2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

There is a cute little Filipino bakery down the street from where I live in Salmiya called Lailas Bakery. It’s a tiny place but they carry a good variety of Filipino baked goods including Cassava Cake, Chicken Asado, Ube Cheese Rolls, Putok, Ensaymada’s and a bunch of other things I also have no idea what they are. But there are two things I’ve had from there which were delicious, Pandesal which is Filipino bread rolls, and Spanish Bread which is bread that has a sweet, buttery paste in the center.

So if like me you love carbs and want to try something different, pass by and pick up something. Their instagram is @lailas_bakery55080728 and here is their location on Google Maps.

The weather is great!

Other than the Suzuki Jimny from a couple of years ago, I can’t really think of any other car in recent history that interested so many people. The hype and demand around the new Landcruiser is so huge that there were people selling their spots on the waiting list for up to 2,500KD! Last Wednesday I picked up a brand new Landcruiser to review, and after spending 24 hours with it I have mixed feelings about it. People really do love this car though, I don’t think I’ve gotten so much attention on the road or interest in a review car as much as I got with this Landcruiser. Since you guys left a lot of questions under my what do you want to know post, this review is going to be a combination of my opinion on the car as well as answers to all your questions.

The first thing I need to discuss is the looks of the new Landcruiser which I’m not a fan of yet. I kinda like the front of the car which now has a huge grill, but not a big fan of the side profile or the rear of the car yet. I think the wheels look too small in proportion to the car and I think the rear quarter window gives it a minivan feel. The rear of the car is also fairly boring, but so was the last generation so at least that’s consistent. I remember not being a fan of the last Landcruiser when it came out either. Sometimes it takes a bit of time for new designs to grow on you and I’m expecting the same with this new Landcruiser as well.

I had the fully loaded GX-R model which comes with a leather interior, electronic ventilated seats, a large 12.3″ center display and some safety features like lane assist, radar cruise control and collision detection. The Landcruiser finally has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto built-in which is great but also expected. Their digital side is still lagging behind the rest of the market. For example, we now have this gorgeous new super-large screen in the center console, but I still can’t control any of the car settings on it. If I want to change the settings for lane assist, or reset the tire pressures, adjust the sensitivity for collision detection or any other settings related to the actual car, I need to use the tiny black and white screen in the center of the gauge cluster. The only thing I can control with the large screen in the center console is the media center and climate control, that’s it. I don’t understand why there are two different systems in the car, I should be able to change all the settings from the main screen like in other cars. The technology side of the car makes it feel dated. Everything new on the new car should have already been on the last generation of the Landcruiser, but Toyota has always been like this. They’re one step behind in technology because they go for reliability and simplicity over having all the latest gizmos, and I think the majority of the people prefer that.

What are the differences between GX-R vs VX-R?
The model I drove was the fully loaded GX-R, but the VX-R is actually the top-of-the-line model and costs around 4,500KD more. The main differences between the two are the fact the VX-R uses better quality leather, has electronic suspension, 4 cameras vs just 1, electronically foldable third-row seats, memory seats in the front, front and rear locking diffs, blind-spot monitor, and a tailgate that opens by waving your foot.

How’s the handling and ride quality?
The first day I found the car too soft but that’s how Toyota’s generally are. My FJ Cruiser had soft suspension and one of the first things I did was replace them with stiffer ones. The soft suspension gives the car a soft ride but also makes the car feel heavier since there is a lot more sway on breaking and turning. When I drove the car the second day I enjoyed the ride a lot more since I was used to it by then. It’s comfortable, it’s quiet and definitely a car I wouldn’t mind taking a long trip in.

How is the AC?
I had the car parked under direct sunlight for 5 hours and it took less than 10 minutes of blasting all the AC’s on max for the car to turn into a freezer. So it’s great like it always is on Toyotas.

How is the entertainment system and JBL speakers?
As I mentioned, it has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Oddly you can’t have them occupy the full center screen, parts of the screen always has to show the climate controls. The speakers were fine, loud with boomy bass, they’re good enough for 99% of the buyers. There were a lot of USB-C and USB-A ports scattered around the car plus a wireless charging pad in the center console near the gear shift. There was also a home power socket in the trunk.

