Category: Food & Drinks

Well this post was going to be the ultimate water review but after drinking around 2 liters of water I threw in the towel. Other than the fact that I think I overdosed on water, they all started tasting the same after the third bottle. BUT, it didn’t go all to waste. I was able to answer the most important question… Does a KD5 bottle of water taste better than a 100fils bottle?

I picked up my bottles of water from four different sources, Dean & Deluca, Carrefour, Sultan Center Souk Sharq and Sultan Center Salmiya and I paid a total of KD17.330 for 19 bottles of water. I actually spent the bulk of that at Dean & Deluca purchasing 4 bottles of water which came out to KD11. I’ve listed all the bottles below with their prices but the KD5 bottle I will be reviewing is the one I got from Dean & Deluca called 10 Thousand BC. This is what it says on the back of the bottle:

Locked in an icy vault for over 10,000 years, this water comes from the remote and sheltered Coastal Glacier Range, that literally vibrates with the rich fragrance of health and vitality. Experience the pure, natural taste captured in 10 THOUSAND BC.

The competition? Our very own locally produced Al Rawdatain. It’s my favorite water and I like the brand a lot probably because it reminds me of my childhood. So how was it going to do against the water that comes from the beautiful coastal glacier range of British Columbia, Canada? Not very good.

You can take what I am about to say with a grain of salt since I am no water expert but the 10 Thousand BC water did taste better. I really felt like I was drinking snow, it smelled like snow and tasted like snow. Nat thinks I am losing it but I still have a bit of water left in the bottle (saving it for a special occasion like when Prince Charles comes over) to prove her wrong. The bottle looks great and the story behind the water is breathtaking. Al Rawdatain on the other hand tasted pretty normal but at 60fils its over 500 times cheaper. The Al Rawdatain water also came in a plastic bottle which although not as pretty as the 10 Thousand BC glass bottle can at least handle a fall without breaking.

So 10 Thousand BC tasted better but seriously who would buy a KD5 bottle of water to drink regularly? It’s actually one of the most expensive bottles of water in the world. I mean KD5 is an affordable luxury, anyone can afford it if they want to try it but does anyone drink it casually?

Check out the list of prices below.

Last night I was invited to sneak peek a new trendy Italian restaurant called MELENZANÈ. It’s a local creation by two young Kuwaitis who put a great deal of time and effort to create what has to be the most bizarre looking restaurant I’ve seen. The concept is based around mistakes and so you have chairs that are upside down or missing legs, tables on the ceiling, tables crawling up the walls, bottles hanging out of upside down drawers.. just a completely unusual and strange setup. Very cool and it caught me by surprise since when I had checked their website before visiting the place I got the impression it was a classic Italian restaurant. Instead, I got greeted by what an Italian restaurant would look like if it was based in Alice in Wonderland.

They’re still finalizing the dishes but from what I saw and tried, they have a wide range of things to choose from and the prices seemed very reasonable. They’re not open yet but they will next month once the new Bidaa extension opens up which by the way looks amazing. I wanted to take more pictures of the restaurant but the place was dim inside so I only managed to get a few decent ones which you can see below. You can check the MELENZANÈ website but it looks and sounds nothing like the actual place. The mood, colors and music are completely different. Seriously ignore everything especially the cheesy Italian music, when I was there they were playing very cool lounge music and that’s what they will be playing generally. Here is the [Link]

Has anyone tried The Plums WOW Burger at the Ritz Carlton in Bahrain? According to the menu (screenshot above) it costs KD35. I was just wondering if anyone’s tried it and if they thought it was worth it or not. [Link]

I love burgers and I’m glad my new nutrition plan includes burgers once a week because I don’t think I could have stuck to a plan that didn’t allow room for burgers. This past weekend I headed to 360 Mall for the Gulf Run 5 car show but first I decided to have lunch at The Meat Co. I had been wanting to try their burgers ever since my first visit but I never got the chance until now. I have to say, this was the hardest burger to review and I’ll explain why below.

I got to The Meat Co. early and decided to sit on the balcony overlooking Life with Cacao and Lorenzo. The friendly waiter gave me the menu and I flipped right away to their burger section. They had 6 burgers to choose from, the Classic Burger, the Cheese Burger, the Gourmet Burger (who the hell puts pineapple on a burger, totally gross), Rib Meat Burger, Lamb Burger and Chicken Burger. I went with the Cheese Burger although next time I will most probably go with their Rib Meat Burger and then maybe their Lamb Burger after that. I ordered my burger medium which is cool because when I first started this burger challenge I used to have my burgers well done but then as I started reading more about burgers and really getting into it I started having it medium well. To move to medium is a step in the right direction although I don’t think I would have a medium burger just anywhere.

The burger arrived and it looked beautiful. The shape, the size, the way everything was very tidy it just looked like the perfect burger. I took my first bite and in under a minute or two max I had finished the burger. It was the healthiest burger I’ve ever had and I’m talking about the actual beef patty here. It just tasted like it was made with really great quality meat. It wasn’t heavy, it didn’t have a bad after taste, it wasn’t fatty and it was very light on the stomach. It had the makings of a perfect burger which is why it was very difficult to review. There was very little flavor. It was lacking oomph which is why maybe next time I would get rid of the vegetables and put some mustard to see if that helps.

