Category: Food & Drinks

As I mentioned in my Shake Shack post there are lines everywhere and I posted a picture of the line outside Shake Shack and one outside Abercrombie & Fitch. The picture above is of the line outside Magnolia Bakery and we even had to wait in line to get into Marc Jacobs!

I passed by Madison Square Garden around 3:30PM for lunch to try out Shake Shack. When I got there it turned out there was a very long line so I stood in it and waited. 40 minutes later I got to the front of the line and it was my turn to order. I decided to go with one single Shack Burger for Nat, a double Shack Burger for me, two fries and two cokes. The bill came out around $21 and I sat down at a table and waited again until it was my turn to pick up my order.

I picked up my order around 10 minutes after that and it looked delicious. I love the way they serve the food in a carton box. I took a few pictures quickly and started eating. The burger was delicious. But was it worth the 40 minute wait? Don’t think so. I mean its a good burger but 40 minutes just to order?? According to the person in line behind me their lines are usually even longer! I guess everyone here is used to waiting in line so 40 minutes is probably nothing to them. I waited 30 minutes at the Apple Store just to pay for some items and I saw people waiting in line outside Abercrombie & Fitch to get in as well. Lines are part of everyday life here.

Now the Shake Shack seating area is also as impressive as their burgers. Since it’s in the park, the seating area reminded me a lot of the beer gardens in Munich except here you had beer AND burgers, they’ve got the Germans beat with that. In any case I can’t wait for Shake Shack to open up in Kuwait. I just hope there won’t be a line like at Pinkberry…

Here is a picture of the line outside Abercrombie & Fitch.

Found this cute little diner near my hotel on Smith Street that serves a really fully breakfast called The Lumberjack. Three humongous pancakes, ham, bacon, sausage and two eggs. Delicious!

A reader made me realize something funny. In today’s Arab Times (21 May 2010) on page 30 there is a Pork recipe! [Link]

Thanks Ravi

Lots of rumors and scans circulating, it’s all not true. [Link]

Update: The letter from the US Embassy which I stated in the comments below was probably a fake forward being sent around was actually sent by the US Army to everyone on base. You can read the letter [Here].

I am just wondering now if this letter was a reaction to the other letters that have been floating around by email or if the US Embassy got confirmation regarding this from another source.

OK be prepared for the best post yet on this blog…

I was talking to a friend of mine about Salmiya in the 80s and one thing led to another and I was telling him how strong a brand Tikka was back then. I was telling him about the “I like it spicy” guy (pictured above) and the Tikka commercials and how if you asked anyone who grew up in Kuwait back in the 80s they would remember the commercial and even sing you the jingle. It became a classic like the Pizza Italia and Hungry Bunny commercials.

Anyway I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be cool to find out who the “I like it spicy” guy was, what happened to him and how he looked like today? Well guess what… After a bit of research and digging around I found out who he was.

The actor who played the “I like it spicy” character was Galal Zaki. He wasn’t an actor, he worked in the ad agency that came up with the idea. Like Alfred Hitchcock, Galal liked to star in his own work and that’s how he ended up becoming the Tikka guy. the picture below is of Galal Zaki which I found on Google and is dated 2007. Although a lot older now you can still see some resemblance.

Today Galal Zaki is the CEO of Perception Communication in Egypt. He was also recently awarded the Rameh IAA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Update: Here is an old Tikka commercial. It’s not the famous one but its better than nothing…

[YouTube]

Update2: And here is the more popular one…

[YouTube]

I guess the gelatin issue isn’t really an issue.

Not sure if this can be counted as an activity or not but it is more entertaining than sitting at home doing nothing. A reader emailed me to tell me that his friend’s band perform live unplugged music every Friday and Saturday at Applebee’s. On Friday they play at the Gulf Road branch while on Saturday they play at the Fintas branch. They start at 8:30PM and play until midnight.

Thanks Osama

This is gross. 5 tons of deep fried falafel… [Link]

via blogbaladi

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

The Question

Fahad,

I have a question. This may sound really stupid. But, other than weight concerns. What other reasons are there for eating healthy?
What I mean by that is lets say someone does not have any weight issues. What benefits does eating healthy offer them? Apart from like getting all the required nutrients perhaps.

Like if someone is not fat and dont get fat, why shouldn’t they eat sugar? Or why shouldn’t they eat lots of fat? Or white bread? Or cookies? Cakes? Big Macs? Fries? Sodas?

I mean we always look at this from a caloric and weight loss/muscle gain perspective. But, beyond that, what are the long term impact on health of eating well beyond just getting all the required nutrients?

Can you talk a bit about that.

– Ed

The Answer

Well Ed, I am cleared to tell you how much wood a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

“Ed: I often wondered about this phenomenon. Do tell.”

A woodchuck could chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could, but really, who gives a damn about a woodchuck?

On a serious note, I found this question too significant to include in the comments below my last post. I will be answering Ed’s questions in the order I see fit.

A reader sent me the picture above which he took at Dubai Festival City. Looks like Wendy’s and Arby’s opened up there and hopefully we’re next.

Thanks xeonali

Update: A reader passed by and tried them out. Turns out they opened up yesterday the 9th of May but the official opening will be on the 11th. Both Wendy’s and Arby’s are the same restaurant with one combined menu which is pretty strange. Below are some pictures he took. (thanks mohammed)

There is an article on CNN about Kuwait and obesity in which they’re blaming obesity on fast food joints and the fact that there is little to do in Kuwait but eat. I personally would have to disagree with that idea since blaming fast food joints and the lack of activities is the easy thing to do.