How did the 10-speed gearbox feel like?
Not that great actually. The gearbox never seemed to be in the right gear and shifting in the 1st and 2nd gear was always rough. Even putting the car in sport mode didn’t help much.

Can the car handle Kuwait roads?
I think Toyota has proven themselves over the decades that all their cars can handle the Kuwaiti climate and roads with no issues. One of the reasons the Landcruiser is so popular is because of how reliable they are and I don’t expect the new ones to be any different.

Is the steering wheel still heavy?
I haven’t driven the previous generation to compare, but I had two friends who own Landcruisers test drive the car and both said the new Landcruiser is an improvement over the previous one in every way. The steering is lighter, the car feels faster, the brakes better and the overall ride smoother.

What do you think about the price, is it worth it?
This is a difficult one to answer, personally, I think the new Landcruisers are too expensive. The model I drove costs 24,250KD after discount. I think if you’re paying over 20,000KD for a car you’re buying a premium or luxury brand but Toyota isn’t that. It’s a reliable brand that’s meant to be accessible to everyone and I don’t think thats the case with the Landcruiser. With every new generation of Landcruisers, the price has gone up and I think paying nearly 30,000KD for a Landcruiser is just too much.

Is the GR Sport edition getting released in Kuwait?
Yes, it’s coming and the price is around 28,000KD.

Obviously love or hate the new Landcruiser, there is no denying the fact that we all know they’re going to be extremely reliable and popular. I was at a traffic light on Wednesday in the Landcruiser and I looked around me and I was surrounded by 4 other white Landcruisers, one in front of me, two on my left and one behind me. People love them for good reason and anyone with a Landcruiser is going to feel right at home in the new one. If I forgot to answer any of your questions or if you have any more, let me know in the comment. For more details info on the car including the specs and features of the different models, check out the Landcruiser page on toyota.com.kw

If you’ve ever had a kebab sandwich at one of those shawerma places in Bneid Al Gar then you’re gonna appreciate Raju & Sons which based of the same idea just elevated using better ingredients.

The small restaurant is located in Shuwaikh and is really small, but they have car service which is what I wanted. The menu is composed of 5 different kebab sandwiches, 4 of which are meat and the 5th being chicken. The difference between the various meat options isn’t much, it’s either you want it spicy or not and you either want it with round potatoes or not. I was with a friend so we ordered two spicy kebabs with round potatoes, two normal kebabs, round potatoes on the side to share, and one soft drink. The total came out to KD3.900 (their sandwiches range from 500 to 700 fils).

The round potatos were incredibly crispy, I have no idea how they managed to get them so crispy but I loved them and they’re a more exciting alternative to the usual french fries. The sandwiches were also delicious, I had mine without veggies and the spicy sauce wasn’t that spicy, kinda how the spicy sandwich at Shakir isn’t spicy just more flavorful than the regular tahina sauce. So even if you’re not into spicy that’s the one I would recommend you getting.

Overall I liked it, it wasn’t heavy, it tasted great, it’s reasonably priced and I’d definitely go back. If you want to check the place out, here is the Google Maps link. They’re also only Instagram @rajuandsons_

I’ve got the all-new redesigned Toyota Landcruiser for the next 24 hours, what do you want to know about it, let me know in the comments.

Around two years ago, Kuwait Airways retired its last 747 from its fleet. They had operated five Boeing 747s over its entire history so what happened to them, and where are they today?

I’m not going to spoil it but you can check out this interesting and short article on Simple Flying in which they looked for and found the planes today. Five 747s with five different stories, here is the Link.

Even though I’m fully vaccinated it’s still taking me time to get back to old pre-corona habits. For example, it’s now been over a year since I last pressed an elevator button with my bare fingers. I told a friend the first thing I would do after getting vaccinated is press an elevator button and then lick my finger, but months after getting vaccinated I still can’t bring myself to press a button with my bare fingers let alone lick it after.