If I want to be extra nitpicky I would talk about how I am not a big fan of powdery buns but I in this case it didn’t bother me that much. My burger was very juicy and the bun didn’t have any trouble holding up, it didn’t get soggy which is always great. Speaking of juiciness, my burger arrived medium well instead of medium but that was fine. The final score is going to be a 4 out of 5. I would highly recommend it, it’s a near perfect classic burger. At KD5.500 its actually a steal.

The Meat Co. is located in 360 Mall
The cost of the Cheese Burger was KD5.500

Here are the burger places I’ve reviewed so far:
Applebee’s
Bredz
Burger Boutique
Fuddruckers
Hashi
Gaucho Gril
Gourmet Burger Kitchen
Johnny Rockets
Munch
Napket
Papa John’s Burgers
Prime & Toast
Ruby Tuesday
Slider Station
Sheraton Hotel
Smoke House
The Burger Hub
The Butcher Shop
The Little Oven
Wimpy

Yes the burger challenge is still on, I didn’t forget about it I just took a little break. There are a lot of new places that opened up since the last time I reviewed a burger and I will start visiting them one by one soon. First from this new bunch is Napket. Although they’ve been open for awhile they just recently introduced a new menu which includes among other things, burgers.

I had three burgers to choose from, Napket Signature, The Western and Mushroom & Swiss. I decided to go with the Signature burger which has roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions and cheddar cheese. The burger comes with french fries on the side but since I don’t have fried food anymore I asked for alternatives and ended up going with roasted potatoes instead.

The burger took a while to come and once it did it looked overcooked and charred. I was hungry and really looking forward to a good burger but, the forecast wasn’t looking good. Luckily I was wrong. I took my first bite into the burger and got completely surprised. It wasn’t burnt, it wasn’t dry, it was delicious. The beef patty was the perfect thickness and there was this sauce that was slightly spicy but added a lot of flavor to the burger. The caramelized onions were also a great addition, I’ve really started enjoying them in my burgers and in this case they added a very nice touch of sweetness that went strangely very well with the spicy sauce. It would have been perfect except for one major flaw… the roasted tomatoes. They were just too juicy for the burger, so juicy that the bottom bun had become extremely soggy and the whole burger was dripping. It was easily the messiest burger I’ve had since the start of this challenge and I’ve mentioned it before how much I hate messy burgers.

The burger cost KD3.500 which is fairly decent for a dish at Napket especially since it also comes with roasted potatoes (or fries) and a small portion of green stuff (I think they call it salad). The final score is a 3.5 out of 5. Everything was great except for the sogginess and mess that came with it. I told the waiter about the problem and he said he would pass my feedback on to the chef so hopefully it will get fixed. Next time I am going with the Mushroom & Swiss instead.

Napket is located in Avenues
The cost of the Napket Signature Burger was KD3.500

Here are the burger places I’ve reviewed so far:
Applebee’s
Bredz
Burger Boutique
Fuddruckers
Hashi
Gaucho Gril
Gourmet Burger Kitchen
Johnny Rockets
Munch
Papa John’s Burgers
Prime & Toast
Ruby Tuesday
Slider Station
Sheraton Hotel
Smoke House
The Burger Hub
The Butcher Shop
The Little Oven
Wimpy

Back in October there was a press release in the papers by a company which stated that they were opening Fatburger in Kuwait. Today there was another press release by another company stating that they are also opening Fatburger in Kuwait. So what gives?

Well this is what I found out. A local company got the Fatburger franchise rights 2 years back for Kuwait but never opened up a store. So, Fatburger decided to take the franchise rights from them and pass it to another local company. Fatburger will now be finally opening in Kuwait before June.

I am still holding my breath for Arby’s and Wendy’s.

Update: Turns out yesterday’s press release was actually placed in the newspaper by Fatburger North America themselves to clarify that there is a new Fatburger owner in Kuwait.

It’s back in stock at Sultan Center. I already picked up a few boxes as usual because I know you only get one chance at it before they run out of stock. I don’t understand why they don’t get larger quantities of Count Chocula when they know they are very popular…

The only Quiznos branch in Kuwait shut down. It seems the franchise owner wasn’t interested in the brand anymore. I thought it had a lot of potential but oh well, at least I still have Charley’s and Subway to fall back onto.

I’ve been wanting to pass by Poshcafe at the 360 Mall for sometime now since the place looked trendy and interesting and today I finally did for lunch. They don’t have a large menu but they do mix it up with variety like salads, soups, pastas, burgers, sandwiches and desserts. Their burgers are actually sliders made with Angus beef and I was really tempted to try it but decided instead to start with a Mushroom & Gruyère soup followed by a healthy Posh Club sandwich. Nat had a salad as usual.