Fast food joints are everywhere in every country and the only way they play a role in obesity is if you go and eat there. Its people who make the decision to go with fast food when other healthier choices are available. If I can quit junk food ANYONE can quit junk food. I also disagree with the lack of activities part since other than clubbing and pubbing there are a ton of activities to do. Now if it was 1994 then yeah I might agree with that but today there are way more things to do then back then (we only had ice skating!).

Eat healthier people and keep reading Fahad’s post. Here is a link to the CNN article [Link]

After reading Fahad’s post below I felt like finally passing by Baking Tray in Kuwait City and trying it out. I had heard a lot about the place but hadn’t had the chance to try it out yet. The place is located in Kuwait City near the Wataniya Telecom building and opposite Saso Lounge (Google Map). The interior is cozy and the display of food was very appetizing. They have pies, sandwiches, pizza’s, pastas and a variety of pastries and desserts.

Everything looked really good but I managed to stay away from all the sweets and ordered some sandwiches. I was with Nat and so we ordered two sandwiches to share. She had the garlic chicken avocado sandwich with rye bread while I tried the Philly steak also with rye bread. The sandwiches took around 20 minutes to reach us and they looked very good. I tried both sandwiches and I have to say the garlic chicken avocado was really good and the garlic flavor was very light. The Philly steak on the other hand I didn’t like at all. In the menu it mentioned all the ingredients except for one which is Dijon mustard. I am not a fan of Dijon mustard and the whole sandwich was just plastered with it. I couldn’t taste anything except the mustard, the sandwich was just literally dripping with mustard and I hated it. Not sure why they didn’t mention it as an ingredient. Even the Philly steak picture on their website doesn’t look like it had any Dijon mustard in it so I am guessing its something they decided to add at a later stage after the menus were printed and pictures taken. Below you can see my sandwich on the left with the Dijon mustard dripping out while the one on the right is taken from their website.

Even though I was disappointed with the Philly steak I would still go back. I liked the atmosphere and I liked the large variety of healthy dishes they had. Prices are very reasonable except for the Philly steak. The garlic chicken avocado sandwich was KD2 which I think was the average price for their sandwiches. The Philly steak on the other hand was KD3.3 which was not worth it. For 500 more fils I could have had my favorite “NY Thing” sandwich from Napket. But as I mentioned, they had a whole bunch of items I still want to try so I’m going back again. Here is a link to their website [Link]

Update: Went back today for lunch. Ordered the EBT which according to their menu online says that it contains Fried eggs, Bacon, tomatoes (roasted). This time the order took under 10 minutes to get to me but when I took my first bite it turned out the sandwich contained Dijon mustard as well! Not really sure whats going on and why Dijon mustard is never mentioned in their menu but this time I sent it back and asked for an EBT without mustard. When I got the sandwich back it turned out to be really really good. It’s three simple ingredients but it tasted great and the place has now officially become my favorite lunch spot. I just need to remember to tell them no Dijon mustard every time I order something.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Your world rocked in 3, 2, 1….

And we’re back with part 2 of my original post (Herro Prease!) that seemed to cause more racial and homophobic controversy than health and fitness orientation and guidance.

Taste Buds
I’m often criticized for my diminishing taste buds. When on a strict diet, the food consumed tends to taste awful and total caloric intake is extremely low. I’m eating 6-8 small portions per day of gooky old-fashioned oatmeal, funky-smelling boiled eggs, cold and barely chewable chicken breasts, tasteless and dry brown rice, and a lightly sweetened protein shake that tries its best to taste like a Johnny Rockets milkshake, but is actually one notch above dirt, and dirt can taste like ice cream when dieting.

So Masta of da Universe, if taste bud BAD, how can we trust you, haaaa!?
Have you ever sat next to a person who has been dieting more than 3 weeks? He/she will stare at you eating that burger and those fries. Moreover, they’ll tell you how to lightly dip your food in ketchup. What’s even more annoying, they’ll screw you over for not eating your entire meal; I should know, since I’m that annoying person. Lastly, I base the meals I eat on the ingredients used and how I feel after consumption. Through trial and error, I’ve discovered how long it takes my body to clean itself out if I just ate a fatty and carby meal.

Breakfass!
I am not a morning person at all. I hate the sun and anything associated with looking at the sun. I’ll even wear sun-glasses indoors in the morning, and I could care less if it made me look douchey. (If anyone has any job offerings somewhere cold and dark, please let me know.) In the meantime, I can’t deny the sensation of breakfast food. Once in a while, I’d wake up early on weekends and just have this strong urge to ditch my gooky oatmeal and boiled eggs for some tasty restaurant-served breakfast food. Before I begin, you need to take these points into consideration:

• Upon waking from 8-10 hours of sleep, our bodies are deprived of nutrients and water.
• Our inner functions tend to work optimally in the A.M., providing a challenge to any calorie intake; you can actually get away with a large thick pizza for breakfast and it’ll have a hard time storing itself as fat (assuming your healthy and fit).
• Eating breakfast at a maximum of 1 hour after waking up will provide your metabolism with a boost from heaven. The earlier you eat breakfast, the better.
• Eating breakfast more than 90 minutes after waking up will skyrocket your chances of obesity by 150%!

As part of Slider Station’s 3rd Anniversary celebrations they’ve introduced a special menu made up of dishes taken from the soon to open B+F Open Flame Kitchen. This is just a temporary menu thats just there until Friday, after that it goes back to the regular Slider Station menu.

I passed by for lunch and had the Swiss Guard burger along with some other dishes and it was great. For one thing it doesn’t have a girly thin patty but a nice juicy thick one which I prefer. They also have a new chocolate brownie pudding which I was told is even better than their regular chocolate pudding but since I am on a no sugar/chocolate diet I couldn’t try it. Anyway if you want to try out the new dishes the menu is there up until Friday.