On the other hand, I’m getting used to going out and trying new places again so I’ll be going back to posting reviews soon like the good old days. Last week though three new places opened up (or reopened in one case):

Milk Bun
A new burger place opened up in the new 360 Mall extension brought to you by the same team behind Burger Boutique, Cocoa Room, and White Robata. The place looks really cool so check them out on Instagram @lovemilkbun

San Ristorante
Not a new concept since they opened a few months before the pandemic in Shaab, but last week they opened a new location in Avenues near Arabica. This means their Shaab location should hopefully be less busy now. So if you’re craving Italian food and haven’t tried them yet, make sure you visit their beautiful Shaab location. Their Instagram is @san.ristorante

Love Bird
Finally, last week the fried chicken concept Love Bird reopened. They had closed down for renovations and reopend last week with a funky new shop sign as well as an updated and larger menu. Sadly they’ve changed their fries which were THE BEST. Check them out on Instagram @thereallovebird

This has to be the most bizarre story to come out so far this year. I first heard about it a couple of days ago but then yesterday Associated Press published the story and so got picked up by the international media.

An Egyptian expat posted a video on TikTok during the dust storm last week complaining about the weather. That video caused him to get arrested and legal action will be taken against him. Arrested over a video complaining about the dust storm!

I just watched the video and can’t figure out what in it would cause him to get arrested. There isn’t anything in the video that should get him in trouble, the worst thing the guy said is that it was a shitty morning. I’m not gonna embed the video here because I don’t know anymore what can get someone arrested or deported, but here is a link to it, it’s still up on his TikTok account @ahmed_krombo. The guy seems like a chill dude based on his tiktok videos so whats going on? Why all this drama? I’m so confused.

I found this old aerial photo of Kuwait taken in 1960 but I can’t figure out where that area is today. There are some major clues to help, the school on the bottom, the mosque across the street and what looks like another school behind the mosque.

All three structures should still be standing today but I couldn’t find a similar combo on Google Maps. If you’re bored and looking for something to kill time with today, help me find the location! Here is a link to the super high res copy of the image.

Update: With the help of a reader it looks like we might have found the location and it seems to be Farwaniya. Here is the link to the mosque on Google Maps and I’ve taken a screenshot of the map and rotated it to match the direction of the original photop=. I also highlighted all the similar areas that existed in the original photo and that still exist today. The old huts/shacks in the background of the original image look to be what today is Ishbilia and Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh.

Image Source

The Kuwait Boy Scouts have been around since 1935 and officially became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1955. On their website they have a section that contains old black and white photos from back in the 60s and 70s but with no caption or specific date mentioned under the photos. Still, they’re worth checking out if you’re curious and like old photos of Kuwait. Here is the link.

I also found an old AP video shot in 1960 at a scouts camp in Kuwait where they were preparing for a visit by H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Mubarak. The video has no audio but is surprisingly great quality so check it out as well.

Bonus: Their Facebook account contains a few more photos including ones of the Kuwait Girl Guides which was founded in 1957. Their photo album is completely unorganized though so you go to scroll to a lot of random stuff to find them. Here is the link.

Thanks Maha

Does anybody remember these? The ad above is from a 1992 newspaper but I remember these bottle cap rewards from the 80s.

Yesterday I dropped by the pet store Zue to check out their indoor park. Zue opened around a year ago but due to the pandemic, they had to scale things back a bit. But now they’re fully open and I think it’s such a beautiful place for dogs.

When you first walk into Zue you walk into their shop front which has a nice-looking cafe on the far right. They sell pet food and accessories for dogs and cats only and if you continue to walk into the space further, you end up at the grooming section which is fairly large and divided into two rooms, one room for small pets and the other one for large ones. The whole section is surrounded by windows that overlook the Zue park and benches for customers to sit on while waiting.

The park is why I was there, I had seen pictures on Instagram and wanted to check it out myself. It’s divided into two floors, the ground floor for large dogs and the top floor for smaller dogs. The top floor also has an area to rent out for birthday parties and when I passed by yesterday they were getting the area set up for one. The dog park is pretty huge for an indoor one and has fake hills and grass, water pools as well as obstacles and tunnels for the dogs to play with. There were large windows on the roof that let in bright sunlight and if I had a dog I’m sure he would have loved playing there especially with other dogs.