The mushroom soup came first and it looked good but although the soup looked like it contained herbs, I couldn’t taste them and the whole thing turned out to be a bit bland. It wasn’t bad but I think it just tasted very average. The Posh Club which is their club sandwich was served once I had finished my soup. Presentation wise it looked really good and when I took my first bite I tasted something that seemed interesting. They use a “special” sauce with their club sandwich which I think is similar to the tahina sauce you get with meat shawermas. Although it tasted interesting at first by the third sandwich I realized the sauce was too heavy and turned what was supposed to be a light lunch into a heavy one and I didn’t like that since I might as well have gone with the sliders.

For the final score I am going to give them a 3.5 out of 5. I really liked the style of the place, the waitress was very friendly and they have a huge selection of desserts (which I didn’t try) that looked really good. My only issue is with the food I ordered, both of which I wouldn’t have again because they were just so average. Price wise they’re decent but maybe a bit on the high side with some items. Nat thought her salad was expensive since for the same price she could have had the salad bar at Le Notre. I thought the soup could have been a bit cheaper but the club sandwich was priced just right. The next time I go back I would probably try their slider and have a dessert instead of a starter.

Small mixed salad: KD2.750
Mushroom & Gruyère: KD2.450
Posh Club: KD2.750
Here is their [Menu]

Blogger Feryah managed to get pictures of the interior of Planet Hollywood which I posted about last month. He also confirms that they will be opening in March but also adds that Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be attending the grand opening as per their contract. I don’t see how Arnold is attending considering the fact he severed all ties with the chain in early 2000 according to Wikipedia. In any case if Demi Moore is coming I would assume Ashton Kutcher is as well unless he will stay home and babysit the kids. All I care about though is meeting Sylvester Stallone, so if anyone is reading this, hook me up! [Link]

I woke up today hungry and after checking a few blogs I found Ansam’s post on The Noodle House. The food looked and sounded good so I decided I would pass by them for lunch.

I got there around 2:30 expecting the place to be packed but surprisingly there was just one table occupied. Thats a good thing since I don’t like places that get too packed. I quickly knew what I wanted to order since I was having everything Ansam had recommended, chicken satay for appetizers, fried honey & sesame chicken for the main course and I ordered plain steamed rice on the side. Nat ordered spinach and vegetables dim sum for her lunch.

The chicken satay arrived and the first thing I notice is how huge the quantity is. I grabbed a stick and dunked it in the accompanying peanut dip and took a bite. It wasn’t that great. It was fine enough to eat right then but I wouldn’t order it again. The chicken was over cooked, it was hard and tough while I could barely taste the flavor of the sauce. Then when the fried honey & sesame chicken arrived I noticed it looked different than the one Ansam had. I actually pulled up her blog on my phone to compare with the picture she took. Her chicken had a nice color and looked soft while mine looked overcooked. I took a bite and again the chicken was very dry and tough.

Before I get to the positives there was one more thing that I didn’t like and that was the way the different types of noodles were presented. Those of you who’ve been to a steak house like Gaucho will know how before you order a steak they bring out all the cuts to show you what is what. Well they brought out a little plate with different types of noodles on it. In theory it sounds like a good idea but their execution was horrible. First the plate was white and so were the noodles which made them invisible. A second reason why you barely see them is because they display only a tiny piece from every type of noodle. Not a little pile of noodles, just a single 2cm long piece. They looked taped to the plate with their names stuck on top and then the whole thing covered in a clear plastic wrap. It looked horrible and not appetizing whatsoever.

Now the positives. Nat enjoyed her dim sum but I wasn’t interested in trying it. The service was really good and it was a beautiful day so the view was nice. It’s too bad I didn’t enjoy my food, maybe it was a bad day or maybe I ordered the wrong things. The next time I think I am going to try their Sweet & Sour Chicken and maybe a prawns dim sum.

Prices
Chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce: KD2.500
Spinach and vegetable dumplings: KD1.600
Wok fried honey and sesame chicken: KD3.250

This has to be the strangest energy drink I have seen. There is a picture of a marijuana leaf on the can, the drink is called Chillo and yet its marketed as an energy drink. Whoever came up with the name and logo either has never gotten stoned before or actually were stoned when they came up with it.

Large stockpile of KDD chocolate milk at Sultan Center in Lebanon.

I previously posted about how Planet Hollywood was going to open at Olympia Towers this past summer but they never did. Now it seems they will be opening in March 2010 according to a reader who also sent me a picture of the exterior. I also previously mentioned that I had heard Sylvester Stallone was coming for the launch and I will say this again. If he comes I am going to be there with my Cobra DVD for him to autograph. I will not let him leave Kuwait before he does!

Thanks Farah

I landed in Beirut today and I am going to stay here until Christmas. First thing I did was pass by the supermarket (actually duty free before that for you know what) and picked up some stuff including Cadbury Chocolate Milk. It was funny to see KDD chocolate milk on the shelves here in Lebanon while they’re out of stock in Kuwait (I heard because of the KDD factory fire).

Last time I mentioned Cadbury Chocolate Milk some of you suggested I try to have Sulten Center order it with “Just Ask”. Well I filled out the form on their website and got a phone call from them a few days later. They can’t order it because it expires. WTF? I told them they order other food products that also expire and the chocolate milk has a 1 year expiry period like some other items they already bring. They wouldn’t listen. Too bad.