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Coronavirus Food

Support the Restaurant Industry

A lot of you don’t know this but for the past two and a half years I’ve been working in the restaurant industry. It’s a really challenging field and I’m working harder than I have ever done but I’m also loving every minute of it. Right now the restaurant industry all over the world is facing a major crisis. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of restaurants have had to stop operating dine-in and those who offer delivery have had their sales drop considerably.

I’m still ordering food in as I usually do and in the rare occasion when I need to get out of the house, I’m going and picking up the food myself. But, a lot of people have stopped ordering and that’s really hurting restaurants (of all sizes). I’m trying to do my part in trying to support local restaurants and with the number of discounts and offers right now it’s a good time to be a customer. Below are some of my favorite places which I’m supporting:

Delivery
Abby Shawaya – Best pulled chicken sandwiches (musa7ab)*
China Kitchen – My favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant
CHKN – Best fried chicken sandwiches in the world* (I’m serious)
Clean Eats – My favorite vegan restaurant
Enab Beirut – They’re one of my favorite Lebanese delivery places
Frankies – One of the hottest breakfast spots in town now delivers
KAU – One of my favorite burger places right now (order the truffle burger)
Lavan – My favorite Indian restaurant now also deliver
Momo Zaa – The Bhutanese dumpling place now deliver
Leila Min Lebnen – My other favorite Lebanese restaurant
Lucky Bun – Another favorite burger place (order the Ooh Mami with an extra patty)
Madison & Heig – Probably the best bakery in town right now
Roto – Delicious wood-fired rotisserie chicken
Rustic Thai Kitchen – Authentic and delicious Thai food
Tampopo – Best Ramen in town easily!
Vigonovo – Still my favorite Italian restaurant in Kuwait
Wachamean – Order the Wacha Burger with an extra patty

Pick up
BBT – I love this tiny burger place
Shawarma Shakir – Their spicy meat shawerma is the best

You can also support your favorite restaurants by following them on instagram and writing reviews about them. If you have a favorite little place you want to support, let us know about them in the comments below and what kind of food they serve.

*One of the brands I work for

68 replies on “Support the Restaurant Industry”

I’m convincing myself that everyone in the restaurant/delivery industry is taking the extra necessary hygienic measures to ensure that their staff and customers are safe. We all need each other.

It’s a great time to stop spending money on restaurants and reevaluate how much we spend on restaurants and delivery. A good time to get back to home cooking and eat healthier (in the assumption that most people tend to order unhealthy choices). Also cruel, but a good time to fix over saturation, and remove the deadwood. Somebody’s loss is also someone’s gain. And before anyone bashes me, going out of business for whatever reason was always there.

“going out of business for whatever reason was always there”. What does that even supposed to mean? Do you know something we don’t?? And what about all the people who work for restaurants, do they mean nothing to you? Is there financial future abysmal towards your interests because it doesn’t effect you? I thought people like you were supposed to support workers; how hypocritical!

This is affecting everyone in some way or another, some people more, some people less. In circumstances like these, and an effect on the whole economy, it’s not my job to support anyone, it’s the government’s job to take measures, not me.

Of course you’d throw it on the government 🤦🏼‍♂️

In a situation like this it’s all hands on deck working together, it’s a crisis.

LOL. Yeah WTF is the rest of the world’s governments thinking preparing billions to help the economy and businesses when people should just buy more food from restaurants.

Ordering food will LITERALLY save these businesses what are you talking about? just please stop you’re sounding ridiculous 🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️

It could be true that restaurants are taking precautions but personally how can we be sure that the person is preparing the food or packing the food is not infected.

I feel sorry for the restaurants as I am food lover but am not willing to take the risk for me and my family’a sake

Below are my fav from the above list,

Roto
Rustica Thai Kitchen
China Kitchen
Leila Min Lebnen
Tampopo Ramen for pick up

Y’all should make food at home, but if you decide to order out

KAU has the best chicken sandwich hands down.

Number two is the Nashville at A’s chicken.

I once passed by Madison & Heig and what they offered was overpriced and not that appetizing to me, and I saw that their fresh bread was out in the open without any protection whatsoever.

