short ribs & mash.

If you’re looking for a new meal plan and want to try Forevermore out, they have a new summer package that goes live today called FM Bite where you can sign up for their meal plan at just 75KD. But, they also have a special trial package for my readers right now. Contact their call center on 22909427 and let them you heard about them through 248AM and they’ll give you a 25KD trial package that is valid for 1 week. Check them out on @forevermore.fm or download the app from this link.

Yesterday KDD launched a new line of ice cream they’re calling “Good for Me”. It’s ice cream that has zero percent added sugar making them healthier than their regular ice cream. Here is everything you need to know:

• They will be available in three flavors, vanilla, strawberry and chocolate

• It still tastes sweet because they use a combination of plant-based sweeteners, stevia and erythritol

• The chocolate cup has 130 calories while both the strawberry and vanilla have 140 calories (170ml)

• The total sugar in this ice cream is 6 grams (this is from the natural lactose in milk), which is 65% less than regular ice cream

• The ice cream does not contain artificial colors or flavors

• The price is 400 fils per cup (their regular old ice creams are 100 fils per cup)

• KDD will be launching more GOOD FOR ME products in the future (I hope they launch sugar free Silver 🙇🏼‍♂️)

• Good For Me was co-funded by The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and Clinically tested by Dasman Diabetes Institute

Correction: I previously stated the number of calories were per 150g, it’s actually per 170ml and so I’ve corrected that.

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