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
7 replies on “My new favorite restaurant, Matbakhi”
The only negative thing might be their service which can by a bit iffy sometimes
…. their service can BE a bit iffy ??
yeah, there were a lot more errors as well, for some reason wordpress didn’t publish my last revision so had old draft on blog and latest revision on instagram. fixed now thanks
It’s a real shame ‘Riviera by the Four Seasons’ had to shutter thanks to Covid
Nobody ever went there, they were always empty
Some people are grossed out by the multitude of Palestinian restaurants popping up out of nowhere these days. They weren’t there prior to Sheikh Jarrah so they could be seen as profiting off of the mass slaughter of my people. Genocide profiteers? Like Bassem Youssef who’s on a world tour riding on the wave of success of his viral Piers Morgan clips.
But Sawsan is different because she’s been actively promoting our cuisine for 20 plus years in Kuwait so I definitely support her, she’s different.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Palestinians profiteering off the genocide is a lot better than Zionists profiteering off the genocide and illegal occupation. So its ok
I can’t believe you just said that. What is the matter with you?