My personal restaurant recommendation would be Meme’s Curry, their chicken katsu with curry and rice is pretty good.

I am OBSESSED with Good Stuff @goodstuff_kw. It’s healthy and DELICIOUS.
Never had any issues with them either. They have vegan options as well. My favorite dishes are: zesty chicken bowl, Tijuana bowl, strawberry walnut salad and their cookie is to die for.
I dint consume any animal source but chicken (personal preference) but everyone agree that their salon dishes are to die for.

Also, let’s talk about M.E’AT again please!
Been ordering their dishes as well. I love that it’s a “make your own bowl” concept and includes many options most restaurants lack. When I’m too busy to meal prep, I just order their protein options and some sides as well, add my own veggies and keep everything in the fridge for up to 3 days (I contacted them on Instagram and they gave me details as to how long each item lasts in the fridge). I saved a lot of money and time with this particular restaurant honestly.

I am all for “healthy lifestyle” and both these restaurants have calories and macros available on their instagram page which makes it even better!

May the force be with everyone and Kuwait.
I’m trying to stay positive and hoping this will end soon but it’s getting harder each day as we are only receiving more and more cases. Not seeing this nightmare ending anytime soon at this point. 🙁 oh well, at least we have Netflix.

If you are a foreigner in Kuwait save your money. I feel for the restaurants especially considering the government has not even announced a plan to compensate the restaurants. Here in Canada the government has already announced 10 billion dollars to help businesses and has lowered the interest rate.

None of us know how far this thing will go but at the money will need to be available on hand.

Dear Mark
from the list u mentioned up ,, u only advice one restaurant for shawarma ( Shawarma Shakir )
i tried it before ,, its nice but not the best ,,
really if u want to taste the real shawarma try visit ( Saj ma Saj ) in aswak al qurran ,,
really is the Best shawarama i tried it Kuwait
check there accout
https://www.instagram.com/saj_ma_saj/?hl=en

Check out Ariabata in Hawally.
Thanks for the tip about BBT. Absolutely incredible burgers,

What is the sandwich next to the burger in the top photo?

That’s a burger from wachamean they made me try, uses toast instead of a regular bun and had jam with the burger. Really delicious but not on their menu yet sadly.

While it’s nice that you’re supporting the food industry, it’s not the only industry that’s being affected.
retail is hit bad. restaurants at least have the option to deliver or pick up and is also a necessity for people who doesn’t know or choose to cook.

there are very few retailers with online stores and since it’s not a necessity, the sales are terrible atm.

Mother’s Day is coming people.. buy a gift for your mom. Save the retail industry as well 🙂

Any smart person would see where this is going and save money for the worst day. All businesses are losing the economy is collapsing globally. Few weeks back everyone said those are merely rumours and look where we are now. We hope that things get better but if you think everything’s fine keep thinking that. I personally feel compassion towards all business owners and everyone whos affected by this crisis. But I also think it’s important to be ready if things get worse because it doesn’t look good

“A lot of you don’t know this but for the past two and a half years I’ve been working in the restaurant industry. ”

Go on? Tell us more!

Yes, would like to know where you work and if you don’t mind sharing – the organization you work for. I am a big fan of your blog and would like to know more about u 🙂

I’m conflicted on multiple levels.
1. Why only support a list of signature joints. Are Al shaya, smaller joints or maybe a hole in wall not worthy of getting this support.
2.Why support a restaurant if they do not do their bit and extend good offers to customers. Give and take.
3.As many noted above, an expat needs to save up for the worst given they are reliant on those funds in a crisis.
4. Also for those cooking at home and eating healthy, many of these options would work against them and healthy options may be too expensive.
5. Last but not the least, shouldn’t we send money to areas like Italy where ppl are dying by the minute and they are stretched for funds and supplies. Its the save a job VS. save lives quandary.

These are things I wrestle with. On the other hand we need to appreciate the fact that we are in a safe zone thanks to the efforts of the govt. Yes ppl were affected – families are going bonkers being stuck at home and there are others stuck outside without being able to come in. Thankfully we are all alive in a country that is effectively in a sense ‘flattened the curve’ Hamdullah!