I really like the idea of the indoor park especially with how hot it gets here during the summer and also because of the lack of places dogs can go to socialize with other dogs. Accessing the park requires a membership fee which is 75KD a month for a large dog, and 60KD for a small dog. The price doesn’t increase much if you have more than one dog, for example, the membership for 2 large dogs is 90KD a month and two small dogs is 75KD a month. The membership gives you 30 hours of access a month and you’re allowed to bring one guest with you.

If you want to check the place out here is their location on Google Maps, also make sure you check them out on Instagram @zue.kw

I spotted a compact electric composter a few days ago at a small business and it looked really practical. It was an Oklin GG-02 and I hadn’t seen one similar before so decided to track down the dealer to find out more about the unit so I could post about it.

A compost bin is a container into which you place organic waste to turn into very rich plant nutrients. You would throw in your leftover food, your coffee pucks, fruit peels, etc and with time it would get converted into compost which you could then use in your garden or your house plants.

I had only ever seen regular compost bins, ones that are just plastic or wooden boxes you put in the garden and fill in with waste. But what caught my interest with this Oklin unit was that it was electrically powered. The Oklin is a home appliance, you could place it in the kitchen, on a balcony or anywhere you want and just keep it plugged in. Whenever you have organic waste you just empty it into the Oklin and in just 24 hours it would convert it into compost. It can convert up to 4KG a day which should be more than enough to handle a large household.

If you’re interested in composting and looking for an easy quick solution I can’t think of anything more practical than this. The price is KD350 and the dealer is Advanced Technology Company. They don’t have a storefront so to enquire on the Oklin you could call or Whatsapp Zahra on 99912663, or email her at [email protected]

Update: The dealer for the product is now TP Green and the price has increased from KD350 to KD385. But on the bright side, they have a website which you could order the Compost and other green items from which you can check out https://tpgreen.shop

Yesterday I was driving by the Abdullah Salem Cultural Center and it was PACKED. There were cars backed up all the way outside the museum entrance, a scene I hadn’t seen since the museum first opened. That reminded me that I should probably post about the fact that museums are finally reopening again! If you’re looking for something to do, below is a list of my favorite museums and their current opening hours:

Abdullah Salem Cultural Center (ASCC)
They’re open from 10AM to 8PM with the last admission at 7PM.
Fridays they only open from 2PM to 8PM and Sundays they’re closed.
You can find photos and information on the museum here.

Bait Al Othman Museum
They’re open daily from 9AM to 1PM and then evenings from 4PM to 8PM.
Fridays they only open in the evenings.
You can find photos and information on the museum here.

Tareq Rajab Museum
They’re open daily from 9AM to 1PM and then from 4:30PM to 8:30PM
You can find photos and information on the museum here.

Al-Salam Palace Museum
One museum I think a lot of people are interested in visiting is the Al-Salam Palace Museum. That museum was set to open just as the pandemic hit. Their Instagram says they’re opening soon but they haven’t mentioned a date. A friend of mine who had previously booked a tour before the pandemic hit got a call recently though to set up a new date so I think right now they might be going through the backlog of people who had booked early last year. I was lucky enough to get a tour of the museum before they opened and you can check that post out here.

Update: Due to high demand, ASCC now opens from 10AM instead of 2PM.

Yesterday I read a story about a guy who drove his 1982 Mitsubishi Galant from Kuwait to Delhi, India during the 1990 invasion. The family still owns the car today and the son is now trying to restore it. If that wasn’t interesting enough, there is a similar story of another guy who drove his 1984 Mitsubishi Galant from Kuwait but to Kerala, India, and also still has his car today. Both cars seem to be the same color and they both might have been in the same convoy of cars that left Kuwait to India by road during the escape.

The journey from Kuwait to India took around 110 days and involved driving through Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan before finally reaching India.

You can read the story on the 1982 Galant journey here.
You can read the story on the 1984 Galant journey here.

The 1984 Galant and the owner Mathunny Mathew seem to have gotten more coverage online. There is a video interview with the owner on YouTube but it’s in Malayalam so I couldn’t watch it. But, there is another very cool video on YouTube where the Petrolhead Motor Garage guys attempt to start the car. It’s not in English but there is very little talking, it’s mostly them taking apart the engine to try and start the car which is a total rust bucket. It’s a chill video and I’ve embedded it above.

I love stories like this so if you know of anymore, let me know!

Thanks Fahad