Nobody said only support the people on my list, you must have misread my post. I’m asking everyone to support their favorite places, these are mine.

This so called “pandemic” that killed less people in 90 days than bicycles . This is not black plague!
Instead of destroying economy i would rather ban internet and mass media , open the borders and stop this quarantine nonsense.
Internet was invented to make us smart but obviously it turned us into half-wit animals.
I was an airline pilot until they fired us all few days ago.

I appreciate your humor but there is nothing funny about it. Once you are unemployed and run out of ‘toilet paper’ like we did, you will see for yourself.

I just found it funny how a pilot knows the dangers of a virus more than all the doctors and scientists around the world. you sound like a conspiracist

I spent a month in a red zone in Italy transporting sick people and still here in a quarantine. I know from first hand experience what i am talking about. Believe me i felt much worse when i had chicken pox and even worse when i had a FLU.

Thomas stop with the fantasies and get done with your homework this instant!! Once you’re done with that its chore time. No more Nicholas Cage movies for you young man. Red zone in Italy. The only red zone you will ever see is in the back of your shorts after I give you a spanking.

Mark, Slightly off topic, but have you seen the “Ugly Delicious” documentary series on Netflix. The episode about Mexican food has a very interesting history of a popular Mexican take-out food called Tacos Arabe – a descendent of the shawarma brought to Mexico my Lebanese immigrants. Different meat, hotter sauces and different bread, but absolutely delicious (and not at all ugly).

Thank you Mark for the thought / writeup and mention. Yes it’s been really bad since the end of Feb. Let’s hope we all get through this sooner than later.

Not really a restaurant, but it’s a home business called ThePieShop on Instagram. I ordered their apple raspberry pie a couple of days ago, and it was warm, fresh, and very delicious.

Same situation here in Toronto, restaurants are struggling. OpenTable is asking everyone to buy gift cards to support the restaurants and they are waiving their fees as well. Restaurants say that gift cards is a great way to support them and help them pay their bills and employees.

I think it’s time for us to cut supporting the F&B industry altogether. Given that Kuwait sits on top of the world in dining out/food delivery rankings, it’s safe to say that the F&B industry needs to support us for a while.

It might be the dumbest to you Mark given that you work in the industry and no one would like to see his industry strangles, but to others it’s the smartest thing to do, cutting on outside food or mitigating it has got far too many upsides.

P.S. don’t get me wrong I still order and dine out as much as the next guy, but in a moderate manner, weekends only. not 3-2 orders a day.

I am all for supporting the restaurant industry .. they like all working people deserve all the help they can get to stay afloat. However, to support them working people deserve a helping hand as well.

Many working people in the private sector are being forced to sit at home without pay, some are even being made redundant because of lack of business.

These people who have no income cannot be asked to shell out cash that they dont have to buy a meal from a restaurant right now because it would be considered frivolous.

Many here say the government should extend a hand and help the local businesses ; but what about the rest of the community?

Land lords and schools can contribute too by giving a rent break or writing off a single term fee wouldn’t this help a family more?? Those saving would not only help families survive this crisis but also go towards buying a meal or two to support the restaurant industry that you have so passionately asked us; the community to support.

Of course this will lead to the question who is going to support the land lords and the schools who would obviously take a hit from all the write offs ???

How about the government and the all the big rich business and political families of Kuwait?? we have plenty of billionaires amongst them who wouldn’t miss a drop if a few million from their billions were given in support of the government.

Just yesterday a friend was telling me how the large business family’s of Kuwait are all donating to a strategic fund in Kuwait to help with the crisis, and how how Kuwait has earmarked millions of dinars to help the Palestinian cause and other Arab countries who are facing the same issues. OK great that is a good thing, but wouldn’t it have been better served if that money were donated back into the country?? Maybe they could donate it to the Ministry of Education who could pay it down to the schools who would incur losses when they write of those fees I just mentioned. Or maybe to the release to the real estate unions who could pass it on to the landlords and real estate companies .

Like you said all hands on deck .. its a cycle if it starts at the very top then everyone benefits .

Im confused.

Are we to be paranoid about sterilized shopping cart handles in grocery stores yet remain totally calm about strangers preparing and delivering our food ?

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